Times: Hercules mayor has new gig in green industry

— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 17 December 2010 — 9 comments below »

Tom Lochner reports… “The longtime real estate broker [Ed Balico] is a principal in three companies involved in the growing industry of waste-to-fuel conversion, one of them, P3 Consulting Associates, in association with former Hercules City Manager Mike Sakamoto. [...] Sakamoto also is a former consultant to Hercules in a range of fields including affordable housing, the management of the Hercules Municipal Utility, and an effort to annex unincorporated land along Highway 4 to the city.“

9 comments already …

  1. # Hercules Business Owner commented on 17-Dec-10 @ 4:42pm

    Word on the street is that Balico wanted Long out because Long’s discoveries were bad for Bali o’s business interests and his reputation regionally.
    Beware of Sakamoto’s influence Herculeans, he is the power behind the throne.

  2. # Anonymous commented on 17-Dec-10 @ 6:47pm

    Also heard on the street is that Balico pushes everyone he can to hire his son! I say anyone related to a Sakamoto, Balico, Soriano or Oliva must get pushed off of the Hercules gravy train NOW!

  3. # JC commented on 17-Dec-10 @ 10:20pm

    Jonathan Sakamoto, I think still works for the Affordable Housing Office while Taylor Oliva and John Balico are both looking for work. So that leaves the City of Hercules with 2 CEO’s out of jobs.

  4. # bp@victoriabythebay commented on 17-Dec-10 @ 11:26pm

    I wonder if the cities they are pitching this new venture to know what is going on in Hercules. Someone should send a note to the city they recently pitched this idea to.

  5. # Susan Keeffe commented on 18-Dec-10 @ 1:16am

    We need a flow chart! Seriously! Smart people here are posting new info daily. The connections are all over the place. I’m a visual learner – I’d love to see all these business connections diagrammed. I’ll bet people could add toit and include City Hall employees as well as all these various business ties. You know what they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”! I just hope none of these relatives or business connections end up on the Planning Cimission where there may be as many as 3 openings from what I hear.

  6. # Myrna de Vera commented on 18-Dec-10 @ 8:42am

    Susan Keefe,
    All the current commissioners have no relatives or business connections. They are the most hard working, honest, competent, and sincere public servants I had the honor of working with. Like I said before, not all public servants are corrupt or incompetent.

  7. # Susan Keeffe commented on 18-Dec-10 @ 11:33am

    Myrna,
    I know! What I meant to say- I guess I said it badly, is that i hope no people who are relatives or who have business ties are appointed to the new openings as they come up! I first became aware of you via the Planning Commission where I was very impressed with your intelilgence and integrity. Thanks again for answering me when no-one else on the City Council would!

  8. # Hercules Resident commented on 18-Dec-10 @ 2:19pm

    Attention all readers:

    New article posted in the Contra Costa Times – two separate links one posting the termination letter to Mr. Long, next is the response letter to Council from Mr. Long.

    Interesting read….check it out.

  9. # Hercules Business Owner commented on 18-Dec-10 @ 8:00pm

    Brace yourselves, legal challenges and scandals of Herculean proportions are on the horizon.
    Balico, resign. Oliva, resign. Cabral, resign.
    Ward, Kuhuene, DeVera and Delgado bring C Long back and avoid the inevitable,
    Scandal, litigation, prosecution and investigation with recall as a last resort.
    Balico’s behaviour is deplorable and inexcusable.

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