Court Drama

COURT DRAMA… Squid did a double-take while reviewing the agenda for a Feb. 28 meeting of the Monterey Peninsula College Board of Trustees, after seeing there was a closed-session discussion about “the threat of litigation by a Trustee against the District.” Such items are purposely vague for legal reasons, but after checking Monterey County Superior Court records, Squid had a hunch who the trustee might be.

It turns out Trustee Debbie Anthony sued MPC in small claims court last June for $3,000, claiming the college owed her for attorney costs to defend herself “against a false claim of breach of confidentiality by [the MPC board].” A judge denied her claim on Aug. 29.

Squid’s colleague contacted Anthony to ask if she was filing a new suit. Anthony says she is not and was surprised to see it on the agenda. Her version of events is that she was asked to leave the closed session meeting, and refused. “How can they discuss something that you never discussed with me?” she says. She told them they would have to call the police to escort her out. The board canceled the conversation.

It’s not the first time Anthony has been at the center of controversy, and Squid expects it will not be the last. If it ever does wind up in court, Squid will be there for the fireworks.

CONNECT THE DOTS… Earlier reporting by the Weekly brought to light the big bucks that it is costing Pacific Grove to address controversies surrounding P.G. Councilmember Luke Coletti and his treatment of employees. In September, the paper estimated it was at least $534,000 since January 2022, totaling only the costs of an investigator and other attorneys surrounding a complaint filed by former city manager Ben Harvey (three of his allegations were sustained) and Harvey’s severance package last July.

With at least three other complaints filed by current and former employees in the last couple of years, the cost total is a lot more, but it’s difficult to pry any information about billing from City Attorney Brian Pierik.

A Pacific Grove City Council budget hearing on Feb. 28 may hold a clue. It was reported that day that the 2023-2024 mid-year estimate for the cost of attorney services is $1,144,480 – that’s more than double the 2022-2023 total of $538,146. Of the $1.144 million, a little over $510,000 is estimated for services provided by Pierik’s firm. The remaining $634,000 is for outside attorneys, whose tasks certainly include handling all of those investigations.

Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake suggested the jump could be partly due to an accounting change.

Maybe. Squid is still waiting for the receipts.