Squid goes on an architectural tour with Monterey Mayor Clyde Roberson, starts fundraising for the Bobby Carrillo defense fund.

CLYDE SHOW… Not much surprises Squid, but when Monterey landed renowned architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLC (SOM) to redesign the city’s conference center, Squid could barely believe it. Finally, it seemed Monterey was making good on its dream of becoming a “world class” destination.

Perhaps Squid should’ve curbed Squid’s enthusiasm: SOM’s Michael Duncan parted the curtains on the modern redesign at City Hall Dec. 16, and the reactions of city officials – Monterey’s City Council,Planning Commission and Architectural Review Committee – were all over the map, from exuberance to dismay. But the most notable by far came from Mayor Clyde Roberson, who had gone around town earlier that day and snapped photos of buildings he thinks reflect the “Monterey style.” For 10 minutes, Roberson narrated a slide show: “We’re not going to build some giant adobe,” he said as the slide show began, and then proceeded to show a few dozen buildings that either were adobes, or looked just like them. The color of said buildings ranged from white to off-white to some kind of mustard beige. It was hard to read Duncan’s reaction, but he might’ve been wondering how it could be that a designer with a master’s from Harvard would be getting style advice from a small town mayor. Welcome to Monterey, Mike.

MILK, COOKIES AND LEGAL FEES… Squid remembers being a wee Squidlet, hunkered down by the fireplace waiting for Santa to arrive. For some reason, Santa always delivered the presents – shark-eating cephalopod action figures – after Squid fell asleep.

King City Police Sgt. Bobby Carrillo has been waiting a while for a Christmas gift from the city. Carrillo has asked the city to pay for his legal defense costs in a federal class-action lawsuit alleging civil rights violations in a towing scheme he allegedly masterminded. (He’s one of five individuals seeking to get the city to pay for their lawyers, along with current/former officers Jesus Yanez, Jaime Andrade, Joey Perezand retired chief Nick Baldiviez.)

But King City City Manager Michael Powers says it’s not up to the city – it’s up to their insurance provider.

Carrillo’s attorney, Todd A. Roberts, says it doesn’t matter what the insurance provider thinks: It’s the law and the city needs to pay. Squid won’t opine on that (Squid spent Squid’s dough on gifts and had none left for lawyers), but would be happy to see this case move forward, regardless of who pays. But that’s unlikely; Carrillo, maybe doubting Santa would arrive any time soon (maybe he wasn’t in the right column on the naughty/nice list?), filed a motion asking to delay the lawsuit until after the criminal charges against him wrap up. Which makes Squid think this might be a good season to hibernate.