Robert Burns

Lassen County Counsel

HIRED: May 16, 2014

County Counsel Contract

"The Dark Stinky Stain of the County"

What do we do with Robert Burns?

His prejudices run deep, 20 years deep

and his skills run shallow

He can't be a Judge

He can't beDistrict Attorney

Can he be the County Counsel???

....not really

County Counsel Contract

But what County would want to expose themselves to his history, all of it.....Lassen County

What do you do with a vindictive, mean person?

Burns takes care of his friends though !

Send your helpful suggestions to:  opinions@kanwehelp.com

1. Open a Pharmacy

2.  Open a Bar

3. Move to Grass Valley

4. Open Boys Boot Camp

5. Open a Brothel on Main Street

6. Evans & Burns Bail Bonds

7. Burns Tri-State Pawn, Inc.

8. Party Planner

9.Pharma Rep

10. Las Vegas Law Firm

11. Chittock & Burns Law Firm

12. Buy a pig farm in Wendel

13. Atlantic City Law Firm

14. Join Dewey, Cheatem and Howe Law Firm

February 18, 2014

Pitching for a job, Bob?

He gets $126,000 a year plus $31,602 in benefits

for 30 hours a week = 3 days a month in real time

Bob Burns County Counsel Department

Reduced to Him & and his Administrative Assistant

Stephanie Skeen was the last attorney to leave. This attorney has recently left Bob Burns to work for District Attorney Stacey Montgomery. 

On May 17, 2016, Lassen County Counsel Bob Burns asked the Board of Supervisors to allow him to review and update Lassen County's Municipal Codes. The Board gave no direction for him to start this project.

Last year, on August 28, 2015, Kan We Help told the Board their Rules of Procedures, Rules & Regulations conflict with their Municipal Codes & current laws.  The Board ignored Kan We Help and passed Bob Burns "revisions".

NOW, BOB BURNS HAS NOTHING TO DO AND WANTS TO REVISE LASSEN COUNTY'S MUNICIPAL CODES.....

KAN WE HELP OFFERED COPIES OF THE WORK KWH SUBMITTED LAST YEAR.

THE BOARD TOOK NO ACTION

The "Lassen County Scoop"

discloses that

County Counsel Bob Burns

is so far out of his element

Final Settlement Notice to Lassen County 

Former Lassen County District Attorney and now County Counsel Bob Burns placed a California Settlement Case illegally in Closed Session.  Burns claimed that this case was an "existing" case but in fact it was a copy of a "Settlement". 

This case does not remotely fall within Government Code Section 54956.9 of the Brown Act. This lawsuit simply reflected a "final decision" by the Court.

Brown Act Section 54954.5 (a) allows for "existing" litigation to be placed in "CLOSED SESSION" if it would jeopardize service of process or settlement negotiations.

Burns took this issue into Closed Session for a $2,233.09 settlement check Lassen County received on a settlement received from the State of California. All that was required was for the Board of Supervisors to accept/reject this money. 

This was an Open Session issue and Burns did not know that ?

Settlement documents are discloseable and must be discussed in Open Session.  Burns did disclose the Settlement documents from his illegal Closed Session but violated the Brown Act by stupidly placing this in Closed Session. 

ALSO:

A member of the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) asked the Board of Supervisors, in Public Comment,  what Budget their contract is paid from. Bob Burns interrupted and advised the Chairperson not to answer?

THE BUDGET IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT

Bob Burns Not Competent

 in Civil Law

Is County Counsel a liability?

Listen to the Agenda H-4 Discussion, 10/13/15

Warning: Chapman lays out the first 9 minutes of the smoke screen. Spending is controlled by each Departments budget, so there was no need for this dog and pony show.  Hammond was the only reason this was placed on the Agenda and then Burns screws it up because he doesn't know the law

Lassen County CAO & County Counsel

Lied to the Board of Supervisors

about

Supervisor Tom Hammond

CAo Richard Egan and County Counsel Bob Burns put on a

Dog & Pony Show  

at the October 13, 2015 Supervisors meeting

Listen to the Agenda H-4 Discussion, 10/13/15

Agenda H-4 was placed on the October 13, 2015 Board of Supervisors Agenda to give CAo Richard Egan special authority to approve spending over $25,000 for 14 accounts.  The real goal was not the 14 accounts, but just Supervisor Tom Hammonds account for his businesses in Herlong.

