There is a serious brouhaha going on with the Ocean Beach Town Council these days. For unknown reasons, Mark Winkie, the president and a board member for 5 years, was asked to resign on July 6.
At least one other board member has resigned in protest. And former board members and others in the community are demanding that the current board explain why Winkie was asked to resign or offer an apology, or both. There’s also allegations the board did not follow its own by-laws.
On the OBTC facebook page, the board stated it “will consider a response and the community can expect that from us in the coming days” as it relates to issues raised by Susan Winkie, Mark’s spouse, in a public comment. Here is Susan Winkie’s public comment:
Statement Regarding the Resignation of Mark Winkie, President, OBTC
Ocean Beach Town Council
July 27, 2021
On July 6th Mark Winkie received a letter from this board and was asked to resign as President of the Town Council. The membership of the Town Council deserves to know the way this situation was handled and have it become part of the public record.
It’s not being touted as a “sell-off”, but that’s really what it is. The City of San Diego is preparing to sell the public spaces, the sidewalks and parking spaces that restaurants used during the pandemic – to those businesses. It’s called a “fee” but it’s more like a sale or lease.
On August 3, the City of San Diego will declare the Sports Arena area as surplus land to comply with the state’s Surplus Land Act. This will set off a new, legal process of opening up the bidding for the redevelopment of the 48-acre site.
On Tuesday, July 13, the San Diego City Council authorized the San Diego Housing Commission to build up to 78 affordable housing units on the 5-acre parcel in Famosa Canyon. The council entered into an agreement with Bridge Housing Corporation to design housing units at the southeast corner of Famosa and Nimitz boulevards.
The gloves are off! The group “Circulate San Diego” has dropped its environmentally-friendly facade and has now unfurled its full pro-developer colors. It has done this with the group’s recent endorsement of the most dense development proposed by the Navy for NAVWAR or the Old Town area.
The California state budget signed recently by Gov. Gavin Newsom includes $8.4 million to the city of San Diego for the Ocean Beach Pier “renovation.”
No Fireworks Off OB Pier This Year
OBceans and other Southern Californians must have breathed a sigh of relief in not being engulfed by the record-breaking heatwave that hit the Northwest this past weekend. I happened to be in Oregon visiting family and was able to experience it all.
Akili Cobbs was fatally shot Sunday night, June 27, in a parking lot at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. Now his family wants answers.
The OB Rag will have very limited postings over the next 6 days, as I’m off to the Portland area to visit my daughter and her family.
OB Vibe is this weekend, and the people putting it on need volunteers!
On Wednesday, June 16, the State of California formally notified the City of San Diego that the proposed redevelopment of the Sports Arena was not legal and that the city ran afoul of the Surplus Land Act in how it proposed the redevelopment.
Karen Kucher from the 
On Thursday, June 10, the California Coastal Commission agreed with the dog-owners’ group, FIDO, and cancelled proposed changes to what’s called San Diego’s largest dog park, the off-leash area on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay.
Editordude is leaving for Atlanta for a family wedding on Thursday and will not be returning until Monday, June 14. “Enjoy the heat while I’m gone,” he says.
Many progressive pundits, politicians, civil rights advocates and observers are calling this moment America finds itself in, a very dangerous one.
On Tuesday, the OB Rag was sent an email by the Recall Campbell campaign announcing that the effort did not reach their goal of 14,000 signatures, “not enough to force the recall of Jennifer Campbell.”
There was a twitter storm over the Memorial Day weekend about the massive show of force by San Diego police in Ocean Beach and their take-over of the Pier parking lot.
By Frank Gormlie
Today, the San Diego City Council considers Mayor Gloria’s potential 20-year franchise agreement with SDG&E. This potential does not sit well with a whole lot of San Diegans.
The OBTC will be hosting a “Make Your Voice Heard: Town Hall to Decide the Future of Ocean Beach Pier” at their next public meeting on May 26th to discuss the City’s long-term plans for our Ocean Beach Pier.
By Frank Gormlie
The OB Rag first raised 
By Frank Gormlie
A coalition of sorts of a group of environmental and nonprofit groups want the San Diego City Council to bar SDG&E from bidding on any new utility franchise agreements. 
