More Bungling And Intransigence From Fullerton’s Underpaid Bureaucrats
On June 26th the Fullerton Planning Commission revisited the never-ending saga of a Noise Ordinance Revision, mostly as it applies to illegal noise in Downtown Fullerton, a situation that City Code Enforcement has for years been energetically ignoring. Friends may recall that the City Council bobbed and weaved on this issue at the end of 2023 and again in February, without, seemingly even bothering to read the proposed mess of an ordinance. Taking bold action the Council referred the matter back to the Planning Commission who had already rubber stamped it.
But when the PC did review the matter again, the same thing it had already approved, the Commission seemed to have developed both curiosity and courage. On March 26th they savaged the jumbled and contradictory hodgepodge and decided they had better have an on-site examination of the actual problem and the problem makers; afterward they would reconvene.
And reconvene they did, for a “workshop.” Somehow – and it’s not quite clear how – the meeting had been identified somewhere as a “public hearing,” a meeting where important discretionary decisions are made. Even the staff report contained a recommendation to approve the ordinance changes – a formal action. Some of the Commissioners wanted to shut it down then and there, and reschedule the matter; others were eager share their opinions after on-site field trips. In the end the Planning Commission continued the matter so that staff could get it right next time (they won’t).
The staff report itself contained the usual propaganda and misstatements and handwringing that have become the hallmark of Sunayana Thomas, Fullerton’s Planning Director and Economic Development expert. Here’s one:
This statement is absurd, of course.
Then there was the same old litany of difficulties in legally enforcing anything and winning in court. Jesus H., when they don’t feel like doing something they’re just weak as kittens.
Two things emerged during brief “public comments.”
First, Joshua Ferguson pointed out that the notice error was a Brown Act violation and also that a “serial meeting” had taken place. The unnamed lawyer at the meeting who is employed by “The I can’t Believe It’s A Law Firm,” claimed everything was kosher because a quorum of the Commission never met to discuss anything, which begs the question of whether staff itself can organize a serial meeting, illegal under the Brown Act.
Another thing that popped up is that staff, on its own initiative has actually now raised the allowable decibel level that they are recommending in Fullerton’s Commercial Zones to 80dBs – based, presumably, on their field adventures.
Two things remain crystal clear: City staff doesn’t want to do their jobs, and the coddling of nightclub operators abusing their 47 Licenses is going to keep happening until some City Council caves in and gives the bar owners legal license to keep doing what they’ve been doing for 20 years. The long-running effort to protect lawbreakers in Downtown Fullerton will continue for at least a while longer. And every delay makes more money flow into the pockets of the scofflaw bar owners.
Boohoos are always blathering about loss of “institutional knowledge.” I don’t see any loss of knowledge.
I do see that Fullerton’s culture of complete unaccountability and tolerating law breakers always persists, decade after decade.
Maybe Sunayana is getting free food at Roscoe’s Famous Craphouse.
I wouldn’t eat there if I was paid to.
Maybe Bruce is getting free food and drinks for 90 more days too. But probably at Mulberry.
What a farce. You are right this will keep going until staff gets what it wants. In the meantime the law WILL NOT be upheld. Too much trouble, and after all, DTF is a wonderful jewel in the crown of Fullerton.
Puff, puff, PASS the Sales Tax!
They can’t do anything right.
How come nobody on the PC or the City Council ever challenges Sunayana about her “we can’t legally enforce this” bullshit? Those decibel levels have been on the books for decades and all the bar owners got their CUPs under it.
This is just absurd. But of course in Fullerton it’s considered bad form to question staff or challenge their noinsense.
Fullerton being Fullerton.
How come no one questions her about anything else either?
That’s a good question. All she does is spew double talk. I guess the Commissioners and the City Council either like what she’s saying or haven’t got the balls to call her out in public.
Because 99% of the people who live in Fullerton are ignorant cowards.
It’s like how they let Florentine keep operating without a CUP because the City was always in the process of updating the CUP regulations in favor of the bar owners.
What? Huh? I can’t hear ya.
The staff report says; “Staff and Commissioners were able to experience exterior speakers playing at ambient levels (60-65 dBA), which is currently permitted by the zoning code”. This is what the code says;
““Ambient music”, shall mean low-volume, background music, whether amplified or not amplified, not audible to a reasonably hearing person at (25) twenty-five feet from any portion of the exterior of the building (including outdoor patios/dining areas), and which is intended to provide ambience and not to entertain.”
All Staff has to do to cite violators for excessive outdoor blasting speakers is stand 25 feet away and be a “reasonably hearing person”.
It’s like pornography, you know it when you hear it. But that’s just too easy for Staff. They need more tools.
Obviously, Staff does not understand words any better than they can write them.
They don’t want tools. What they want is not to have to do their jobs. Looking the other way has been a full time job as far as DTF is concerned for 20 years or more. It actually started when Tony Florentine stole the sidewalk.
You’re right. I published the bit about “ambient music” to show that their very (now we know made up) definition was itself in violation of existing law.
These people are shameless. And yet our city Council continues to tolerate and even praise this sort of incompetent, insubordinate, completely unprofessional behavior. Why?
Why? I’ll tell you why. Fullerton being Fullerton. Dunlap has no balls. He lost his junk when the boohoos showed up to criticize him.
Whitaker never had any balls. Linda has them in her bustier. Jung is trying to cut a deal with somebody…anybody, probably Dick Jones.
Jung is too busy carrying on his affair with Miss Kim to give a shit about what’s going on in Fullerturd. He got his secret office in the bowels of city hall with an escape hatch to facilitate their trysts in his office.
Been listening to Zahra?