Rules is rules

The City Council last night once again suspended its own rules and allowed another mayoral appointment to go through with only one reading.

So far since I started paying close attention again, they have done this at least 3 times: with the new Planning Director, with some other appointment that I can't recall off the top of my head and now with last night's Erford Fowler's appointment to the Board of Water Commissioners.

I understand the board has been operating without a quorum since losing two members, and the mayor can't find qualified people to fill the vacancies.

I don't know if it's a good thing that former Ward 4 Councillor Fowler is stepping up to the plate, or if it's a not-so-good thing. I don't know Fowler that well, except I know he was always on the side of the older population in the city.

Speaking of which - the last time I attended a water board meeting (last month), George Lawler was openly sympathetic to one Mr. Robert Finneran, the guy who bought the former Mike's Sub Shop building and who wants to turn it into - a sub shop.

Well, he also wants to add a second floor, for office space.

The problem is, his family trust has not hooked into the PI water/sewer system and DPS will not approve his building permit ... well, the building permit is being sought by an entity of which Finneran is the sole officer.

It's a city law (Is an Executive Order a law?) that if you owe the city any outstanding fees on one property, the city shall not issue a permit for another property owned by the same person.

The issue now is whether Finneran's interests in the entity First Ocean and Realty Corp. and his interests in the family trust (including that he lives in the house in question) make him an owner of both properties.

Which reminds me, I have to pay my water/sewer bill! Yikes!

Au revoir, gophers.