Mayor Sam Exclusive Part One: CD 14 CLARTS FUND Full Disclosure ....., from FY 04 to Present

In a Mayor Sam Exclusive, we disclose for the first time, the definitive line item print out on the Central Los Angeles Refuge Transfer Station (CLARTS) Amenities Fund, from Fiscal Year 2004 to Present, in the First of our Three Part Series which exposes Councilman Huizar's use of Discretionary Funds.

Inside the CLARTS Facility on Washington Blvd in CD 14.

** Blogger's Note: Its been a long time coming ........, but at last, the hard work by the likes of Carlos Morales, Terry Marquez, David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg, Jose Aguilar, the 2011 Rudy Martinez for City Council Campaign ........., and former City Councilman Nick Pacheco, has been rewarded as we fully disclose the most definitive, line item, fiscal documentation on the Central Los Angeles Refuge Transfer Station (CLARTS) Amenities Fund. Created by then Councilman Pacheco in roughly 2001-02, the fund was to serve in funding community amenities within solely CD-14 (view the video below for more background on the creation of the CLARTS Fund). The Fund was modeled after an amenities fund in CD 7, sustained with fees from the Lopez Canyon Landfill. Simply, if the Lopez Canyon Amenities Fund worked in providing funding in the communities impacted by the Landfill, then why not replicate the same idea in the areas impacted by the now city-owned CLARTS location? Thus, a CD 14 Amenities Fund was born. Unfortunately for then Councilman Pacheco, he did not get the chance to fully see his vision of the CLARTS Fund come to fruition as he lost re-election to Antonio Villar in 2003. Since that time, especially under the reign of current Councilman Jose Huizar, issues regarding openness and transparency regarding CLARTS-related expenditures, have become controversial.(even becoming an issue in the 2013 CD 9 City Council Elections). The blunt facts were (and still are) that The Office of Councilman Jose Huizar, ignored numerous California Public Records Acts requests which led to speculation of possible nefarious fiscal conduct that we extrapolate further upon below. But before continuing, we can report as of the end of 2014, the brainstorm of late Councilman Pacheco's Chief of Staff Lloyd Monserratt ......., has a balance of $843,395.94---Scott Johnson in CD 14.     

Then CD 14 City Councilman Nick Pacheco explaining the evolution and vision behind the creation of the CLARTS Fund, to the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council in 2002.

Page One of CLARTS Fund Line Item Report. Note that the CLARTS Fund had a initial deposit of $226,000 dollars on November 17, 2004.

During the time of the brief Councilman Antonio Villar Era, most allocations of CLARTS amenities funding were open and transparent. The ordinance that governs the usage of CLARTS, requires a City Council Motion and approval. In viewing the data from Page 1, first Councilman Villar, then his "ex Political Mijo" Councilman Huizar, largely stuck to the "Councilmatic Format" in executing funding for various community groups. Also, of interest is the lower amount of revenue than envisioned by then Councilman Pacheco, as stated in the above video. CLARTS proceeds only once generated over a million dollars in the 2007-08 Fiscal Year ($1,001,823.38).

Page Two of the CLARTS Fund Line Item Report. Note the drastic increased amounts of transfers of CLARTS funding into "other council accounts". 

The million dollar year of 07-08 FY, has been the high water mark for CLARTS proceeds. The recession and Angelino recycling habits were responsible for see proceeds drop by nearly 50% in the 08-09 FY. But more interesting (and to become a major controversy in later years), was Councilman drastic increase in transferring CLARTS Funding into other fiscal accounts, including salaries. After his first full term victory in 2007, the self-noting Princeton Graduate, transferred over $1.2 Million dollars into his salary account as evident in the photo below. The Councilman sought to hide some of these transfers in mid-year budget reports, circumventing City Council approval. 

Graphic prepared by Nick Pacheco during 2011 City Council Campaign.

We know now that former "Scheduler" Francine Godoy was promoted soon after the 2007 CD 14 Elections to the position of "Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations". In addition, the Councilman initiated an "Office Modification Project" to ensure exclusive, "quick, one-on-one communications" with his Operations Chief. But as we all know now that "something else, occasionally, with supposed consent was taking place", as the LA Times notes in its Endorsement of his 2015 Challenger Gloria Molina ......, and those CLARTS proceeds help pay one of the parties involved.

But Huizar has shown terrible personal judgment. When he was sued for sexual harassment by Francine Godoy, a former aide, he countered that they in fact had a consensual affair. But either way, Godoy worked for Huizar from 2006 to 2013, and during that time her salary grew from $47,000 to more than $132,000. She was promoted repeatedly and received raises faster than other staff in Huizar's office, according to a City Hall investigation. Ultimately, the council voted to spend up to $200,000 on lawyers to defend Huizar, and although the lawsuit was ultimately dropped as part of an undisclosed settlement, the city is still responsible for those fees. That was a costly mistake that would have gotten him fired from most private-sector jobs.

Former CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar Chief of Staff Ana Cubas pays political price for her role in overseeing the CLARTS Fund.

During the time of Godoy's rise in pay and position, then Chief of Staff Ana Cubas, was roll-playing the Stonewall hiding full disclosure of the true fiscal allocations of the fund. But while her fellow Princeton Graduate Boss and Deputy Operations Underling were engaging in alleged "Workplace Recreation", Cubas was the face the would be linked forever to the CLARTS Controversy. Sadly for her political career, that night in October, 2010 at the LA-32 Neighborhood Council, would be use by the now CD 9 City Councilman Curren Price in his successful campaign against her in 2013.













Page 3 of the CLARTS Fund Line Item Report. Note the November 6, 2014 $250,000 transfer to the "GCP Account", for what reasons? Many have been asking that for years as the below comment from 2009 shows. 

Huizy's been gutting the CLARTS fund, $50,000 at a time for years (look up "CLARTS" in the council file database, if you doubt - and see hundreds of thousands wisked away); transferring the $$ into his general purposes cache for pretty much anything he and staff want to use it for, and without any further accountability. 
They plead poverty, budget cutbacks, reduced discretionary funds -- IF your not one of his supporters, but for the others, there's a handy slush fund they can tap into anytime they wish. 
You can bet there's nothing left in a fund that was projected at times to produce a half-million each year, and since the specific expenditures were actually FROM his general purposes, the only "trail" will be those $50,000 at a time "for district amenities" transfers.
Here's one vague transfer from just a few months ago, there are MANY, many more in the files.

MOTION
FEB 11 2009
The General City Purposes (GCP) portion of the 2008-2009 City Budget provides funds
to assist local neighborhood programs services and needs in each Council District.
There is a great need for additional funding for community amenities in Council District
Fourteen. This effort is of special benefit for the residents of the City and for CD-14 and deserves financial assistance from the City.
Sufficient funds are available in the CLARTS Community Amenities Trust Fund which could be transferred to the CD 14 sub-account of the Council District Community Services line
item in the GCP portion of the 2008-2009 budget for this purpose.
I THEREFORE MOVE that $50,000 in the Central Los Angeles Recycling and Transfer Station (CLARTS) Community Amenities Trust Fund No. 47S, Department 14, be transferred to the General City Purposes Fund No. 100-56, Account No. 0714 (CD 14 Community Services) to provide funding for community amenities in Council District Fourteen.
PRESENTED BY: JOSE HUIZAR

Councilman, 14th District

 

** In Part Two of our Three Part Blog Exclusive, we will publish all the General Council Purposes Fund Allocations from FY 09 to Present in CD 14.

 

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14