By Briana Gomez

January 28, 2021 (El Cajon) – On Tuesday, the El Cajon City Council voted 4-1 to remove Humbert Cabrera from his position as a Planning Commissioner.

The meeting also included other items impacting the community, including an update on COVID-19, a proposal to outlaw protests at individual homes, and a proposal to limit the city’s investment in alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.

Removal of Planning Commissioner Cabrera

The proposal to oust Cabrera was made by Mayor Bill Wells and Vice Mayor Gary Kendrick. A staff report cited conflicts of interest by Cabrera  in violation of the city’s ethics policy, since his company has numerous clients seeking city permits. Other reasons included his allegedly demeaning treatment of applicants before the planning commission and questions over his integrity based on conflicting residency statements that he made during a candidate forum hosted by East County Magazine. (See our prior coverage.)

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo, from left to right:  Mike Aquawi, Humbert Cabrera, Nathan Cornett, Robert Pennoyer, Amanda McGimpsey, Jaqueline Sona

July 15, 2019 (El Cajon) --The final chapter of the drama-filled Ben Kalasho novel was written on Tuesday when local businessman Humbert Cabrera was appointed to the El Cajon Planning Commission. The seat was recently vacated by the recent appointment of Phil Ortiz to the El Cajon City Council in May to replace Kalasho, who resigned in March after two stormy years on the Council.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2017 (El Cajon) – On February 7^th at 7 p.m. El Cajon’s Planning Commission will consider a proposal to convert an existing building into a crematorium burning human remains.  The site is located at 1150-1168 North Marshall Avenue between Fesler Street and Vernon Way.

Crematoriums in urban areas can cause serious problems.  In 2011, the County shut down a crematorium in unincorporated El Cajon after numerous public complaints and findings of health hazards to the public.  Neighbors’ videos and eyewitness accounts documented smoke and sparks coming out of the facility, with ashes coating nearby cars, patios, and even hamburgers at a fast food restaurant next door, as ECM reported.