Page 2: No grist for the mill
The sale to Vail rumors were flying this week, and there’s nothing this town likes more than a good rumor – other than beer.
The rumors were so prevalent that MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory did choose to make the following statement on Thursday: “Mammoth Mountain is a highly coveted asset by those that are in the mountain resort business or that would like to be. MMSA is not for sale and we have not been in discussions with any potential buyers.”
The reason I didn’t write about the Lehman flight reimbursement last week was because I spoke to Mayor Lehman on Thursday morning and decided it wasn’t a story.
Lehman said he flew down for the San Diego Half Marathon (sister event of the inaugural Mammoth Half Marathon to be run June 23) to help promote Mammoth’s event.
He ran a 5K and then worked the Mammoth Visitor Booth with Mammoth Lakes Tourism Executive Director John Urdi.
He stayed at his father’s place 40 minutes north and drove seven hours back to Mammoth with his father the next day.
$199 doesn’t nearly cover Lehman’s total outlay of time and expense, and speaking for myself, I like having a Mayor who’s out there pressing the flesh and actively promoting the town.
Politically, I thought it was a dumb move – $199 didn’t seem worth the backlash it could evoke – but if the Mayor’s not a terribly good politician, well, not being a terribly good politician is seen as a good thing these days … Maybe he’s outwitted us all on this, just like Wallace Shawn in “The Princess Bride.”
During Wednesday’s Eastern Sierra Council of Governments meeting, ESCOG member Dave Stottlemyre reported that the City of Bishop no longer allows City Council members to sit on the boards of non-governmental NPOs. They are allowed to be regular members, but can’t participate in decision-making.
A similar discussion is pending in Mammoth Lakes. According to Town Manager Marianna Marysheva-Martinez, the Town currently has representatives on the boards of such organizations as the Mammoth Lakes Housing and Mammoth Lakes Tourism. “Previous and current Town Attorneys did not/do not see a conflict of interest in such arrangements,” she said. Recently, however, the State of California determined that a conflict apparently existed with regards to MLH, Which is the only organization subject to a relevant state audit. “As a result, the Town would lose federal housing funds unless we cure the conflict, by either withdrawing our representatives from the MLH board or bringing the housing function in house,” she added.
The issue is set to be discussed at the April 3 Town Council meeting.
