The audit found that the city is not in as good financial shape as many thought, with unfunded liabilities and transfers of money between accounts putting the city’s finances in jeopardy.
According to the audit, the city of Pacific Grove has more than 22 million in unfunded liabilities.
The Calpers employee pension plan is almost $19 million. Workers’ compensation, liability insurance and retiree health insurance add another 3.5 million.
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David Bindel Owes $30,000 Back Rent On Old Bath House
The owner of The Old Bath House Restaurant in Pacific Grove, which closed Nov. 5, owes the city $30,000 in back rent, according to Pacific Grove’s city manager.
David Bindel, who ran the restaurant in the city-owned, oceanfront building overlooking Lovers Point, was being charged $5,000 a month.
“He hasn’t paid us since May,” said Pacific Grove City Manager Jim Colangelo. “The lease expired in the spring, and we’ve been on a month-to-month with him. We don’t know why he hasn’t paid.”
Bindel said he slacked on paying rent because he was frustrated with the city since it wouldn’t help pay for the necessary upgrades to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Bindel has since moved on to real estate management.
Pacific Grove Deemed Financially Unstable
An independent team of auditors have found the city of Pacific Grove to be in “a weak financial position”. Almost $11 million in unfunded liabilities were found in the Pacific Grove budget.
P.G. Holiday Festivities
Kind of early to start the Christmas season, but pimping our town is something we do best.
The icky little lights are up in the trees. Was better when garland banners stretched across the street.
Now the icicle lights on many stores year-round are finally in season.
And we await the always interesting Holiday Parade Of Lights.
Favaloro’s Closes
Nino and Marie Favaloro will retain ownership of The Scotch Bakery and Café Ariana. Both are looking forward to being free in the evenings to spend more quality time with their children who were literally brought up in the back end of their restaurants up to this point in their lives. It was a difficult and emotional decision to sell the restaurant, but in the end, the kids’ needs won out.
Could the charges of Anthony Favaloro allegedly strangling a worker have anything to do with it? One of the strangest business owners in P.G.
Sex Offender Randy Lee Snyder Arrested
Randy Lee Snyder
Randy Lee Snyder, 54, was arrested on suspicion of probation violation as well as possession of obscene matter depicting minors in the act of sexual conduct; distribution of obscene matter to persons under the age of 18; and distribution of obscene matter to persons 18 years of age and older, Monterey Police Lt. Phil Penko said.
An employee at the Monterey Senior Center at 280 Dickman Ave. called police Friday at 9:15 a.m. to report seeing images of naked young girls on a monitor Snyder was using Thursday, Penko said. The employee said Snyder quickly clicked off the image when he noticed the employee.
“Clearly, the pictures were of girls under the age of 18,” said Penko. “They were between 10 years and 13 years of age, engaged in various acts of intercourse.”
Police discovered that Snyder had logged onto several child pornography sites, said Penko.
On Sunday, he was transferred to Monterey County Jail, where he will be held until a decision is made whether he will be returned to Santa Clara County or kept in Monterey County to face new charges.
In 2002, San Jose police arrested Snyder for using the Internet to solicit sex from what he thought was a 12-year-old girl. He was actually communication with a detective posing as the girl.
He was arrested at a San Jose park after approaching the female officer posing as the girl.
Police searched Snyder’s home and found evidence that he had intended to have sex with the girl. Snyder was then living in Pacific Grove.
Silenced Foghorn Sits Derelict In P.G.
The long-silent foghorn at Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove has become a coastal eyesore.
The structure consists of a concave wall on the landward side of Ocean View Boulevard near Asilomar Avenue and once was used as a sound reflector to bounce the foghorn’s deep notes out to sea during the decades of its operation.
The Coast Guard, which operated the lighthouse and foghorn, no longer depends on such things as navigational aides because global positioning devices and radar have made them obsolete.
Now the foghorn sound wall serves as a perch for seagulls and pelicans, who leave evidence of their visits behind.
My guess is it will be torn down, as the property (along with the lighthouse) has been handed over to the city. I remember being parked in a turnout with a young lady (we were watching the submarine races) and being blasted by the two blast wail. Here’s an impression of the sound – best I could find
Earth To Downtown Merchants: X-Mas Is Over!
What’s with all the X-Mas lights staying up all year round?
They are everywhere – Holman Building, Victorian Corner, PG Nutrition, PG Plaza, 17th Street Grill, Monte Cafe, etc. While they may communicate some hint of a business being open, THEY LOOK LIKE JUNK AND ARE UNSAFE. You leave those up in the open air and sunlight the insulation will soon crack and expose 110 volts.
Some may even contribute to the hazards by draping the wires over sharp edges.
Hello PG Fire Department? Building Inspectors? Check it out.
Truth In Advertising #324
Lillian King Doing OK
An elderly woman who was taken from her Pacific Grove residence after police discovered her palatial home had turned into a slum, had not suffered neglect from her caregiver, according to authorities.
Armed with a search warrant, police found Lillian King, 97, living in “unsafe conditions” at her home earlier this month,
The good news, White said, is that King does not show any adverse signs of having lived in the home.
“Her health is good for a 97-year-old woman and her mind is intact… she shows no ill effects from living here and it doesn’t appear that she has been abused in any form.”
Police obtained the warrant to search the home after neighbors made numerous complaints that there was a lot of “activity” at the home.