Dear Council,
Please, questions must be asked—and answered—on behalf of the residents you represent.
At the August 11th meeting you voted on a massive infrastructure project and price hikes for citizens. You touted the expertise of our Public Works and the paid expert who testified to all the shovel-ready jobs set up with the money from 2020. How would the discussion from the citizens and your vote have gone down had we all known that the first “Shovel-ready” project we’d all been operating for months under the pretense would cost $4.5 Million already had bids pushing it closer to $7million? Public Works knew this before the vote, yet somehow the Council and the public were left in the dark. When asked in September why, Council was told they hadn’t finalized the full amount until after the 11th. That’s a difference without a distinction. That’s not transparency. That’s gaslighting—the bureaucratic art of insisting the numbers are fine until reality finally staggers through the door with a $7million price tag.
We were told that “shovel-ready” is the great achievement of the past five years. Even President Obama after experiencing the reality of two years in office famously said there’s “No such thing as a shovel-ready job.” But here we are, congratulating ourselves for projects that are proving to be less “shovel-ready” than “shovel-fantasy.”
Then came the surprise expert in September, who conceded contractors sometimes gouge clients with creative tales of tariffs and inflation. A perfect opening for tough questions: Who’s doing the oversight? How many people? How often will reports be issued? What exactly justifies half a million dollars in fees? Instead, Council responded with polite nods, as if grateful that someone so important even visited our little beach town.
The real question that should have been asked is: how do we lower the cost? Rework the design? Negotiate harder? Phase the project differently? Explore alternative materials? Ask whether every element is truly essential? Or simply write another check and hope the check doesn’t bounce? These are the questions that never seem to make it into the conversation.
Residents get minutes at the podium while staff gets to spend hours polishing their narratives. Staff is heavy-handed in spending our hard-earned tax dollars because, to them, it’s Other People’s Money. But it isn’t theirs—it’s ours.
And yes, the new City Manager seems committed to the same playbook as his former mentor: late meeting packets, surprise guests, selective facts. Pete Townshend said it best: “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
And while I am quoting people Mark Twain said: “ It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” Thank you for letting me try.
Sincerely,
James Jensen
I was also present for that council meeting. City staff slapping each others backs and I also heard some residents comments disagreeing with Mr. Wongs landslide surprising vote.
They are right, Station 35 has been needing up grades for years! I worked there, I know.
It’s time to start paying it’s been a free ride for too long. Seal Beach has only has one sewer department employee that must ask for help during morning safety meetings.
This person, is the only person who knows how to run the Sewer/Vactor truck! We are lucky not to have had a sewer disaster “Yet”!
I also heard at the meeting that the city is no longer in the black but taking out loans for this sewer project.
I’ll tell you what, when I look out the window and I see no one stopping for Stop signs anymore. No parking control citing vehicles for parking over the posted 1 hour limit. Beer bottles and diapers from last night in the curb. If Seal Beach is broke and we need Infrastructure then put parking meters in front of my house, raise parking rates and fines. Laguna Beach added Parking meters and never looked back.