Parkland: Closed Meetings on Transfer

On Jan. 11, the City Council of Rolling Hills Estates adopted a resolution finalizing an agreement to transfer 20 acres of Chandler Trust property to the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy.

I support the concept of retaining undeveloped open space, but I deplore the method used by our City Council to accomplish these transfers. During the busy holiday season, without a single public hearing, $1.4 million of our county money and 28 acres of land changed hands. It all happened that way because our City Council held closed-session meetings, for which no minutes are ever kept, allegedly to meet Chandler’s deadline. The community was kept in the dark. I was told by council members Jan. 11 that secret issues were discussed at those closed sessions and that the short deadline imposed by the Chandlers dictated the hush-hush hurry-up deal.

Secret negotiations behind closed doors, with no transcript of what was discussed, foster hidden agendas that may benefit select individuals or groups. Anything that cannot be accomplished in an open and public manner and in a reasonable time frame, without imposed deadlines and City Council sponsored secrecy, in a city such as ours probably should not be done at all.

I raised all these objections Jan. 11 and asked the council to delay the adoption to have a public hearing and have the agreements subject to public approval. Councilman Peter M. Weber stated that anything except immediate approval “would appear as if the council had gone back on their word and would affect the council’s credibility.” Holding secret negotiations does not enhance our council’s credibility.

MAURICE SINGER Rolling Hills Estates

Editor’s note: The county Department of Parks and Recreation still must approve the release of the $1.4 million.