EDITOR:
To
understand the detrimental impacts of the El Dorado Hills Community Services
District’s astonishing actions begin with the grand jury role. The state of
California Courts Judicial Branch confirms the grand jury acts as a
representative of county residents in promoting government accountability.
The
civil grand jury exists to assure honest and efficient government. As an
independent watchdog, a grand jury operates separately from the entities and
officials it investigates. These reviews are conducted under the auspices of a
Superior Court judge.
The
El Dorado County Grand Jury followed these guidelines in its 2021-22 report
(edcgov.us).
EDHCSD
is engaging in a toxic campaign designed to demean, discredit and intimidate
the grand jury, El Dorado County officials and EDH residents.
EDHCSD
directors and staff lower the public discourse with inflammatory language about
the grand jury as “slipshod,” “egregious,” “ignorant, “false,” “unsupported,”
“troubling,” “irresponsible,” “suspect,” “calculated,” “speculation,”
“embarrass,” “narrow-minded,” “deliberate,” “inaccurate” and “a work of
fiction.”
The
cost of their response to taxpayers is estimated more than $30,000. The board
members should look up the meaning of “accountability” as applied to their
conduct.
The
EDC Grand Jury process encourages citizens to safely and confidentially submit
concerns. Its deliberations are closed to the public and held secret. GM Kevin
Loewen falsely twisted the mandated protection of privileged information into a
bizarre conspiracy theory of wrongdoing, suggesting, “Grand jury investigations
have been destroyed.”
Director
Sean Hansen called the grand jury report “obnoxious and egregiously wrong … a
work of fiction” without providing evidence supporting his bluster. Board VP
Noelle Mattock insisted they “are doing what 99% of the rest do,” presumably to
follow like lemmings off the cliff.
The
EDHCSD board and management crossed the line in its defamation of hundreds of
the engaged seniors of Heritage Village seeking accountability. On one
occasion, GM Loewen aggressively ripped away a banner peacefully displayed by
the seniors. The grand jury documented other board abuses. EDHCSD absurdly
characterizes Heritage residents as a selfish, narrow-minded, small minority
who “do not wish to be gracious members of the EDH community.”
EDH
residents must stand firm in support of the integrity of the grand jury. The
board of directors should carefully reconsider their actions and response.
El
Dorado Hills Village Voice
ROBERT WILLIAMS
Concerned Residents of El Dorado Hills Heritage Village
November 24, 2022
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