Happy New Year Mayor and City Council Members,
I fully support the idea of a community garden in Redondo Beach and I applaud the efforts of Brianna Egan to develop such a program. I hope our community can achieve such a project in the New Year. However, I urge the City Council not to provide any resources through the South Bay Parkland Conservancy without fully vetting that organization.
The South Bay Parkland Conservancy does not appear to be a true 501(c)3 organization as claimed. Rather, the organization operates more like a political action committee. It has provided funding for Mayor Brand’s election campaign and legal defense fund in the past, and it appears to now be providing similar support to his reelection campaign as well as those of Councilmembers Lowenstein and Nehrenheim.
Such activity is done without transparency to the public, under the guise of raising funds for park improvement. South Bay Parkland Conservancy has consistently refused requests from Redondo Beach residents for disclosure of tax records and reports which they are required to provide to us by law. There is something very wrong with this picture.
It would be highly unethical, if not illegal, for the Mayor and District 1 and 2 council members to be involved in any decisions affecting the South Bay Parkland Conservancy having directly benefitted from the Conservancy’s fundraising and support for their election campaigns and legal defense.
Before the City provides any more resources or funding to the South Bay Parkland Conservancy, I urge the City Council, City Attorney and City staff to review the organization’s activities for the past three or more years and require the organization to be fully transparent to the community about their activities and their purpose.
ITEM J. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Happy New Year Mayor and City Council Members,
I fully support the idea of a community garden in Redondo Beach and I applaud the efforts of Brianna Egan to develop such a program. I hope our community can achieve such a project in the New Year. However, I urge the City Council not to provide any resources through the South Bay Parkland Conservancy without fully vetting that organization.
The South Bay Parkland Conservancy does not appear to be a true 501(c)3 organization as claimed. Rather, the organization operates more like a political action committee. It has provided funding for Mayor Brand’s election campaign and legal defense fund in the past, and it appears to now be providing similar support to his reelection campaign as well as those of Councilmembers Lowenstein and Nehrenheim.
Such activity is done without transparency to the public, under the guise of raising funds for park improvement. South Bay Parkland Conservancy has consistently refused requests from Redondo Beach residents for disclosure of tax records and reports which they are required to provide to us by law. There is something very wrong with this picture.
It would be highly unethical, if not illegal, for the Mayor and District 1 and 2 council members to be involved in any decisions affecting the South Bay Parkland Conservancy having directly benefitted from the Conservancy’s fundraising and support for their election campaigns and legal defense.
Before the City provides any more resources or funding to the South Bay Parkland Conservancy, I urge the City Council, City Attorney and City staff to review the organization’s activities for the past three or more years and require the organization to be fully transparent to the community about their activities and their purpose.
Respectfully submitted,
Maggie Healy