Stieringer Employment Scam

Direct link to this page: https://copswiki.org/Common/StieringerEmploymentScam

Latest News

• Special Grossmont Healthcare Board meeting scheduled for Monday, November 15 at 7:30am to review the Stieringer issue in closed session. However, public comment is accepted. If you have anything to say regarding this situation.

Background

1. James Stieringer has served on the Grossmont Healthcare District Board since 1992. Compensation in this position is listed as $6K per year, but there are additional benefits, such as reimbursement of expenses and per-diem compensation for additional meetings. Mr. Stieringer received the most votes of any candidate in the 2008 election when he was recently re-elected.

2. The GHD Board approved the creation of the Projects Liaison Monitor position. The job posting on the GHD website said “This new full time position is included in the District’s FY 2010-2011 Administration Budget,” implying that even if it was approved in the past, it was part of the current budget and regarded as “new.” The job posting did not refer to any changes that would make the position necessary and there are other people and organizations that currently complete those tasks, including the CEO Barry Jantz, the Independent Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (ICBOC), and contract management firms, such as Parsons. It remains an open question as to whether this position actually needs to be filled given that the district has operated successfully to this point.

3. CEO Jantz decided to fill the position and advertised it in the San Diego Daily Transcript for two weeks. No press releases were submitted to the general media and subscribers to the GHD announcement list were not notified. The announcement was not posted to the normal news page of the GHD website. The application closing date was November 9, 2010 at noon.

4. James Stieringer submitted his resignation on Friday, November 5, and stated therein that he was doing so to allow him to apply for the Projects Liaison Monitor position, and he stated that it was not a sure thing that he would get the position. The fact that he resigned means he realized it would be a conflict of interest to apply for the job while he still maintained his role as board member, and would therefore potentially be asked to vote on his own confirmation.

5. COPS submitted a letter to the board through CEO Barry Jantz broaching concerns about the lack of notice, the dearth of applicants, and the apparent insider-dealing with Stieringer. COPS recommended that the rationale for the position be reviewed, the position be announced fully, and for the application period to be extended at least 30 days.

6. The GHD Board called a special emergency meeting for November 10, 2010, to address concerns defined by COPS and other board members. COPS Coordinator Ray Lutz spoke to the issue prior to the closed session. Board member Stieringer was not present, his name plate was covered and his picture removed from the lobby in response to Stieringer's resignation.

The report of the closed session stated that the pulled the position and rolled it into other positions that were being defined. COPS believes that that action proves that the position was not essential and apparently contrived to allow Stieringer to slip into a position with higher salary, yet keeping his influence in the GHD, and pumping up his CALPERS retirement.

1. Later that day, Stieringer submitted a letter requesting that he be allowed to rescind his resignation, now that the job was not available.

2. The GHD Board has called another emergency meeting for Monday, November 15, 2010, to address Stieringer's request to be allowed back on the board of directors. The board asserts the right to process this as a closed session stating that there has been threats of lawsuits. However, we know of no threats.

Timeline

• 1992 - James Stieringer begins his tenure on Grossmont Healthcare Board
• 2010 - Budget includes Projects Liaison Monitor
• 2010-10 - Barry Jantz starts two weeks of advertising in the Daily Transcript but does not further promulgate news of the opening.
• 2010-11-05 -- James Stieringer resigns from his seat on the board
• 2010-11-05 -- James Stieringer applies for the Projects Liaison Monitor position.
• 2010-11-09 -- Application period closes for Projects Liaison Monitor, with three applicants.
• 2010-11-10 -- Grossmont Healthcare Board meets in an emergency meeting and eliminates the position.
• 2010-11-10 -- James Stieringer attempts to rescind his resignation
• 2010-11-15 -- Special meeting scheduled to review status of Stieringer. Meeting was conducted in closed session in Brown Act violation. Ray Lutz complained that the meeting should be conducted in open session as there was no pending litigation on the matter. See media below for detailed coverage of this meeting and submission by Ray Lutz. Conclusion is that Stieringer's request that his resignation be rescinded be denied and seat will be filled by appointment, accepting applications soon.
• 2010-11-17 -- Cal Aware sent the district a demand letter stating that they believe the meeting was in violation of the Brown Act.
• 2010-11-18 -- GHD Attorney Jeffrey Scott responded to the demand letter.
• 2010-11-23 -- GHD holds a special meeting to rescind the closed session meeting and redo it in open session. Additionally, Attorney Jeff Scott admitted that his earlier position that the closed session meeting was valid was wrong and that he would no longer adopt such a position in the future.
• 2010-12-06 -- GHD grants Stieringer the honorary title of Director Emeritus and vote to name the conference center after him. Ray Lutz objects to both actions, stating that the first is unlawful and the second is just a bad idea.

