According to published agendas, the City Council will meet in the City Council Chamber at 1:15 PM, Tuesday, September 23, to vote in open session whether or not to accept a quitclaim deed from the Navy. This vote was supposed to have taken place on September 16, but it was held over one week at the request of ChevronTexaco.

There must be a high level of confidence in the outcome of the September 23 vote, because a Transfer and Conveyance Commemoration Ceremony is scheduled for 2:30 PM at Winehaven (Point Molate). The public is invited, and I urge you to come because that may be the last time the public has access to the property.

At 5:00 PM, again on September 23, the City Council reconvenes in executive session to consider a potential lease of Pt. Molate to ChevronTexaco. It seems that ChevronTexaco has continued to meet secretly with selected City Council members and City officials to explore leasing the property. Despite my disdain and suspicion of ChevronTexaco’s actions relating to Point Molate going back more than eight years, there may, in fact, be some advantages to the City. If ChevronTexaco is willing to secure, maintain and protect Point Molate until a developer is selected and under contract, the City could not only save a bundle of money, it also stands to collect substantial rent during the process.

The devil, however, is in the details. This could also be the slippery slope to losing Point Molate forever. ChevronTexaco appears to see the process as the beginning of negotiations for an eventual purchase of the property or some other arrangement to control the ultimate use. Any lease or other contract with ChevronTexaco will eventually have to be voted on in public.