Lodi Unified will meet Monday

Lodi Unified has posted an agenda for a special meeting on Monday. The agenda has one item, a conference with labor negotiators.

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Two more file to run for LUSD board

Two candidates have filed papers to become candidates for the Lodi Unified Board of Trustees – neither of them a surprise.

Michael Abdallah and Frank Michael will run in Area 6. Both of them had applied for the seat when the board was looking to appoint a replacement for Harvey Bills who had resigned for health reasons. The district ended up suspending its search to replace Bills after some members of the public protested the interview process.

Abdallah is a retired Bear Creek High teacher. Michael manages a credit union and has children in the district.

So, if you’re keeping score at home, here is the full slate of candidates who have filed thus far (the filing period ends Aug. 6).

Area 1 – Anthony Silva and David Schindler. Incumbent Bonnie Cassel said she is still undecided on whether or not she’ll seek a second term.

Area 3 – Incumbent Richard Jones and George Neely

Area 4 - Ruth Davis. Incumbent Calvin Young said he has pulled papers, and he does intend to run.

Area 5 – Ron Heberle. Incumbent Jeff Thompson said he will not run. Heberle, as of now, is unopposed.

And then Abdallah and Michael in Area 6.

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Water, water everywhere

Last night’s City Council meeting was about water. Council members talked much about the water the city has access to, other water it currently pays for but ends up in the ocean, and how the best way to make sure Lodi has good water now and in the future – along with how much residents will be charged for their water.

In the end, the council decided to raise water rates and to build a $42 million treatment facility that will make 6,000 acre feet the city buys out of the Mokelumne River drinkable.

Not everything that was discussed made today’s paper.

Here are some talking points that we’ll be keeping an eye on regarding water and the approved treatment plant.

- Water rates were raised by up to 2 percent, but the city could ultimately set lower rates. Public Works director Wally Sandelin will research how the city can use $15 million in groundwater contamination settlement money – which has restricted uses – to help offset rates. City Manager Rad Bartlam told me the utility doesn’t need the 2 percent increase to survive. It needs it to ensure its financial health into the year 2016, however, where reserve balances will be worn very thin without a revenue increase of some sort.

- The council also approved the spending of roughly $500,000 to study its contaminated groundwater sites. The study might save the city up to $25 million over the next 40 years of cleanup. It might not, too, but city officials are confident because the water quality administrators appear to be on board.

- Susan Hitchcock voted against the water treatment plant, which was noted in the story, but perhaps a little bit under-reported for how against it she was. She called it a “betrayal of public trust” and was steadfast in her recollection that the plant was supposed to be paid for by future development. She said the facility should be funded by a mello roos tax, or something of the sort, not out of money residents pay for water.

- The water treatment facility was at one time planned to include an “exploration center” where students could visit on field trips and learn about water. That plan was scrapped because of Homeland Security issues, Public Works Director Wally Sandelin said. Any facility where visitors may have access to a city’s water supply must be fully staffed at all times, and would require millions of extra dollars in operations costs annually, Sandelin said.

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Lodi Unified to meet Thursday

A special Lodi Unified meeting has been called for Thursday night at 6 p.m. The meeting is closed session only, and calls for personnel and legal matters.

A district official told me the meeting was called so that a few vice principals can be hired prior to the school year starting.

Visit the district website for the full agenda: www.lodiusd.net.

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Neely’s candidacy official

George Neely has filed his papers to run for the Lodi Unified Area 3 Trustee seat.

Neely, who is among the district’s 250 laid off teachers, is running against incumbent Richard Jones, who said he will file paperwork when he returns from a cross country trip a few weeks from now.

Neely hinted that he would run before his lay off was official. Had he retained his job, he would have been required to resign his teaching duties in order to serve on the board.

Neely has a military background, and worked in the electronic security field before becoming a teacher in 2004.

He has a campaign website.

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Douglas not offered SUSD’s top job

From reporter Roger Phillips, Stockton Unified decided against hiring Lodi Unified assistant superintendent Odie Douglas. Douglas was the lone finalist in the district’s round two of interviews. Trustees in Stockton say they loved Douglas, and Douglas loved them. They said he’s going to be a great superintendent. But they didn’t hire him.

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Lodi notebook: Jones to run, Douglas a finalist, more Wal-Mart

It’s a relatively slow July 7 in Lodi, but there are a few interesting things on the horizon.

- At last night’s Lodi Unified meeting, Trustee President Richard Jones announced that he will indeed run for re-election. He’s not an official candidate until he files papers, but he’s going to be out of town for three weeks starting today. The filing period begins Monday, and he didn’t want to give the impression he would not be running simply because he wasn’t among the first to file.

- Also in Lodi Unified, Assistant Superintendent Odie Douglas appears to be the lone candidate to be interviewed in Stockton Unified’s search for a superintendent. Here’s the story from reporter Roger Phillips. Incidentally, at the Trustees meeting, Jones sighed deeply in offering Douglas “good luck.”

- The Citizen’s for Open Government group has filed an intention to appeal a recent ruling that the west side Wal-Mart project can go forward, Environmental Impact Report and all. The filing does not present any arguments. We have several months before an appeal is heard.

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A $3,000 enticement for qualified electric technician

What does it take to get a qualified Electric Technician in Lodi? An extra $3,000 will be a good start, according to a staff recommendation that the City Council will consider next week.

The city has searched hard to find a qualified candidate to take the job – which has a pay scale of $71,154.72 to $86,471.88 a year – but can’t find one. Over the last two interview cycles, more than 90 applied. None were qualified.

So, the city is recommending the pay scale increase to $74,637.72 to $90,795.48.. The extra $3,000 and change will bring the right candidate, the staff report states.

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Trustees may pair Elkhorn and Podesta Ranch…

At least, they may share a principal this school year.

Lodi Unified has done some administrator shuffling, and that has included some new school pairings.

Trustees already approved the pairing of Houston and Victor schools, as well as a Live Oak and Tokay Colony pairing.

On Tuesday, Trustees will vote on a proposal to pair Elkhorn and Podesta Ranch. Podesta Ranch Principal Pierre Kirby would take the reigns of both schools in that situation.

There are some hints that indicate the wheels are already in motion on this move. Former Elkhorn Principal Scott McGregor sent a voice message to parents informing them he was assigned to Vinewood, and that Kirby would be the new Elkhorn principal.

I asked district officials if this pending move is a precursor to an Elkhorn closure, sending the students to the $20 million Podesta Ranch campus, which has the space for more students.

The overwhelming response, at least for now, is: No.

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People just don’t like meters

Lodi residents have been a little grumpy about city’s plan to install water meters, but it doesn’t sound as bad as Piedmont, where people seem really mad about PG&E meters that are being installed there.

From PublicCEO.com:

The city of Piedmont was notified by PG&E that its new technology, SmartMeters, would be installed on city property despite several customer complaints and conflicting reports.

Some reported concerns of PGE SmartMeters include bill increases, health problems due to radio frequency radiation, interference with medical appliances, diminished residence security owing from meter vulnerability to hackers and, most of all, that residents are not able to opt out of the meters if they choose.

Alameda County residents have petitioned the California Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County Supervisors, Berkeley City Council members, Assembly woman Nancy Skinner, State Senator Loni Hancock and Arnold Schwarzenegger for a moratorium on SmartMeter installation until problems and resident concern are satisfied.

Read the entire city of Piedmont staff report here containing articles and resident reactions to PG&E.

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    Keith Reid

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    Keith Reid has been a Record reporter since 2005. He currently covers Lodi, including city government, schools, and other community news. Contact him at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. Read Full
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