Cao Richard Egan advises the Supervisors that they can take a separate action on Supervisor Hammond's business. The vote was unanimous to continue doing business with "The Mark"  (Hammond's business in Herlong). This vote should have been made the day Supervisor Hammond took office (9/24/13) two years ago.

This Agenda item was only about protecting Supervisor Hammond's business with Lassen County

County Counsel claimed that Tom Hammond's interest with his County Account was remote (Gov't Code 1091 a & c) and the County could continue purchasing from Hammond's businesses in Herlong if they took a vote.

CYA:

 Burns also claimed that the FPPC's  Conflict of Interest  Penalty letter allowed Supervisor Hammond to do business with Lassen County. It does not. The Supervisors were told, on October 13 by Burns & Egan, they must take a vote to "ratify"doing business with Supervisor Hammond. This vote was required the day Tom Hammond took office.
 

THAT IS WHAT AGENDA H-4 WAS ABOUT.

*Five year history of Vendor #611

*Verified by Lassen County Auditor records

KAN WE HELP requested a copy of this FPPC "Advice Letter" Burns referred to on October 13, 2015 and the Memo CAo Richard Egan claims he sent to County Departments in July suspending business with Supervisor Hammond

Listen to the Burns & Egan Agenda H-4 Discussion on 10/13/15

A. FPPC Determination Letter & Hammond's $2500 Conflict of Interest fine 

B. Government Code 1090

C. Government Code 1091 (c) 8 does not exist

County Counsel advises Supervisors to rely on this government code to take action on.

Supervisor Hammond did not attend the October 13, 2015 Board of Supervisors Meeting

Lassen County Counsel  Bob Burns

Running County Business

CAO Egan busy playing politics  and selling himself for bigger role, bigger paycheck and it won't be in Lassen County

CAO Richard Egan has given the role of approving County spending to Bob Burns, not Deputy CAO Tony Shaw.

The Westwood Library's new roof is being held up until Bob Burns approves this  2015/2016 budgeted item. ....more later

Bob Burns wants Supervisor Hammond's business in Herlong, The Mark, to be taken off the County's purchasing list. ....more later

Bob Burns decides "who" rents public property. KWH wanted to rent the Old Courthouse room for two days and Burns went off on a huge paranoid conspiracy theory.  Burns supported the same rental to attorney Chip Chittock and had no problem with Chittock having direct access to the District Attorney's officeswho is currently housed adjoining the old courtroom.  Chittock has yet to give a date to the County for the "rental".  KWH was turned down for the rental because no date was given. ....more later

Over stepped his authority a bit..............

Burns Competency

Lassen County Counsel

Robert Burns

Thinks He Can Hide His Legal Actions

Burns thinks he can just ask California and Nevada Courts to hide his legal name by using his middle name, nick name or simply file under his "initials"

This is not a privilege Mr. Burns.

It is Abuse of Authority

Kan We Help tried to research the Court case calendar for Bob Burns, Debbie Burns and Chris Smith. The results are below

Burns Doesn't Like the Public Criticism and tells the Supervisors that this is not the publics meeting.

.....so he is talking the fabulous five into restricting public involvement

This is an alleged attorney that has an unnatural contempt for the Open Meeting laws in California

Burns tells the Supervisors that the public should not be able to speak on certain Agenda items

Bribery Comes In Different Flavors

Burns: He can't be a judge. He can't be District Attorney

In 2011, Bob Burns was the District Attorney when 23 year old Angel Siler was raped and murdered. 

