burlingame rotary club

DJ Letter: Harbor Commission meeting dysfunction

Lee Engdahl is a Real Estate Broker in San Mateo County since 1987.

Letter to the Editor: Harbor Commission meeting dysfunction | August 12, 2013, 5:00AM

Editor,

I had forgotten how bad board meetings can be to attend, as a member of the public. I have not attended any for several years, but one night listening to the dysfunctional Harbor Commission brought it all back to me like a bad dream.

As one observer commented, the meeting could be summed up in one action, when Commissioner James Tucker asked a staff person, whose imminent maternity leave had just been approved, to waddle across a crowded room to get him a glass of water. Commissioner William Holsinger recently made a public comment that he was disappointed that members of the public were not attending these meetings. Well, the fishermen and women of our harbor showed up this evening, and when he saw them, without any explanation, he moved to table the agenda item regarding new lease fees, fish buying fees and fish license fees. It appeared he wanted to table the discussion until the fishermen got tired and left.

The rest of the agenda items appeared to have only one purpose, the muzzling of Commissioner Sabrina Brennan. It seems she has actually been trying to do things, like dredging the harbor and making plans to dredge the harbor in the future, which could be approved by the Coastal Commission without the board needing to request emergency action. Oh, and she held a committee meeting. Tsk, tsk, Commissioner Brennan. Did I say muzzle? I meant gag. You thought Washington, D.C., was dysfunctional. You should listen to a Harbor Commission meeting.

Lee Engdahl

Moss Beach