Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Dogfight in Encinitas

Encinitas resident Steve Meiche believes he's sniffed out corruption in city politics. On December 13, the father of two lodged a formal complaint against Encinitas city manager Phil Cotton and director of Parks and Recreation Chris Hazeltine. Meiche picked up the scent last November, when city councilmembers debated whether to extend the off-leash dog hours at six of the city's parks after more than 20 residents were handed hefty $445 fines for having their dogs roam free during on-leash hours.

For years, dog owners have taken the leads off their pups three days a week, from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and then again from 4 to 6 p.m. During the November council meeting, city staff proposed extending the hours from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 8 p.m. as well as opening the park on Sundays.

At that November meeting, councilmembers continued the issue until further studies were conducted and until local stakeholders signed off on the expansion of hours.

Sponsored
Sponsored

According to Meiche, a nearby resident of Orpheus Park, that is when city administrators began misleading the city council by stating all the stakeholders in the area had given the command to extend the hours. As stated in his complaint, city officials never interviewed property owners, nor did they interview homeowners associations surrounding Orpheus, Viewpoint, and Sun Vista parks.

Meiche says that extending the hours at Orpheus Park puts the neighborhood kids, including his own, at risk of running into a rabid hound while on their way to Paul Ecke Central School. The same goes for kids traipsing through Sun Vista Park on their way to Olivenhain Pioneer School.

In addition to failing to interview property owners, Meiche asserts that city officials also failed to confer among principals or Parent Teacher Associations at the schools that neighbor Orpheus and Sun Vista Park.

"During Mr. Hazeltine's preparation of the analysis, he failed to perform his duties and responsibilities," read Meiche's complaint. "Mr. Hazeltine violated city practices and procedures in the preparation of his analysis by failing to contact and consult any and all local stakeholders that could potentially be affected by this ordinance amendment.

"The stakeholders that are affected by this ordinance represent a large number of citizens, taxpayers, and constituents. Willfully misleading the public and City Council with intent to deceive is illegal, unethical, violates state and city government policies, and discredits public trust."

During a December 17 phone interview, one day after the city council voted in favor of extending off-leash hours at Orpheus, Sun Vista, and Viewpoint Park, Meiche's says he thinks this is the beginning of what will be a dogfight.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Normal Heights transplants

The couple next door were next: a thick stack of no-fault eviction papers were left taped to their door.
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Save Ferris brings a clapping crowd to the Belly Up

Maybe the band was a bigger deal than I had remembered

Encinitas resident Steve Meiche believes he's sniffed out corruption in city politics. On December 13, the father of two lodged a formal complaint against Encinitas city manager Phil Cotton and director of Parks and Recreation Chris Hazeltine. Meiche picked up the scent last November, when city councilmembers debated whether to extend the off-leash dog hours at six of the city's parks after more than 20 residents were handed hefty $445 fines for having their dogs roam free during on-leash hours.

For years, dog owners have taken the leads off their pups three days a week, from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and then again from 4 to 6 p.m. During the November council meeting, city staff proposed extending the hours from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 8 p.m. as well as opening the park on Sundays.

At that November meeting, councilmembers continued the issue until further studies were conducted and until local stakeholders signed off on the expansion of hours.

Sponsored
Sponsored

According to Meiche, a nearby resident of Orpheus Park, that is when city administrators began misleading the city council by stating all the stakeholders in the area had given the command to extend the hours. As stated in his complaint, city officials never interviewed property owners, nor did they interview homeowners associations surrounding Orpheus, Viewpoint, and Sun Vista parks.

Meiche says that extending the hours at Orpheus Park puts the neighborhood kids, including his own, at risk of running into a rabid hound while on their way to Paul Ecke Central School. The same goes for kids traipsing through Sun Vista Park on their way to Olivenhain Pioneer School.

In addition to failing to interview property owners, Meiche asserts that city officials also failed to confer among principals or Parent Teacher Associations at the schools that neighbor Orpheus and Sun Vista Park.

"During Mr. Hazeltine's preparation of the analysis, he failed to perform his duties and responsibilities," read Meiche's complaint. "Mr. Hazeltine violated city practices and procedures in the preparation of his analysis by failing to contact and consult any and all local stakeholders that could potentially be affected by this ordinance amendment.

"The stakeholders that are affected by this ordinance represent a large number of citizens, taxpayers, and constituents. Willfully misleading the public and City Council with intent to deceive is illegal, unethical, violates state and city government policies, and discredits public trust."

During a December 17 phone interview, one day after the city council voted in favor of extending off-leash hours at Orpheus, Sun Vista, and Viewpoint Park, Meiche's says he thinks this is the beginning of what will be a dogfight.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Fr. Robert Maldondo was qualified by the call

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church pastor tried to pull a Jonah
Next Article

I saw Suitcase Man all the time.

Vons. The Grossmont Center Food Court. Heading up Lowell Street
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.