By Miriam Raftery
January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) – Dozens of public speakers at yesterday’s Grossmont Healthcare District meeting urged the board to move its 9 a.m. meetings to evenings in order to accommodate people with full-time jobs. The proposal was made by newly elected director Nadia Farjood, a working mother who says her new full-time job at the District Attorney’s office prevents her from attending daytime meetings.
The district represents about 520,000 residents. Around 271 people signed a petition in support of Farjood’s proposal, and around 40 showed up in support at yesterday’s meeting. But despite testimony from union representatives, healthcare workers, district residents and local elected officials, Farjood’s proposal failed, with no other director in support.
Some speakers voiced concern not only for Farjood, but for the potential chilling effect on would-be candidates who may be persuaded from running for office if they have full-time day jobs.
Jesse Garcia from the carpenters’ union called it “unfair” and “unAmerican” to “disenfranchise the 23,000 voters” who backed Farjood in the recent election by refusing to accommodate her request, potentially forcing her off of the board. He noted that he serves on multiple boards and committees, which all have evening meetings.
Regina Beasley, a Sharp Healthcare worker and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) member, said restricting meetings to mornings is “discriminatory” based on age, gender and employment status, noting that “most of us in here have children.”
Leila Kater (photo, left) testified that she represents almost 2,000 healthcare workers in the Grossmont district. She told the board that workers “will start paying a lot more attention to these meetings” in order to “hold this board accountable.”
Toni Vargas, a phlebotomist, voiced concerns over "exclusion" of working people including healthcare workers by holding morning meetings, and said avoiding evening meetings is "about preserving power."
Briana Costen, a trustee on the La Mesa Spring Valley School District board, said she was “deeply troubled” by the tone of the discussion. “This is a public board, and you serve the public,” she stated, noting that “75% of voters in this district are below retirement age” and thus likely to have work conflicts that would make it difficult to attend daytime meetings.
Patricia Dillard, Vice Mayor of La Mesa, called for “transparency and accountability.” She said if any member cannot attend evening meetings that are more accessible to the public, “you should have no choice to go get off this board.”
Former La Mesa Councilmember Jack Shu said he would often take calls late at night from constituents. “Public service means you serve the people when it is needed,” he said after dozens of others had spoken out. “I have not heard one person speak in favor of keeping the 9 a.m. time,” he said, noting that the city of La Mesa changed its meetings to 6 p.m. and had an increase in attendance as a result.
Melinda Vasquez said she worked with Farjood and voted for her because “I knew that she would bring a different vantage point to this board...She should not have to quit her day job to do public service.”
Several callers gave remote testimony on Zoom, including La Mesa Councilwoman Lauren Cazares, who praised the “excellent service” she received from the healthcare district after being hit by a drunk driver and injured in December. She noted, “I have a full-time job and am a councilmember. It shouldn’t be difficult to participate in meetings,” then urged the board to “please serve the community that elected all of you.”
After public testimony, the board held a discussion led by board president Bob Ayres, who thanked everyone for sharing their views.
Director Virginia Hall disputed claims by some speakers that all board members are retired and should be more flexible. “I do work,” she said, adding that she’s also helped care for her grandson. “It saddens me to hear these comments.” She praised the district for accomplishments including lowering tax rates for taxpayers, giving out $1.5 million in grants to community organizations, receiving a Golden Watchdog Award, and being named the Best Healthcare District in California in 2023.
Hall noted that people who can’t attend in person may participate via Zoom, and noted that the board did launch a pilot program holding meetings at 5 p.m. for six months last year, but that attendance did not increase. She suggested that attendance at meetings is low because the community trusts board members to make wise decisions.
Director Randy Lenac, participating remotely, noted that the head of LAFCO has said the Grossmont Healthcare District is the “gold standard of healthcare districts” and that Sharp Grossmont is a “great hospital.” He voiced support for keeping meetings at 9 a.m. and said the meeting time has been “settled for a long time,” drawing groans from the crowd.
Farjood pointed out that the issue at hand was not whether or not the district has done good work. She then pressed her colleagues over their responses to a survey sent to board members about their availability for meetings at other times. Though all other members had written down a preference to keep meetings at 9 a.m., she noted, “None of the members identified any conflict with 6 p.m..” She said she has seen board members at other evening meetings, including a recent holiday party.
Lenac insisted that “9 a.m. is the best time to assure principal participants can attend,” and insisted that his availability for other times is “irrelevant,” drawing laughter from the audience. He noted, however, that when meetings used to be at 7:30 a.m. he sometimes had to drive through snow from his rural residence, but added, “I never missed a meeting.”
Farjood asked who Lenac considered principal participants, prompting the attorney to try and stop her questioning. This drew shouts from the audience, such as ”No one elected him!” and “Stop speaking down to us!”
Assured she could continue, Farjood stated, “My view is that the public are principals.”
Lenac then clarified that he was referring to members of the hospital who regularly address the board on matters such as healthcare quality, finances, facilities, and future projects.
Farjood said the board is the oversight body for the hospital. “To say we would put the interests of the hospital above the public you’ve heard from today is backwards,” she added. She asked Lenac how he knew that hospital principals couldn’t attend a 6 p.m. meeting, and he admitted, “Well, I don’t know, but I know that 9 a.m. works.”
