VolumeThe 100 No. 40 Carmel On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com Pine Cone October 3-9, 2014 TRUSTED BY LOCALS AND LOVED BY VISITORS SINCE 1915 State parks plans Stilwell resigns, gets 10 months’ pay $16M Fort Ord By MARY SCHLEY be executed by Stilwell and the city within the next few days.” DOUG SCHMITZ campground CITY ADMINISTRATOR Jason Burnett said Stilwell and the council joint- Stilwell — whose three-year tenure at city ly arrived at the decision that he should leave By CHRIS COUNTS NAMED NEW hall was marked by controversies over ques- “as the best means to move the city forward tionable contracts, F A plan submitted last month to the and to allow Jason Stilwell to take on I nepotism, excessive CITY MANAGER California Coastal Commission comes to a new challenge.” spending and secre- fruition, the Monterey Peninsula will soon But he noted Stilwell has agreed to cy — resigned this have its first state park campground. work with interim city administrator week, mayor Jason The ambitious project has been approved Doug Schmitz — who was appointed Burnett announced by the California Legislature and will cost following another closed session after a four-hour an estimated $16 million to $18 million in Thursday — “to help with the transi- closed session taxpayers’ money, reported Joan Carpenter, tion.” (See separate story.) Wednesday night. a civil engineer who works for state parks’ Stilwell was present during the The announce- Monterey district. announcement but made no comment. ment, which Located at Fort Ord Dunes State Park just The public, as it has over the last brought to a close steps away from its 12 historic World War II several months, had something to say, several weeks of era bunkers, the campground could have however. negotiations more than 100 campsites. If they can get After the meeting, businessman between Stilwell approval from two state agencies, state park Denny LeVett said he was “relieved and the city coun- officials hope to break ground on the project for our little town” that the crisis at cil, included a stip- city hall was over. ulation that he Jason Stilwell “It had to come to this, unfortu- See CAMPING page 24A receive a sizable nately,” he said. check when he “Hopefully, we will now turn from departs. As approved by a unanimous city the present automaton bureaucracy to reem- council, Stilwell will be paid for two more brace the values of our unique village,” said Hill testifies months to be “on call” and will also get eight former Mayor Sue McCloud. months’ severance, plus an unspecified And Paul Miller, publisher of The Pine amount for unused vacation and other time Cone, which often clashed with Stilwell over about the night off. access to public documents, called Stilwell’s His annual base salary, after the council departure “unfortunate, but inevitable” and of the crash gave him a raise in December 2013, is said, “Anybody who was paying attention PHOTO/KERRY BELSER $185,325 which makes his severance pack- could have seen this coming a long time New and former city administrator Doug Schmitz By KELLY NIX age worth at least $155,000. ago.” At Wednesday’s meeting, Carolyn Hardy with Mayor Jason Burnett at city hall Wednesday. CHELSIE HILL testified this week that ‘Separation agreement’ remarked that the community has “suffered she blacked out a split second before the Stilwell — who oversaw the firings of from too much controversy” during a diffi- Toyota 4Runner she was in violently collided several longtime employees, hired former cult time under Stilwell’s administration. Held job in 1980s with a pine tree — a February 2010 accident Santa Barbara County coworker Susan Paul “There is no joy for me tonight — only that left her paralyzed from the waist down. (whose contract was terminated last month) sadness for Carmel and relief that this chap- By MARY SCHLEY Hill, 22, contends in a lawsuit being tried to help him run the city, and approved multi- ter is coming to an end,” she said. in Monterey County Superior Court that the ple contracts that are now being investigated But Hardy said she’s heartened by the IN STRIKING contrast to the maudlin lap belt she was wearing in the rear center — and the council worked out the details of council’s efforts to make positive changes at mood, tired faces and harsh comments from seat of a 1996 Toyota 4Runner caused her the “transition and release agreement,” which city hall and restore the public’s trust. “I the public during recent and numerous city devastating injuries, and she is seeking mil- Mayor Jason Burnett said will be a public believe this is a good start in getting us back council meetings, a special meeting lions of dollars in damages from the document once the council ratifies it. on the right path and headed in the right Thursday afternoon resulted in rounds of automaker. “We accept the city administrator’s resig- direction,” she said. “That is something we applause and a standing ovation as the coun- Toyota blames her injuries on an nation effective with the appointment of an all deserve. I’ll be looking forward to further cil unanimously voted to appoint Doug “improperly adjusted” seatbelt, and says the interim city administrator,” Burnett changes for the better.” Schmitz as city administrator. Schmitz, who driver, Aaron Corn, who was drunk at the announced at the end of the Oct. 1 closed ses- held that position in Carmel from 1983 to time of the accident, was also responsible. sion. Rehire employees? 1992 under mayors Charlotte Townsend, On Thursday, during the second week of a “He will also be compensated for two Union representative Ellis Miller said the Clint Eastwood and Jean Grace, replaces city jury trial in the case, Hill recalled the terrify- months of additional time, in return for city should hire back the employees who administrator Jason Stilwell, who resigned ing crash in Skyline Forest. which he agrees to be on call to assist future were unfairly fired, including building offi- this week. city administrators as needed,” Burnett said. See HILL page 24A “A full separation agreement and release will See STILWELL page 26A See SCHMITZ page 23A County road agency explains $8M roundabout at Highway 68 intersection By KELLY NIX A roundabout — if you’ve never driven through one — is an intersection in which all traffic flows in PLANNERS ARE getting the word out that the a counterclockwise direction. In a video showing the roundabout to be built at the intersection of high- project, the City of Monterey described how the cir- ways 68 and 1 next year will drastically improve cular intersection would work. traffic flow through the area, but they acknowledged “Cars entering the intersection must yield to it might take drivers a bit of getting used to. those already in the roundabout, as well as pedestri- At a Sept. 19 Pacific Grove City Council meet- ans and cyclists,” according to the video, which is ing, officials from the City of Monterey and the available on YouTube and www.monterey.org. Transportation Agency for Monterey County gave “Once in the roundabout, proceed around until an overview of the $8 million roundabout, which you reach your exit and turn right,” the video they say will be safer, improve traffic flow, and mean explains. less air pollution. It’s not unusual for traffic to back up about a mile And though the roundabout will take some get- on Highway 68 in the eastbound direction to ting used to, it will quickly prove itself to be a valu- Highway 1 and Pebble Beach in the mornings and able asset to the often congested intersection, they afternoons, but Monterey traffic engineer Rich say. Deal said traffic will be cut down significantly with ILLUSTRATION/CITY OF MONTEREY “Like anything,” said Elizabeth Caraker, a plan- the project. This screenshot, with Highway 68 coming up the hill at right, the entrance to 17 Mile Drive at ner with the City of Monterey, “once you learn how the upper left and Highway 1 at the lower left, is from a City of Monterey video. to work it, it’s going to be great for the community.” See ROUNDABOUT page 26A Have the complete Carmel Pine Cone delivered every Thursday evening to your iPad, laptop, PC or phone. Free subscriptions available at www.carmelpinecone.com 2A The Carmel Pine Cone October 3, 2014 Sandy Claws By Lisa Crawford Watson Theo love JAMES E. RHEIM, M.D. • JOSEPH R. RHEIM, M.D. THEO WALKS slowly up the street beside his patient LIFT YOUR SPIRITS partner, his leash slack and his steps measured. He looks up without lifting his head, his eyes soft and sea- Introducing Juvéderm VOLUMA ™ XC soned in a face that only Maurice Sendak could have Allergan’s newest hyaluronic acid filler, VOLUMA ™ XC lasts up given him. 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