We wonder if the Mayor and City Council knew of the following:
1. Our on-going investigation - located within these pages and especially here.
2. The City of San Leandro's on-going Section 405 Ethics investigation of her at the time of her hiring
3. The City of Oakland's continuing investigation into her code violations at her personal residence.
We encourage readers of this to go to the City of Oakland's website on code violations https://aca.accela.com/OAKLAND/Cap/CapHome.aspx?module=Enforcement&TabName=Enforcement and Search for the following Code numbers: 1704384 and 1704380. In addition, the City had already cited her for Code Violation number: 1704379. As a public official - one who was in charge of a Building, Code Compliance and Planning organization - this behavior is appalling to us. We believe it is in the public's best interest to know that their Town Manager is under investigation for among other things, perjury, blackmail, and attempting to influence Public Officials be offering them jobs working underneath her.
We will be asking them if they knew and once we get a reply we will post on our site. In our opinion we believe Cynthia Battenberg was a poor choice for Town Manager and had the facts been known to the City Council and Mayor the Town should have selected someone else.
We will also be following up with a formal complaint against her ... stay tuned.
1. Our on-going investigation - located within these pages and especially here.
2. The City of San Leandro's on-going Section 405 Ethics investigation of her at the time of her hiring
3. The City of Oakland's continuing investigation into her code violations at her personal residence.
We encourage readers of this to go to the City of Oakland's website on code violations https://aca.accela.com/OAKLAND/Cap/CapHome.aspx?module=Enforcement&TabName=Enforcement and Search for the following Code numbers: 1704384 and 1704380. In addition, the City had already cited her for Code Violation number: 1704379. As a public official - one who was in charge of a Building, Code Compliance and Planning organization - this behavior is appalling to us. We believe it is in the public's best interest to know that their Town Manager is under investigation for among other things, perjury, blackmail, and attempting to influence Public Officials be offering them jobs working underneath her.
We will be asking them if they knew and once we get a reply we will post on our site. In our opinion we believe Cynthia Battenberg was a poor choice for Town Manager and had the facts been known to the City Council and Mayor the Town should have selected someone else.
We will also be following up with a formal complaint against her ... stay tuned.
San Leandro Faces Another Ethics Scandal
City Manager Refuses to Investigate
City Manager Chris Zapata refuses to investigate our charges of Ethics Violations by the Head of its Building Code Compliance and Planning Departments, Cynthia Battenberg. Our charges fall into 5 categories and represent VIOLATIONS of CA State Law and go against the Policies and Values of the City.
Read Our Complaint against Director Battenberg and Supporting Evidence here
Read the specific Violations of City Policy, Values, and State Law here
Read our Recommendations to Policy, Process and People here
Have you been treated unfairly in San Leandro? - File a Complaint here
- Ms. Battenberg committed numerous code violations in her home and an adjoining property over the course of a decade.
- When a neighbor asked her to correct those violations that affected their property, she blackmailed them.
- Ms. Battenberg, in her 2015 Variance application, materially omitted a shower in a basement - an application she signed under Penalty of Perjury.
- Ms. Battenberg told a private contractor not to take a job that she did not want them to.
- Ms. Battenberg discussed an offer for employment to the same Oakland Planner who approved her Variance without any Conditions.
Read Our Complaint against Director Battenberg and Supporting Evidence here
Read the specific Violations of City Policy, Values, and State Law here
Read our Recommendations to Policy, Process and People here
Have you been treated unfairly in San Leandro? - File a Complaint here
City Manager to Revise Municipal Code
We launched an investigation and filed charges in San Leandro, CA exposing potential Ethics Violations by Director of Community Development, Cynthia Battenberg who oversees Building Services, Code Compliance and Planning. We alleged a violation by Manager Zapata of Section 405 of the Municipal Code for failing to discipline the Administrative Officers of the City. He had delegated this task to the head of HR and Assistant City Manager Jeff Kay.
Read our Initial Complaint to the Mayor and Council Subsequent to our filing, City Manager Chris Zapata writes that he will revise the Municipal Code. Read his response. |
Ethics in public service means more than just following the rules. It is a commitment by public employees to take individual responsibility for creating a government that has the trust and respect of the public. Establishment of a strong ethical climate is an essential part of maintaining that trust and providing a positive working environment. That requires clear communication, training, and leaders at all levels who are willing to listen and to act decisively to uphold ethical values.
CITY OF BERKELEY 2017 Ethics Audit