Several Seaside residents asked the City Council on Nov. 6 to help them get answers after items were removed from the home of a conservatee, identified in public comments as Sylvia Jones.

During public comment, Lisa Lewis said a county agency cleared the house and disposed of keepsakes including military flags and a Purple Heart. "There’s nothing in a report that says this happened at this woman's house to justify them going in and throwing everything away," Lewis told the council, adding that the homeowner had been placed on the market without her knowledge.

Mel Mason, who spoke after Lewis, outlined what he said were statutory requirements for conservators and the county Public Guardian’s office. Mason told the council the guardian failed to meet the client in person to notify her of a sale, did not inventory the property’s contents, and did not explain tax or commission obligations to the conservatee before listing the house. "That's a violation of the law," Mason said, and asked the council to take note even if the city cannot compel the county guardian’s actions.

Carla Lobo, speaking later in public comment, said the county’s restrictions on the resident’s access to funds had complicated the person’s ability to defend themselves and asked the city to explore what informational or referral assistance the city attorney's office might provide. Nina Beatty also raised the Jones case during her remarks and asked the city to respond to a public records request she had filed seeking the mayor’s communications on an unrelated telecom bill.

City Manager Tim reported the most immediate step the city would take: instruct staff to look into the public records request referenced during comment and suggested the conservatee’s authorized representative contact city staff to explain the situation. The manager said that route was the most direct way for the city to learn the resident’s account and determine next steps.

No formal action or direction to take legal steps against the county was recorded at the meeting. The council did not vote on any motion related to the conservatorship matter during the Nov. 6 session. Staff indicated the city’s role is limited by jurisdictional boundaries but offered to help connect the resident’s authorized representative to city information and resources where appropriate.

Ending: The council did not announce any follow-up agenda item at the Nov. 6 meeting. City staff said they would look into the public records request and invited an authorized representative for the conservatee to contact the city manager to provide further details; any additional city action would depend on what those follow-ups produce.