BURNS DID NOTHING TO INVESTIGATE THIS CRIME THEN AND NOW HE THINKS HE CAN INFLUENCE THE ATTORNEY THAT HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO THIS SUSANVILLE CAPITAL MURDER CASE..........DAN HOWE

Burns thought up this scheme to suddenly give his friend, DAN HOWE, a new $5,000 contract and no one would notice.

DAN HOWE WORKS

FOR

DISTRICT ATTORNEY STACEY MONTGOMERY. 

WILL THIS

$5,000

HELP HOWE FOCUS ON THIS CAPITAL MURDER CASE?

WILL DAN HOW ACCEPT THIS BRIBE?

County Counsel Robert Burns

tells

Lassen County Supervisors Hammond, Albaugh and Hemphill, on March 24, 2015

they can vote to approve Meeting Minutes

that occurred before they were elected

UNPRECEDENTED

District 4 Supervisor Albaugh bites into the apple and drinks the Kool-Aid

More............

On February 17, 2015, County Counsel Burns allows Supervisor Hammond to vote to approve awarding HSP Resources the Amedee Parcels after Hammond admitted to an obscene Conflict of Interest with HSP Resources. Hammond's vote was the deciding vote to give HSP Resources the public land.

On February 17, 2015, Hammond admitted publicly that he was secretly helping HSP Resources to obtain a contract with Sierra Army Depot during the public bidding of County land (Amedee Airfield Parcels). 

Bribery Comes In Different Flavors

Burns: He can't be a judge. He can't be District Attorney

In 2011, Bob Burns was the District Attorney when 23 year old Angel Siler was raped and murdered. 

HE DID NOTHING TO INVESTIGATE THIS CRIME THEN AND NOW HE THINKS HE CAN INFLUENCE THE ATTORNEY THAT HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO THIS SUSANVILLE CASE..........DAN HOWE

Burns thought up this scheme to suddenly give his friend, DAN HOWE, a new $5,000 contract and no one would notice.

DAN HOWE WORKS

FOR

DISTRICT ATTORNEY STACEY MONTGOMERY. 

WILL THIS $5,000 HELP HOWE FOCUS ON THIS CAPITAL MURDER CASE?

WILL DAN HOW ACCEPT THIS BRIBE?

County Counsel Ignores Brown Act, again and again

Tom Hammond  violated the public trust

Lassen County Counsel Bob Burns ignored Supervisor Hammond's confession which disqualified him from voting, on February 17, 2015,

 to give HSP Resources another 3,000 acres of public land in Herlong

Hammond's Admission

Section 54960.1 (c) 2 of the Brown Act now requires a public entity to respond to a complaint

District Attorney turned County Counsel

Bob Burns

says NOTHING

when the Board Minutes

Show a Clear Brown Act Violation

No Action can be taken by this Board or any other public Board

during PUBLIC COMMENT.

Who is paying attention?

 Is the real "Tony" still in Ukiah ?

.....and we have  "Duane" his twin brother

Bob Burns claims that the Board is bothered by one pesky conspiracy after another.

What happens when you get slapped in the face with those pesky little FACTS, Mr. Burns?

The audio and video of the February 10, 2015 meeting shows Supervisor Pyle taking an action in "Public Comment", which is prohibited by the Brown Act.

The Minutes for 2/10/15 stated, in fact, that an action was taken in "Public Comment"

Only the February 10, 2015 Meeting Minutes were placed in the "Consent Calendar" (G-6), the other three minutes were placed as an individual agenda item H-1.

NOTE:  Susan Osgood, Deputy Clerk of the Board, also omitted all of the actual

public comments that were heard that day. KWH has stopped counting the volume of mistakes made by Ms. Osgood.

The "Clerk of the Board" and the "Recorder" are stand alone positions

Settlemire Did It

Kettleson Did It

Crabtree Did it

Vander Plug Did It

All Lassen County Counsel's Have done it.

FAKE CLOSED SESSION AGENDAS

The last two "Special Board of Supervisors" have not been about labor negotiations.

You really have to wonder why Burns, like his predecessors, feel the need

NOT TO BE HONEST ABOUT CLOSED SESSION ISSUES.

