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

Escondido Council Candidate Smells Brown Act Violation

Attorney Janathan Allen, wife of Escondido council candidate Richard Barron, sent a letter today (Oct. 30) to Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler, complaining that the council may have violated the Brown Act, which favors public accessibility to political meetings. Barron today filed a demand letter under the Brown Act directed at the Escondido city council and city attorney, pointing out "apparently illegal conduct." Barron says the council unanimously approved entering into an option to purchase agreement with the Moorad Group, part owner of the Padres, to purchase three acres at North Spruce St. for $5 million. But, says spouse Jan Allen, "Three of the five council members...disavowed any knowledge" of the deal. There had been open and closed meetings on the purchase. Several Escondido leaders want the financially ailing city to subsidize the AAA subsidiary of the Padres, owned by the Moorad Group, to the tune of $50 million. A ballpark for the minor league club would attract industry, they contend.

Dick Daniels, mayor pro tem who is running for mayor Tuesday, says, "This is a political stunt." He says that at the meetings at which the deal was discussed, the city attorney was in attendance, and sometimes the redevelopment attorney was there. On Nov. 30, Escondido decides whether to go ahead with the building of the ballpark for Moorad. If the subsidy is approved, the city would pick up the parcel. If the ballpark is not approved, Escondido may go ahead and buy the parcel anyway. "We were in the presence of legal counsel at all times. There is no reason to believe we weren't under the Brown Act."

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

Previous article

JamPinoy: one cafeteria line, two cultures

Pick your island cuisine in Vista's new Jamaican-slash-Filipino eatery
Next Article

Frank Zane has already won

But don’t call former Mr. Universe retired

Attorney Janathan Allen, wife of Escondido council candidate Richard Barron, sent a letter today (Oct. 30) to Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler, complaining that the council may have violated the Brown Act, which favors public accessibility to political meetings. Barron today filed a demand letter under the Brown Act directed at the Escondido city council and city attorney, pointing out "apparently illegal conduct." Barron says the council unanimously approved entering into an option to purchase agreement with the Moorad Group, part owner of the Padres, to purchase three acres at North Spruce St. for $5 million. But, says spouse Jan Allen, "Three of the five council members...disavowed any knowledge" of the deal. There had been open and closed meetings on the purchase. Several Escondido leaders want the financially ailing city to subsidize the AAA subsidiary of the Padres, owned by the Moorad Group, to the tune of $50 million. A ballpark for the minor league club would attract industry, they contend.

Dick Daniels, mayor pro tem who is running for mayor Tuesday, says, "This is a political stunt." He says that at the meetings at which the deal was discussed, the city attorney was in attendance, and sometimes the redevelopment attorney was there. On Nov. 30, Escondido decides whether to go ahead with the building of the ballpark for Moorad. If the subsidy is approved, the city would pick up the parcel. If the ballpark is not approved, Escondido may go ahead and buy the parcel anyway. "We were in the presence of legal counsel at all times. There is no reason to believe we weren't under the Brown Act."

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

City Hall Confidential

Next Article

Escondido Officials to Toss More Cash at Ballpark Consultants

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.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader