Read during public comment by Hillcrest resident Tim Gahagan
at the beginning of the August 6, 2009 Uptown Partnership board meeting
I’d like to start by saying “thank you” to the board. Thank you for volunteering your time. Thank you to those who volunteer, who expect nothing back from your service but a better community. You have my respect and gratitude.
However much we may disagree.
From what little I know, previously, the Partnership seemed to be on the right track. The parking cards were an excellent and innovative idea. But somewhere in the last years, something changed. It seems you have lost the way. You probably have already seen my recent letter to the Partnership. If not, I have a copy.
As a member of the public who has taken a recent interest in Uptown Parking, I do want you to know that this experience has not been pleasant for me. I do not feel that the public’s opinion is respected or even wanted. Holding a forum on a holiday weekend where the public can only ask questions, and wait over a month for a response, delivered only hours before this board meeting, seems a pretty good example of that.
Another example, is the coffee with Councilmember Gloria, where your director actively participated in a conversation that gave the impression that the parking lot at AT&T could maybe happen, when in reality your web site now says that you had already decided to allocate the money elsewhere, anywhere, so the city would not take it. I do not appreciate the miscommunication, and I do not appreciate wasting my time chasing pipe dreams.
At the July 8th City Budget Committee hearing, Councilmember Gloria requested the Partnership to work with the community on the budgeting of the 1.4 million dollar excess meter funds.
At this hearing, the councilmember said that “better parking is perhaps the number one issue for Hillcrest... The organization [Partnership] has not been prioritizing what is important in the community.”
Of the 1.4 million dollars, Meredith Tipton-Brown said, “the community decides what priority they want the money focused on.”
Of the 1.4 million dollars, the Partnership director said, the “Board has not set a priority.” She said the library project was “one of the things we would want to get further community input on.”
Regarding whether the money would be spent toward parking solutions involving the AT&T lot, the library, Pernicanos, etc., Councilmember Gloria said, “I want the Uptown Partnership to take the leadership role and work with the community to identify these opportunities.”
Your director was asked a direct question, “will there be an additional public process before the decision is done?” Your Director replied, “there will be additional public process.”
Yet here it is on your August board agenda, without a public process.
The Hillcrest Town Council has polled it’s members, and the votes
on the $1 million dollar library funding are running at least 3 to 1
against.
Are you listening to the public, or only the voices around this table? Will
you keep your commitment to the public? Will you honor your word to
the city council?
Tim Gahagan
What do you think? Let us know!