FPPC COMPLAINT 

VILLAS AT FRIENDLY HILLS AND COUNCILWOMAN CATHY WARNER

May 09, 2023

Updated: July 25, 2023

Cathy Warner is the council member that represents area three in the City of Whittier.  We reached out to her in 2020 regarding our safety concerns about the Villas at Friendly Hills (the old Marie Calenders' Restaurant) proposed development owned by Mission Pacific Investors.  She seemed concerned, however, during the final hearing on July 12, 2022, Cathy Warner kicked off the comments by stating she supported the development.  

I reached out to Warner to voice my concerns about the project. Warner and I texted back and forth preparing for this meeting. A Whittier resident mentioned to me that former Councilmember Jon Greg Nordbak (AKA: Greg Nordbak) was a consultant to the developer.  Apparently, his role was to get the city council to "approve" the development. When I asked Warner about it via text, she confirmed. She gave me his phone number and told me I should call him.  She also mentioned that he had called her to inform her he was working for the developer. 

During the public hearing (can be seen here), Warner did not disclose she had spoken to Greg Nordbak, who was then acting as an agent for the developer. In fact, she said, "I have not had any direct personal correspondence from the developer."  The fact is she had personal direct correspondence with the developer's employee. She did not disclose her nearby dental business during the hearing. Their business is less than 1000 feet from the Villas at Friendly Hills proposed development.

Warner should have disclosed that she had spoken with Greg Nordbak and recused herself due to her business for transparency purposes.  Several months back, I filed a formal complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on an alleged Conflict of Interest.  The FPPC rejected the complaint stating they had already provided Warner with an advice letter seen here, unbeknownst to me.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

In July of 2022, Warner requested formal advice through the city's attorney, from the FPPC regarding her "husband's business" and the Villas at Friendly Hills project.  A public records request revealed, that City Attorney Porter told the FPPC that her husband owns the company and would make less than $10,000.00 as a result of the new residents.  Based on those facts, the FPPC advised her that she COULD preside over the de novo hearing concerning the project. 

She made no mention that she is the "Chief Financial Officer" of the business as stated in her public  LINKEDIN profile, which can be seen here.  That she, "oversees the business operations of the practice on an ongoing basis and has done so for over 40 years."  That she, "created a business plan, obtained the location, secured the financial resources for the business, and hired the staff” for their business. That it is a source of income for her or that they provide more than just periodontal services such as dental implant services.

Why is this important?  I believe it demonstrates the lack of transparency and unethical decisions our city council continues to make. Cathy Warner and Scott Porter's manipulation of facts to the FPPC is a blatant disregard of the "whole truth" and a reflection of the way the city conducts its business.  I believe this is the second time Porter misstates facts to the FPPC as seen in this article regarding the city's incomplete investigation of the planning commissioners.  What are your thoughts? 

Note: I personally have text messages between myself and Warner in which she states she spoke with Nordbak.  I conducted a public records request of those texts through the city for Warner and this was the response, click here.