Recent Articles and Media: (Add | All Media)

• (M1125) 2010-12-20 GHD Special Meeting -- Stieringer Replacement Appt. -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam (2 Parts)
• (M1120) 2010-12-06 Grossmont Healthcare District 2010-12-06 meeting on Director Emeritus and Building Dedication to Stieringer -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Features Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam (2 Parts)
• (M1117) 2010-12-05 C00030 - COPS contribution to GHD 2010-12-06 meeting -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1115) 2010-11-23 Grossmont Healthcare District 2010-11-23 special meeting regarding resignation of Stieringer -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam, Cal Aware, Ray Lutz; Stieringer makes comments
• (M1113) 2010-11-21 Pension gaming at health care district? -- Editor, Union Tribune, Features Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1112) 2010-11-19 Watchdog Group Wins Open-Meeting Fight with Grossmont Healthcare Board -- Kenneth Stone, La Mesa Patch, Stieringer Employment Scam, Cal Aware, Ray Lutz
• (M1116) 2010-11-19 Grossmont Healthcare District 2010-11-19 meeting -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam, Cal Aware, Ray Lutz
• (M1107) 2010-11-18 Letter from GHD Attorney Scott on 2010-11-15 Brown Act Violation -- Jeffrey Scott, Grossmont Healthcare Board, Stieringer Employment Scam. Includes response by Cal Aware and comment by Raymond Lutz
• (M1108) 2010-11-18 Attorney for Grossmont Healthcare Board Rejects Demands by Open-Meeting Advocacy Group -- Kenneth Stone, La Mesa Patch, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1109) 2010-11-17 Group Demands Grossmont Healthcare Board Nullify Action on Vacancy -- Kenneth Stone, La Mesa Patch, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1110) 2010-11-17 Letter from CalAware to GHD demanding 11/15 Brown Act Violation Remedy -- Richard Mc Kee, Cal Aware, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1104) 2010-11-16 Agency job would have meant pension bump for board member -- Steve Schmidt, Union Tribune, Features Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1106) 2010-11-15 Grossmont Healthcare Board Denies Seat to Stieringer, Will Fill His Vacancy by Appointment -- Kenneth Stone, La Mesa Patch, Features James Stieringer, Ray Lutz, Barry Jantz, Stieringer Employment Scam [Includes claim of Brown Act violation by board meeting in closed session.]
• (M1101) 2010-11-11 Board member steps down, tries to take it back -- Steve Schmidt, Union Tribune, Features Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1102) 2010-11-11 GROSSMONT HEALTHCARE DISTRICT BOARD SEEKS TO HEAL RIFT -- Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine, Features James Stieringer, Ray Lutz, Barry Jantz, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1097) 2010-11-10 Former GHD Boardmember Stieringer tries to un-resign -- James Stieringer, Citizens Oversight, This is the letter from Stieringer to the Board in an attempt to rescind his resignation in Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1098) 2010-11-10 Grossmont Healthcare Board Member Quits, Then Asks for Seat Back -- Kenneth Stone, La Mesa Patch, Features Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1099) 2010-11-10 GHD Emergency Meeting on Stieringer's employment scam -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Features Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1095) 2010-11-08 Letter to GHD regarding StieringerEmploymentScam -- Raymond Lutz, Citizens Oversight, C00028 Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1096) 2010-11-05 Resignation Letter by GHD Board member James Stieringer -- James Stieringer, Citizens Oversight, Stieringer Employment Scam
• (M1103) 2010-10 Projects Liaison Monitor Job Posting -- Barry Jantz, Grossmont Healthcare Board, Stieringer Employment Scam