It couldn't be because the Brown Act requires public entities to place the truth on their Agendas, because that has n e v e r stopped them from lying.

Mr. Burns & the Lassen County Board of Supervisors very recently signed a contract with Margaret Long and her brand spanking newly formed law firm. The public was told that this was a "Child Protective Services" contract. 

The only thing the Supervisors have used Margaret Long for was to protect the children that sit on the Lassen County Board of Supervisors and their friends.

The last two "Special Meetings" (January 29, 2015 & February 4, 2015)just happened to coincidentally follow the court filings of Federal case 14 cv 01473. The case that Margaret Long is defending for Lassen County. 

Oh, and by the way it is not a child protective services case.

Lassen County Counsel

Bob Burns

Finances New Law Firm

Click on photo below

Former District Attorney Bob Burns

brought his enormous bag-of-tricks with him

when the Lassen County Supervisors hired him as County Counsel.

Burns placed a new legal contract on the January 20, 2015 Board of Supervisors Agenda (H-2). 

Burns told the Supervisors that he wanted to cancel the Cota Cole contract immediately and hire a new law firm called Prentice Long and Epperson LLP.  This law firm was recently formed in December of 2014. County Counsel Burns did admit that Margaret Long was a friend of Rhetta Vander Ploegg (former Lassen County Counsel). 

Margaret Long suddenly left the Cota Cole law firm to form this new law firm with Jason Epperson and David Prentice.

During the H-2 Agenda discussions, Kan We Help told the Supervisors that this contract appears to be for "child protective services" consultation but had a very "ODD" clause on Exhibit A ( page 10 of this newly formed law firm's contract). 

KWH Secretary told the Board that this clause will be abused and it turns out it already has.  Burns is using this new law firm to defend County employee Kevin Jones, Brandon Vinson and newly elected District Attorney Stacey Montgomery.

WHAT BURNS DID NOT DISCLOSE, IN PUBLIC, WAS

ON DECEMBER 10, 2014

MARGARET LONG FILED

A

MOTION IN FEDERAL COURT

TO CORRECT HER MISTAKE

Attending a Lassen County Supervisors meeting is like

sitting down at a poker game that you know is crooked.

Larry Wosick hands his secret ballot to the Clerk and asks the remaining Supervisors to do the same

VIDEO:   Secret Ballots

Kan We Help has received a ton of e-mails, mostly outside the County, wanting to know if anyone has confirmed that Bob Burns still has a license to practice law.

Lassen County Counsel Bob Burns can be seen helping the illegal "SECRET BALLOT".  Bob Burns, has a license to practice but it is clear that he chooses not to

Lassen County's Former District Attorney and now County Counsel

forced to tell the truth under oath.

Lassen County Disgrace

*THEY DID NOT DO THE RIGHT THING*

Lassen County withheld evidence, to the Grace Foundation, that proved the 36 Whispering Pines horses were removed from the Bennett property and given to the Grace Foundation for care. The County has refused to reimburse the Grace Foundation for over three years, claiming that they had no obligation to pay for the horses care.

 Warning: THIS VIDEO IS GRAPHIC

                                                                                                    Whispering Pines

The Grace Foundation made a plea for help at the January 28, 2014 meeting  Video link: Part 1@ 4:39 mark . The plea for help fell on deaf ears and the County Supervisors did nothing. The Supervisors met in closed session many times and knew that they were obligated to care for these animals (reimbursements to the Grace Foundation) until the disposition of the Bennett case.

The letter below was withheld from the Grace Foundation

LASSEN COUNTY SUPERVISORS

THROW MIDDLE FINGERS

UP

TO GRAND JURY REPORT

[the Grand Jury has referred their finding to the new District Attorney]

Kan We Help filed Brown Act Complaints against the Boards action on January 14, 2014. County Counsel Rhetta Vander Ploeg advised the Board that they were not in violation of any Brown Act codes and the KWH complaint was ignored.

