UPDATE 10:00pm February 10 2016: The California Coastal Commission voted late on Wednesday February 10 2016 in a closed session to fire Executive Director Charles Lester. The vote was 7 to 5. The Commission offered no public explanation.
Hundreds of supporters gave public testimony in support of Director Lester.
The public testimony was from citizens that came from all walks of life from all of California.
One supporter surmised that with all of the Environmental Agencies that came to give their support, that over one million citizens were represented at the meeting.
Many supporters implored the Commission to debate and vote in public.
In public testimony it was pointed out to the Commissioners that they are public officials and that they represent the public, not private interests.
A retired journalist stated that in all of his years of covering governmental meetings, that this resembled a “Kangaroo Court”.
The California Coastal Commission never made it clear why they wanted to fire Lester.
The lack of transparency has made the public suspicious of the motives of the Commissioners that wanted Lester’s removal.
Critics have stated that they fear that developers will now have the upper hand with the California Coastal Commission.
At this point the public needs to know the details behind the firing of Executive Director Charles Lester.
Then the public would not have to imagine nefarious intentions of the Commission.
It was pointed out in the meeting that perhaps part of the issue with Executive Director Lester was in his and his staffs communication skills.
The public communicated today that they wanted Lester to remain to lead the California Coastal Commissions focus of a open coast to all.
The problem is that it appears that the Commissioners communications skills are lacking.
Part of communication is listening.
The results appear that they did not.

The California Coastal Commission Monthly Meeting is in Moro Bay Wednesday February 10 2016.

The main focus of this meeting is The Dismissal of Executive Director Charles Lester.
There has been a overwhelming public reaction to the possibility of Lester’s removal.
The New York Times is reporting that over 14,000 citizens have written to the California Coastal Commission requesting that Lester retain his position.
Critics have said that the request of his dismissal is political driven within the Commission.
It is alleged that California Coastal Development interests is behind Lester’s proposed removal.

California Coastal Commission Executive Director Charles Lester responded to the Commission in a February 4 2016 letter.

In part he stated, ” I was well familiar with the controversy that often surrounds the Commission’s work, but my hope was that I could help to depoliticize the position of the executive director and focus on an array of programmatic concerns that I saw as needing to be addressed to keep the coastal program moving forward.”
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