Email FODHS

Guest Contributor - News Analysis

“Chamber Malfeasance?”
Managing The DHS Visitor Information Center &
The Betrayal Of The Public Trust" 
By Dean Gray – May 11, 2008

FODHS Exclusive
By Dean Gray

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA – “Any individual without adequate training and without sufficient knowledge of the city should not be entrusted with representing the city,” said former Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Office Manager Linda Moore.

Serious questions about the Visitor Center have been raised. It is alleged that one volunteer, who simply walked in one day, who did not and had never lived in Desert Hot Springs, was put on the “front lines” by Chamber CEO Carol Farm.

The city contract mandates the Visitor Center reply to business inquiries and to promote local business. This is difficult or impossible for volunteers suffering from not having training, adequate supervision or coherent direction.

The Chamber of Commerce is paid $50,000 annually by the city to manager the Visitor Information Center. Startling revelations of chaos inside the organization raise legitimate doubts about management of a contract that has not been signed by the city council. 

The former Office Manager recognized the need to coordinate the volunteers with a Volunteer Policy & Procedure Manual. CEO Farm felt the manual not necessary. Moore created the manual as it best served her job as office manager. It is not known if the new policy manual or any managed procedures are now being followed. 

If the city was not financially involved this would be an “internal matter” with the Chamber. However, the city is a stakeholder in the Chamber, essentially underwriting the organization.  Funds are co-mingled. Thus, city money pays for everything, in a way, and the suggestion of malfeasance has been raised as city money may have been paid to the Chamber without receiving the services as contracted. 

City management and city council members are especially concerned about the Visitor Center. Allegedly, due to recent claims of insufficient funding, the Visitor Center is providing weak or insufficient information to prospective businesses and individuals soliciting location and relocation information. Much of the information request response has not been timely, sometimes with a delay of many weeks. 

Allegedly, in some cases, the information request has been “short-changed” or cut back by withholding some materials deemed “too expensive” to mail. This started long before the recent pandemonium became public and has been suspect for years as the Chamber failed to win the location of any significant business or industry even in good economic times. 

Former Office Manager Moore worked for the Chamber for six months, leaving only recently when her hours were cut. Only a month and a half earlier CEO Farm got a generous $4,000 bonus an amount about equal to one month’s payment from the city. 

By all accounts Moore was a valuable asset to the Chamber. Long time resident Moore is familiar with the city, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She has a powerful proficiency in all the computer programs; is well-organized and well-liked; with no issues of complaints or negative performance evaluations. 

Moore’s repeated verbal and written requests to Farm for a job description were ignored and she was frustrated with lack of management. Moore finally left her job when Farm and former president Gillis reduced her hours to such few it proved insufficient for adequate pay, forcing her out. Shortly after Moore left, Gloria Hayes was hired to take her place. 

Hayes was hired by her friend, Farm, without the approval of the Executive Committee. Not surprisingly, the Executive Committee also had no say in the reduction of Moore’s hours. 

A Personnel Policy was approved by the entire Board of Directors giving the Executive Committee the sole authority for personnel issues, including the hiring, firing and hours of employees. Farm has no comment as to how and why she hired and managing employees without Executive Committee approval.

####

Chamber Website Example Of Don't Shop Local

FODHS Exclusive - by Dean Gray  May 10, 2008

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA – The Chamber of Commerce Website is hosted by a company that’s not a DHS Chamber member, Thetford Web Development. Stacy Thetford, is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce.

Lane Sarasohn, past president of the DHS Chamber of Commerce, admits he alone made the decision to give the hosting contract to a Palm Desert reseller. Several local DHS companies are also web hosting service resellers.

Several are already members of the Chamber. Re-selling web site hosting is commonplace everywhere. Sarasohn defends his decision to not shop local.

“Dependability is a critical concern when it comes to hosting.  I've used a lot of different hosting services, local and national, and I recommended that the Chamber use Viper Logic in Palm Springs.  I use Viper Logic for Ironic Times and have had really great service for several years.  Bickford is using Viper Logic for hosting MiracleSprings.com and his other sites with good results.  But when we contacted Viper Logic they told us they were not taking on any more hosting accounts and recommended Thetford Web Development in Cathedral City,” writes Sarasohn. 

“So-called hosting in Desert Hot Springs is all re-selling.  I could have provided hosting using Mirage-Net, a local web company.  I have half a dozen sites hosted there at a very cheap rate.  But the servers are out-of-state, there's no support, and I've had problems with loss of service.  So far, we've gotten excellent service from Thetford and they've expressed interest in joining the Chamber,” writes Sarasohn on February 20^th, 2008. 

Now, over two months later, Thetford has not joined the Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce nor is she known in the community. Owner Stacy Thetford writes she is “an active board member of the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce” for the Cathedral City located business.

Interestingly, Thetford admits that she did not know of the recent DHS Business Expo. She received no telephone calls and nothing sent to inform her by mail or email. 

The Thetford website portfolio showcases Live365tv, listing area dining, shopping, and accommodations. All the cities of the Coachella Valley are listed… except Desert Hot Springs. The website business directory mentions many other cities in the Coachella Valley, yet there is not one listing of any business in Desert Hot Springs. 

The Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce website, not shopped local, promotes out-of-town business.

Legal stuff here!

Any statements from these letters should be verified prior to being relied upon as being factual. We believe that the information is true when we post it within these letters. Even so, the reader should question and investigate the information provided as to its truth fullness.   Even though we feel that the information is true, no one should rely on any information provided until it is verified as correct.   The views represented within these letters are not necessarily our opinion.

Please Note: We will attempt to correct any information we find to be false. We will not publish any information about a public figure that we "believe" to be "False" or have "actual knowledge of being false". (See Sullivan vs New York Times) Please let us know if you find any additional information regarding any posted statements herein.  The information posted here has had a very high probability of being factually correct.  We have tried to be diligent in our postings as to avoid any "reckless disregard" for the information presented (expanded Sullivan Rule). The letters are provided a "Matter of Public Concern" therefore are "Common Law Privilege" (See Sullivan vs New York Times).  These letters are posted as citizen opinions under the First Amendment Right. In 1974, Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc, 418 U.S. 323 there is no such thing as a false idea.  Even obvious sarcasm is not liable per 1988 ruling in Hustler Magazine v. Falwell 485 U.S. 46. This forum of letters is a constitutional privilege of "neutral reporting" per Edwards v. National Audubon Society.