As for the 5 p.m. pilot program, Farjood called it a “sham” and noted that many people get off work at 5 p.m. and are commuting home at that hour. She also objected to what she views as inadequate outreach by the district, noting that most constituents she met walking precincts said they “never heard of it.”
Farjood clarified that she is not asking the board to change its days, which alternate between Tuesday and Thursday, but only to shift times to 6 p.m. or later.
Hall objected, saying that people are tired at the end of the day, and that traffic can be bad at 6 p.m.
Farjood suggested that better outreach could boost meeting attendance. When Hall asked why so many people showed up at 
this meeting, when meetings are usually sparsely attended, Farjood replied, “Because I let them know about this,” drawing cheers from the audience.
Board Chair Gloria Chadwick (photo), a retired nurse and long-time advocate for seniors, noted that some seniors are vision-challenged, particularly with night driving. Pressed on her own availability for evening sessions, Chadwick said, “I will do whatever our board decides.”
Direcftor Ayres (photo,left) said “it’s possible” he could attend evening meetings, but noted that he has an outside full-time job that often requires evening work, including talking with clients in other countries. “Last night I didn’t finish until almost 9 p.m.,” he noted.
As for Farjood’s conflict with attending daytime meetings, Ayres noted that directors are also expected to attend training sessions, committee members, legislative days, grantees’ events and community events, which are often during daytime hours.
Farjood asked why the board needs two meetings a month. She then made a motion asking the board to change to one meeting per month, on the third Thursday at 6 p.m. No member seconded the motion, which died without a vote.
“Today is a dark day for the Grossmont Healthcare District,” concluded Farjood (photo, left), who added that increasing public access was a key part of her campaign. “No amount of years serving on this board can erase the message sent today—that working people cannot serve on this board.”
But she added defiantly, “I am not going anywhere,” suggesting she may seek accommodation from her employer or, as an attorney, perhaps pursue a legal remedy. “I will be advocating for this at every meeting,” she pledged, thanking all who showed up in support.
East County News Service
January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Forty-seven years after Wait Until Dark premiered on Broadway, Jeffrey Hatcher has adapted Frederick Knott's 1966 original, giving it a new setting. In 1944 Greenwich Village, Susan Hendrix, a blind yet capable woman, is imperiled by a trio of men in her own apartment. As the climax builds, Susan discovers that her blindness just might be the key to her escape, but she and her tormentors must wait until dark to play out this classic thriller's chilling conclusion.
Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa will present this updated twist on the classic thriller starting January 10 through February 2. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., except on Saturday, January 18, there will bea 2 p.m. matinee only.
For tickets, visit https://www.lamplighterslamesa.com/
East County News Service
January 6, 2025 (La Mesa) – Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the Grossmont Healthcare District board of directors will consider a proposal by newly elected board member Nadia Farjood to change the board’s meeting times to evenings or weekends. But a survey of board members shows no support for that plan. The board previously experimented with holding evening meetings but found that attendance by the public dropped, multiple members noted.
Farjood, an attorney, has said that her day job prevents her from attending any meetings Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., when she has court appearances, as well as from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and third Tuesdays each month.
While the board has changed its meeting times more than once during the past election year, none of its meeting times were during the hours when Farjood has said she could participate.
“Rescheduling the meeting from 9 a.m. time will help accommodate all Board member work schedules and enhance public access,” she states in response to a survey of board members on meeting date/time availability. She also states that she believes weekend meetings are not ideal for staff, leaving only weeknight meetings as options, in her view.
She notes that the La Mesa City Council meetings at 6 p.m., and that both Palomar Health and Fallbrook Regional Health districts’ boards meeting evenings. She also calls on Grossmont to cut meetings from twice monthly to once a month, and for the board to reimburse members for ride-share services or taxis to attend evening meetings.
A petition at Change.org has gathered 217 signatures in support of Farjood’s proposal.though many are from outside the district, The petiion argues that moving meetings to 6 p.m. would enhance accessibility and participation, promote transparency, respect the democratic process, and encourage more people to run for the board.
But the four other board members disagree--and cite past experiences as evidence that daytime meetings have actually increased public participation.
Chair Gloria Chadwick says she supports keeping the current dates and times “because we conducted a pilot program to determine if more participation would be generated at an evening hour. The results were that fewer people attended the evening time slot.” She notes that no public comments or suggestions were received during those evening meetings, “not even from the Zoom meeting public, which included the competing candidates for the three board positions.” She adds, ”Since the 9 a.m. time slot, our attendance numbers have increased.” The meeting time change also reflect input from staff, and it aligns with scheduling of senior health programs offered by the library, where the board meets. Chadwick indicated she would only be available Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, except for special or emergency sessions.
Board member Robert Ayres agrees with Chadwick. “After twice revising the current District Board meeting days and time I find that the present schedule is meeting the needs of the District,its staff, the staff of the Hospital, and for Grantee, Scholarships, and Sponsorship awards recognition. The 9 a.m. time is also conductive for presentations made to the District Board for both internal and external presentations.” He notes that Mondays have many holidays that would impact meetings and that Fridays are often not available for people traveling over the weekend. He also voiced concern over nighttime driving safety concerns. He says he supports only Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. meetings.