On Wednesday, May 5, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to repeal policies that basically stopped any expansion by Native American tribal governments.
May 4, 1970 for at least an entire generation of Americans will always be associated with the shootings of unarmed students by National Guardsmen on the campus of Kent State Ohio. Four students were killed – two having nothing to do with the protests, one was an ROTC cadet – and eleven were wounded – they will be remembered as a stain upon US history for eternity.
Geoff Page August 3, 2021 at 5:45 pm on OB Planners to Tackle Replacing Car Parking Spaces With Bicycle Spaces and Roundabout on West Point Loma – Wed., August 4I have to agree with Sam's comments. It's not that traffic on West Point Loma needs to move more smoothly. The problem is the back...
bobo August 3, 2021 at 5:09 pm on Brouhaha at Ocean Beach Town Council, President Asked to Resign, at least One Member Resigned in ProtestTo be clear, the OBTC isn't the OB Planning Board. The OB Town Council doesn't review and make any recommendations for land use. That's the...
Don Wood August 3, 2021 at 4:31 pm on Brouhaha at Ocean Beach Town Council, President Asked to Resign, at least One Member Resigned in ProtestHas the OBTC been taken over by YIMBYs lately. Once a YIMBY slate of candidates gain control of local community planning groups, one of their...
Thomas Gayton August 3, 2021 at 2:42 pm on Simone Biles Showed What It’s Like to Be a Caring Human BeingRIGHT ON! VIVA SIMONE ! 
Bob Edwards August 3, 2021 at 1:12 pm on Brouhaha at Ocean Beach Town Council, President Asked to Resign, at least One Member Resigned in ProtestI don't know anything about this issue, but would like to complement the author on using one of my favorite words: "brouhaha". Hahaha. 
kh August 3, 2021 at 12:24 pm on Brouhaha at Ocean Beach Town Council, President Asked to Resign, at least One Member Resigned in ProtestHer entire point is that it was a personal matter. That generally means you aren't entitled to that information. To the extend that it isn't...
OB man August 3, 2021 at 11:17 am on Brouhaha at Ocean Beach Town Council, President Asked to Resign, at least One Member Resigned in ProtestSo what was this "personal" matter? The wife won't share, or only at a Public Meeting? 
GML August 3, 2021 at 11:14 am on Brouhaha at Ocean Beach Town Council, President Asked to Resign, at least One Member Resigned in ProtestI think some clarity on what those personal actions were needs to be made before any other judgements can be passed. Maybe they were so...
Paul Webb August 3, 2021 at 9:16 am on Inside Baseball and the ‘Blueprint San Diego’ ScamEconomists use the phrase "ceteris paribus" or, in non-dismal-science speak, if all relevant things remain unaltered. So, if additional housing is added to the supply,...
Peter from South O August 2, 2021 at 11:51 pm on How San Diego Incubates White Extremism with One America NewsOne should worry more about KUSI than OAN. KUSI has a bigger local audience and has become the OAN of broadcast news right here in...
Douglas Blackwood August 2, 2021 at 6:38 pm on Summer Solutions: Parks, Pools and Public SpacesIncompetency seems to be the rule downtown? If we can defeat Jen Campbell (the worst rep OB has ever had) perhaps: there's a Donna Frye...
Candice Carter August 2, 2021 at 6:18 pm on Simone Biles Showed What It’s Like to Be a Caring Human BeingWhat a role model Simone is! She shows us what we need to do when our perception gets twisted. I am not a sport scholar,...
Chris August 2, 2021 at 5:58 pm on Let Cuba Live and Free Us From the Mainstream Media NarrativeFrank I know you know Socialism does not = Communism. Socialism comes in many different types and degrees. Communism being the most extreme. Unlike what...
Pete R August 2, 2021 at 4:31 pm on OB Planners to Tackle Replacing Car Parking Spaces With Bicycle Spaces and Roundabout on West Point Loma – Wed., August 4Anything the city installs will need be ADA compatible, and in fact would upgrade the pedestrian facilities at this bad intersection. There are plenty of...
Bernie King August 2, 2021 at 3:59 pm on Inside Baseball and the ‘Blueprint San Diego’ ScamI understand your point, i.e. that building a *tiny* amount of new market rate housing doesn't do anything to change the admittedly expensive current market...
