Following the law?

One of the main reasons that I started paying more attention to what the City Council was doing was because of the Miller's CUP and cows. The only thing I knew about this issue was what I had read in the newspapers. I had never met or talked to anyone involved. I decided to go to a Neighborhood Council meeting.

City Staff stated that the City could NOT consider the HOA CC&Rs when deciding on the issue. Later, at a Planning Commission meeting, the Assistant City Attorney said the same thing. At a City Council meeting, the City Attorney also said the same thing. So, it seems that all except the City Council agrees with this. The problem is that the City Council voted in February to force the Millers get HOA approval AND start the WHOLE process all over again. This seems to be in violation of the law.

The last discussion before the City Council is also a concern. Sojka suggested that the City should get more involved with the HOAs. Miller lives in the same area, so he excused himself. Williamson had associated herself with those against the Millers and was forced to excuse herself. I noticed a familiar name on the Landfill Task Force (NOT part of the City of Simi Valley), which might explain her position. Foster and Sojka both listed all of the conditions which needed to be met in order to approve the CUP and voted for it, although it seemed to me that they were try to explain why they were doing what they were in order to protect themselves from their supporters. Beccerra voted against it. I guess he was not impressed by all the required conditions for approving a CUP, but then again perhaps it was because I understand that a friend, who he does fundraisers with, was against the Millers. This person does not live in Simi Valley anymore, but was still trying to get the City Council to deny the CUP. A letter was also written to the Planning Commission in which it was admitted that it was not about the cows. This is a serious problem because the CUP is ALL about the cows.

All of this makes me wonder who the City Council is working for.