City, county: Modesto mayor's time cards are right

By ADAM ASHTON
aashton@modbee.com

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Modesto and Stanislaus County officials have determined that Mayor Jim Ridenour accurately records his hours as a reserve deputy in the Sheriff's Department.

They compared Ridenour's deputy timecards with his appointment calendar for his elected position after former Modesto Mayor Carmen Sabatino alleged Ridenour was being paid for hours he didn't work at the Sheriff's Department.

"This is a whole lot of to-do about nothing," Sheriff Adam Christianson said.

COUNCIL WATCH

The Modesto City Council tonight is scheduled to vote on:
- Accepting the city's plan to enforce a new ordinance that gives Modesto more resources to collect abandoned shopping carts
- Ending Modesto's 8-year-old prohibition on reselling police firearms. The measure would allow the city to trade in or sell weapons with the City Council's approval
- Hiring Modesto-based George Reed Construction to widen Pelandale Avenue. The company can earn as much as $9.5 million for its work. Its bid was 28 percent below the city's estimate.
- Extending a $2 million contract with Boyett Petroleum that allows city employees to purchase gas at Boyett stations with fuel cards
- Raising the price the city charges to deposit a ton of green waste at Modesto's compost yard on Jennings Road to $20.35 from $18.71
- Increasing monthly maximum residential garbage fees to $22.19 from $20.46. The city does not set the rate, but it determines the cap that Bertolotti Disposal and Gilton Solid Waste Management can charge. The measure would raise commercial rates, too.
- Rezoning land in the 600 block of East Coolidge Avenue to allow the construction of a 32-unit special needs apartment complex
- Rezoning property on the north side of Kansas Avenue east of Reno Avenue to permit the conversion of two industrial buildings into industrial condominiums
- Hiring Modesto's Pacific Design Associates to plan improvements to an unfinished traffic operations building on Elm Street. The firm can earn as much as $41,500 for its work.
- Allowing city crews to deposit yard waste collected on street pickups at Gilton Solid Waste Management instead of at the city's waste transfer site. Modesto expects to pay Gilton $103,000 a year. The change would spare workers a 48-minute round-trip to the municipal site, 11 miles from the city center.
The Modesto City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St. -- Adam Ashton

Sabatino on Aug. 5 distributed a packet of Ridenour's timecards coupled with selected dates from his city calendar to a host of city and county leaders, including Christianson, the Board of Supervisors and the district attorney's office.

Sabatino raised questions about a series of meetings labeled "agenda review -- mayor's office" that took place during hours on Thursday mornings when Ridenour was at the Sheriff's Department.

Ridenour participates in those 15-minute meetings by phone with the city manager, city clerk and city attorney. Christianson said that arrangement was fine.

City Clerk Stephanie Lopez and former City Manager George Britton confirmed that Ridenour participates in the meetings by conference call.

Sabatino also pointed to events on Ridenour's calendar that took place during his shifts at the Sheriff's Department, such as a breakfast with Republican Rep. George Radanovich and the opening of a car dealership.

Ridenour and Lopez said the mayor didn't attend any of the events Sabatino highlighted. Ridenour said he left them on the calendar as reminders about community events.

Sabatino obtained the timecards through a request to the Sheriff's Department. Ridenour provided the calendar this spring to a commission that was charged with setting his salary.

Ridenour said he wasn't trying to sway the commission by giving it the calendar. Lopez said the commission requested it.

Ridenour, a former ambulance company executive, has worked at the Sheriff's Department as a reserve deputy for nearly 20 years. He is assigned to the department's evidence room and does not go on patrol.

Bee staff writer Adam Ashton can be reached at aashton@modbee.com or 578-2366.