The 2013-2014 Lassen County Grand Jury Report found the Lassen County Supervisors in violation of at least 8 Brown Act violations on January 14, 2014

On July 22, 2014, the Lassen County Supervisors

 Ignored Grand Jury Ruling

and

Repeat the same Brown Act Violations

They actually voted on a Resolution

"Sight Unseen"

"Southern Cascades Service District Initiative"

District  4 Supervisor Albaugh asked that an item be added to the meeting, at the July 22, 2014 BOS meeting, as an  "Emergency item". [Takes 4/5 vote to add an agenda item].

The Board was not given any copies of this Resolution, the public was not given any copy of the Resolution. Kan We Help repeatedly asked for the Board to recess and make copies of this Resolution prior to any vote.

The Board and Burns tried every trick in the book to keep the public out of the conversation.

Albaugh claimed that he just received a Resolution for the Southern Cascade Services District initiative on Friday, July 18, 2014.

Supervisors have been discussing this issue for weeks about the "deadlines" for this issue to be placed on the November ballot.   

It was District 4 Supervisor Albaugh's responsibility to get this on the July 22, 2014 Board of Supervisors Agenda.  If Albaugh failed to get the ballot resolution, to the Supervisors, by July 18, it could have been placed on the August 4, 2014 Agenda ( The County Clerk confirmed that the deadline is 88 days before the election, August 8).

THE Board CREATED A fake EMERGENCY AGAIN

AND

WE NEED TO ASK WHY THEY HAVE

SUCH CONTEMPT FOR THE  BROWN ACT ?

Albaugh had plenty of time to make copies, from Friday to Tuesday,  but brought only one copy of the Resolution to the 7/22/14 meeting? Everyone , including Albaugh, knows that seven (7) copies were needed.  The Supervisors went into closed session to discuss this issue and could have made copies then.

This is exactly what Albaugh, Wosick and Chapman did with the first Resolution to get this initiative on the June ballot. The Grand Jury concurred.

and yet, this was all choreographed again.

THIS IS NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER

BOB BURNS

HAS SHOWN TOTAL

CONTEMPT

FOR

THE BROWN ACT.

Stay Awake Mr. Egan.....

That coffee (?) is not going to help.

It's a Zzzzzzzzzzzzz  Moment

Mr. Egan has two idiots now

 that love to hear themselves talk

Lassen County Supervisors

Vote on Resolution

"Sight Unseen"

District  4 Supervisor Albaugh asked that an Emergency item be added to the meeting today. Albaugh claimed that he just received a Resolution for the Southern Cascade Services District initiative to be placed on the November ballot but it needed to be approved today. Albaugh brought only one copy of the Resolution when everyone knows that seven (7) copies were needed.  This is exactly what Albaugh, Wosick and Chapman did with the first Resolution.

Mr. Burns attempted to stop any public comment on Agenda item B-2, "Agenda Approval, additions or deletions".

Surprisingly, Wosick ignored Burns dumb advice

Watch Mr. Burns attempt to omit public comment

[The Brown Act allows public comment on any and all agenda items]

The Board voted to add the LAFCO Resolution to the Agenda (H-10) and later when it came up for discussion, Kan We Help Secretary Eileen Spencer respectfully asked twice that the Supervisors be given a copy of this Resolution before a vote was taken. County Counsel Burns chirped that it was not necessary for the Supervisors to have a copy 

Lassen County Supervisors

couldn't have

found a dumber candidate

for

County Counsel

A NEW LEVEL OF DUMB HAS BEEN BORN

Contracts, Contracts and more Jibberty-Goo

Mr. Burns confused the Board and the Public (the people that pay his salary)

It started with Supervisor Albaugh asking Mr. Burns about the reference to the numbers (no $$$ signs) in his request. Burns made it appear that he was asking for $32,500 for two invoices that were not to exceed $5,500 each.

Now watch how Burns responded to the Board and to the public.