Board member Virginia Hall, who drives from Santee, concurs that, “When we tried the 6-month pilot program at 5 p.m., we did not have any more public attend compared to our previous 7:30 a.m. time. 9 a.m. is a more reasonable time for all,” she states, adding that it is “safer for all to drive during daylight hours and not during rush hour.” Further, she says 9 a.m. meetings allow for more staff involvement and less overtime. In addition, she says Fridays are when “most public, staff and the hospital staff are tired and Friday traffic is generally worse in the afternoon.” She would support meetings only between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays. While she could also be available Saturdays during those hours, she observes,”GHD and hospital staff are usually not available without a financial impact to the taxpayers and hospital” on weekends.
Board member Randy Lenac, in answer to whether he supports keeping the current board meeting dates and times, responded succinctly, “Yes, it works for all concerned.” He did not list any alternative times he could be available.
The board majority’s sentiment is bipartisan; Chadwick is a Democrat, while Ayres, Hall, and Lenac are Republicans. Farjood, a Democrat, has drummed up support for her cause from Run Women Run, though the group has also endorsed Chadwick over the years.
Farjood is correct that changing meeting times to evenings has been done by some other boards to enable working people to attend; examples include Helix Water District and the La Mesa City Council. But her request does not take into account the ract that the Grossmont Healthcare District Board already tried evening meetings, with the opposite outcome. Morning meetings have also been seen as more convenient for doctors and hospital personnel, a factor that cities and other public boards don't need to to consider. On the other hand, the board has the will of voters to consider, and whether keeping a meeting time convenient for the majority is appropriate if it disenfranchises voters whose representative is unable to participate.
If the board declines Farjood’s request to change the meeting dates and times, her options to continue to serve appear limited. A new state law prohibits elected officials from participating remotely, such as on Zoom, more than five times a year for boards that meet more than once a month (or two meetings a year for those meeting monthly or less frequently). The law, AB 2302 which takes effect January 1, 2025, aims to increase interaction with the public in person.
Per Grossmont District policy, a board member who misses three or more consecutive meetings can be removed, with the vacancy filled either by appointment or special election.
Being forcibly removed could be a blight on a record of a public official aspiring to run in the future for another office. Another option is to resign, which would provide Farjood with the opportunity to save campaign donors’ funds for use in a future campaign for another office, but which could disappoint supporters who backed her campaign for the healthcare district board.
While it’s rare for a newly elected official to step down, it is not unprecedented. Helix Water District trustee-elect Luis Tejeda resigned Dec. 30, 2017 before being sworn in, citing a new job that posed conflicts of interest. County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas resigned effective today despite winning reelection by a landslide, citing safety and security concerns.
Source: SDG&E
January 6, 2025 (San Diego) – Due to extreme fire weather conditions and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has notified 64,866 customers that it may have to turn off power to reduce wildfire risk as early as Tuesday. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are approved by state regulators as an important safety tool of last resort to mitigate fire risk during dangerous weather conditions.
This week marks the driest start to the rainy season in San Diego County in 174 years. As a result of these dry conditions and expected Santa Ana winds, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of Orange and San Diego Counties beginning Tuesday evening through late Wednesday night. SDG&E’s meteorology team is closely monitoring weather conditions.
Power shutoffs are possible in the following areas:
- Alpine
- Barona Reservation
- Boulevard
- Campo
- Campo Reservation
- Capitan Grande Reservation
- Chula Vista
- Descanso
- East San Juan Cap
- El Cajon
- Escondido
- Fallbrook
- Jacumba
- Jamul
- Julian
- La Jolla Reservation
- La Mesa
- La Posta Reservation
- Lakeside
- Los Coyotes Reservation
- Manzanita Reservation
- Mesa Grande Reservation
- Pala
- Pala Reservation
- Pauma and Yuima Reservation
- Pauma Valley
- Pechanga Reservation
- Poway
- Ramona
- Ranchita
- Rancho Bernardo
- Rancho Santa Fe
- Rincon Reservation
- San Diego
- San Pasqual Reservation
- Santa Ysabel
- Santa Ysabel Reservation
- Santee
- Sycuan Reservation
- Valley Center
- Viejas Reservation
- Warner Springs
SDG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and staffed it with key personnel to monitor weather conditions throughout the duration of the event, especially the wind speeds in the high fire risk areas of the county.
If SDG&E implements a PSPS for public safety, it will open Community Resource Centers to support impacted customers.
Given the potential for extended power outages, SDG&E encourages customers to be prepared. Outage preparedness tips can be found at sdge.com/outage-center; safety guidelines for generator use can be found at sdge.com/generator.
Never approach a downed line; report it by calling 911 or SGD&E’s call center at 800-411-7343.
Real-time information about unplanned power outages can be found at www.sdge.com/outage.
Updates about this PSPS can be found at sdge.com/Ready and SDGEToday.com or by following SDG&E’s X channel, @SDGE.