Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by BVN
It was on January 31, 2024 during a discussion at a city council meeting that City Manager Charles Montoya told council members that he had in his possession a Letter of Intent from a bonding company to renovate San Bernardino’s City Hall.
During the back-and-forth discussion Councilmember Kim Calvin stated this was the first time she had heard of this renovating of city hall and this Letter of Intent and asked “when did the council give you the direction to take on this project?”
Montoya responded back that he needed to move quickly and is bringing the project to them at this meeting.
I wanted to see the letter, so on February 20, 2024 I put in a Public Record Request (#24-335) for a copy of the Letter of Intent that he mentioned on January 31, 2024.
The city responded back by email on March 1, 2024 that they were working diligently on my request and should have an answer by March 6, 2024.
On March 7, 2024, I received a notice that they were still working on my request and would have my requested information by March 20, 2024.
They also said if I had any questions or concerns to call their office. I did just that and had my wife call Montoya’s office. His assistant wanted to know if I followed the proper procedures for my request.
I gave them my request number (#24-335) assigned by them and he had his assistant tell me someone would call me back later with the information. I am still waiting for that phone call.
On March 19, 2024 I received a notice that stated; “Please be advised that per the City Manager’s office, the city does not possess any responsive document pertaining to this request, and this request is closed.”
I do not know why City Manager Montoya would lie to the council and public that he had a Letter of Intent on January 31 and then on March 19 inform me no such document is in his possession.
This type of behavior is in keeping with why Montoya was “Terminated with Cause” from his last job, according to a letter dated December 23, 2021 and signed by the Mayor Kenneth N. Weise of Avondale, Arizona.
As a retired Human Resources Manager, let me offer the mayor and council some free advice, while in closed session ask Montoya why he said he had a signed Letter of Intent and is now telling the public that there is no responsive document.
More on this next week.