Mr. Burns famous Jibberty-Goo

Lassen County Superior Court

Presiding Judge Verderosa

Has Sit-down

with

Bob Burns

and Richard Egan

click on Mr. Kot Withyur Panzdown for entire story

On April 16, 2014, Lassen County CAO Richard Egan made the decision to write a letter that was made to appear as though Judge Verderosa had authored it. She didn't author it and Kan We Help caught him in a lie. 

Judge Verderosa's signature has never been authenticated.

Egan placed this letter on the Board of Supervisors May 13, 2014 Agenda but had no intention of having any discussion on it. (Audio and video recordings confirmed that this Agenda item was never discussed or voted on)

Watch video: May 13, 2014 BOS meetng

 Chairperson Wosick just adjourned the meeting intentionally ignoring last item on the Agenda.

As a result of this debacle, Judge Verderosa will no longer appoint the Chief Probation Officer.

 Lassen County Counsel Burns was forced to write a "soliloquy" on July 6th to create a new Ordinance for this position to be a County appointed position not a judicial appointment.

Burns response, to this screw up,  ended up similar to Vander Ploegs back peddling fake response to Kan We Help objection to the County Administrative Officer being called various names other than his official position/title County Administrative Officer. [CAO Egan was signing different fake titles to official county documents]

District Attorney/County Counsel

County Counsel/District Attorney

County Counsel Contract

On May 16, 2014, the Lassen County Supervisors hired the current District Attorney, Robert Burns as County Counsel. Rhetta Vander Ploeg's contract was not renewed and her last day was May 16, 2014.

Robert Burns was not the County Counsel on May 7, 2014

His County Counsel pay started before he was hired ??

Mr. Burns went from Group 5 to Group 6 in pay

Robert Burns County Counsel Contract on page one states:

Bob Burns resigned as District Attorney on June 9, 2014

????????????????????????????????????????

Bob Burns Resigned, Quit, Stepped down

as the elected District Attorney

Bob Burns is a "New Hire" as County Counsel

????????????????????????????????????????

The County "promoted/transferred" Burns

after he resigned as an elected official?

Bob Burns

Just

A

Misfit

He can't be a judge, he can't be District Attorney and is just

a misfit as Lassen County Counsel

On June 17, 2014, Kan We Help asked Mr. Burns to identify the "Court" for the Grace Foundation lawsuit against the County and if he could remember to add that information to the Closed Session Agendas in the future.

 Burns response

Kan We Help was able to stop the practice of giving vague information on lawsuits against Lassen County on their Closed Session Agendas.

 The Brown Act requires full disclosure of lawsuits discussed in Closed Session. Lassen County had a bad habit of not only placing fake cases in Closed Session in order to go into a Closed Session, but stating only the Plaintiff and Defendants name.

The Lassen County Counsel actually

resisted full disclosure until numerous Brown Act Complaints were filed.

Now we have Bob Burns

He has refused to disclose

the name of the Court to the public

on the BOS Agenda

The June 24, 2014 Agenda

does not include the California Court that this lawsuit was filed in. With 58 County Superior Courts, Mr. Burns does not want anyone to have access to the Grace Foundation lawsuit against Lassen County. 

Starved to death in Susanville, CA

WARNING: this video is graphicWhispering Pines

The Lassen County Times

again failed to either

 OBTAIN Burns Contract

or failed to read it

Kan We Help has not received a "Thank you" yet....

These columns were published by an "anonymous author" ?

Lassen County Times

Deliberately

Misleads

Public

Kan We Help posted Mr. Burns new contract a week ago. The Board of Supervisors posted Mr. Burns contract in their April 22, 2014 Agenda.

There is no excuse for the "anonymous" misinformation printed in their weekly advertiser today.

Page 3, 5 (f) of Mr. Burns new contract

Burns Contract

Burns Rejected by Lassen County

Supervisors Give him a job

Wosick couldn't get a second to approve Burns contract

Watch

Classic Quid Pro Quo

Robert Burns

has made a mockery out of the Judicial System 

in

Lassen County

Parties, Misdemeanors and felonies, oh my

so much history, so many statements