What a Difference a Week Makes

My, my, my, what a difference a week makes. One week ago today, we were traveling to Redding to attend the LAFCO budget hearings in hopes of encouraging the Board to expedite the long overdue Municipal Service Review and what is to be the enjoined Sphere of Influence application. Both of these documents and pending approvals are essential for the timely expansion of the Parks and Recreation in the Fall River Valley, as well as any future expansion of services to our citizens.

During this hearing there were several presentations, by Fall River Valley residents supporting the pending expansion. There was also constructive suggestions on how LAFCO could speed up long overdue MSRs while saving money for District ratepayers. Otherwise, the Board spent most of their time patting each other on the back, nominating and voting for uncontested executive positions and listening to a protracted appeal for a pay raise for the Executive Director, Amy Mickelson.

On Friday Dumbplumber posted a comment on Bruce Ross’ Redding.com blog, concerning Mr. Baugh’s uncontested, unanimous election. You know like the Lion’s club where if you miss a meeting, you show up the next week to discover you are the President. I then went on to caution Mr. Baugh that he should not hitch his political wagon to the likes of Ms. Mickelson, as her job history was shaky at best, while her performance while at Shasta LAFCO was abysmal. As a result, this response was the lone and only comment to Bruce’s posting, not a usual occurrence, since trolling Progressives usually take shots at the conservative Dumbplumber.

By Monday, the lid was blowing off the pot. What seemed to be a typical, routine budget hearing was developing into a serious investigation into who the Board had hired and why has she done so little, with so much, for so long. Saved by the vacation of the LAFCO board Chair, Les Baugh, Ms. Mickelson now appears to be the focus of questioning by fellow Board members as to her resume, her poor performance and her unreasonable and vindictive behavior, at least, to the Fall River Mills CSD. Only time will tell as to her future with LAFCO, but it is safe to say that over the last week her profile there isn’t what it was a week ago.