I am going to let my viewers look in as I become more civically active these days. Like a lot of people who live
in this town San Anselmo I love this town. I also am aware of it's shortcomings, no night life (maybe not that big a deal), very little authentic community events (lot of room for improvement), influx of wealthy people and developers who live here as if this was part of their investment portfolio. There seems in general a trend to make San Anselmo a place like Carmel, Tiburon, Palm Springs... a safe place for the wealthy. Any signs of real vitality are looked on as some kind of threat. The beautiful old Tamalpais Theatre which was torn down except for it's marquee 20 years ago, because the town wouldn't permit the owner to go 5 plex. Neighbors would complain about noise. No farmer's market because merchants would complain. Last year, the year of it's 100th anniversary not even a parade. There was some great Centennial anniversary celebration Dinner that cost what was it $75 dollars a ticket. Anyways I am venting humans... Lot of nice people here and the reality is that there are a lot of Real people not just nice people. Maybe even great people. There is so little to ever bring us together but hey somebody has to do this type of thing. It's easy to whine and complain - make this town better dude!  Talking to myself.

   So anyways when I am not wandering the streets muttering to myself.... I am doing other things, but right now the environmental outrages have come too fast and ugly and are coming still coming too fast. The scar on Red Hill will not go away. The second artificial playing field to be installed with little opportunity for community input is coming up. An impending recommendation to have the town develop a portion of the green zone across from the Post Office into commercial space is scheduled to make an appearance before the Council in September. Hopefully this will get laughed out of existence, but if no one talks about it, if no one stirs anything up, if no one knows about it, then come September as it is already planned to be brought before the council at that time, then it will slip through and we San Anselmo residents would be saying Gee... that's weird why are they cutting down the Pine Trees and bringing in heavy equipment.  One of San Anselmo's major problems is that we have no dedicated news source. No democracy is a true democracy without a Free Press. San Anselmo really has no press at all and that's really why all this stuff happens. No one calls any one in a position of responsibility and says excuse me. What are you doing? Can we share this with your citizenry? Would you like to make a statement as to why you voted to approve this project that increases runoff into the creek, increases traffic in an area that has suffered two pedestrian fatalities in about 5 years and that the only access for eastbound traffic leaving this new development, is to turn around using the Red Hill Shopping Center or to use Bella Vista a private road. It's a mystery to me as it is to all the citizens of San Anselmo. If there is anyone in San Anselmo who has the answers I would like to talk to you and talk publicly with my little video camera and get your statement. It's called your account and it's called accountability.

   I interviewed Ms Stutsman back in January and didn't do the greatest job as I got caught up in the background story that by the time I got around to asking her about 'Red Hill Park' I had run out of video and only had an audio recording. I haven't listened to it again since I posted it, probably out of embarrassment, personal embarrassment but still I recommend someone listen to it again and maybe give me some feedback.. 

  So this is some of the underlying issues in my mind as I stroll through my town. I know you are thinking this old boy is a bit angry. I guess I am.

   I love Creek Park and not only have I been just disgusted/livid seeing that someone chopped down small trees and bushes surrounding the picnic benches but there was also just the annual issues of again, year after year, no one waters the grass. (Let me be more exact and not exaggerate, there is some irrigation going on of the grass there is more green grass than brown grass, It is just that every year the center of this natural amphitheatre that Creek Park is, goes brown, and near the stage and a number of other areas go brown and hard pan.) If you don't have nice healthy green grass in your Park then you do not have a good Park.. My apologies to the crack Public Works department I basically believe it is not their fault but in fact I don't know what is going on and so I went to the town council meeting this past Tuesday and spoke my mind about the Park. Plus I vented about these new Park Benches that are appearing in town made out of some composite wood material that I think seems 'plastic' and as I said at the meeting 'Cheap'. Now the deal at the SA Town Council meeting is the public has time to speak before every meeting regarding any subject you wish, limit 3 minutes and basically no one on the Council responds to you at the time. I was under the impression that anyone on the council can respond that is their option generally they do not.. 

    Ms Stutsman composed a reply to my Council visit. A very coherent letter, unlike my composition abilities, that I found amongst my Emails the very next day. It took me an extra day to try to hone a response that was close as possible to the standard she sets, which I know doesn't come close at all, but I am sorry I have to work with the brain I have. 

    I would hire Ms Stutsman in a heartbeat to help run any project you could think of as well as help run San Anselmo. 

      Here is Ms Stutsman's letter and my reply:

-----Original Message-----
From: Debbie Stutsman [mailto:dstutsman@ci.san-anselmo.ca.us]
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:26 AM
To: Guy Meyer
Cc: 'barbara thornton'; 'Ford Greene'; 'Judy House '; 'Judy House'; 'Peter Breen'; 'Ted Freeman'
Subject: Creek Park

 

Hi Guy,

 Thanks for coming to the Council meeting last night.  I wanted to respond to the comments/questions that you discussed.

 Regarding Creek Park, you are right that it is a wonderful park and quite a resource to the Town.  During the summer in particular it is the site of many different annual events, such as Film Night, Music in the Park and Beatles Night.  Because of that, it is definitely a priority for us to keep it in great shape.

 I, too, noticed that the lawn seems brown.  I think the heat spell that we just came through was more than the sprinkler system was prepared to handle.  I have been in touch with the Public Works Supervisor and asked him to step up the water on the lawn.

 You also mentioned that the area around the picnic benches had been cleared.  This area had not been cleared for many years, and it was, as you noted, very well shielded from the street and the parking lot.  It was time for some major maintenance work in the park, and the crew did a major cleanup to get it in shape for the summer.  The brush around the picnic benches was cleared away in that effort.  This has allowed more light and air into the picnic area and has reduced the significant problem with drinking and smoking that we've experienced at that location.  It is now more inviting for families wishing to picnic in the park and less desirable to those who wish to drink alcoholic beverages, litter and smoke in the area.

 Regarding the new benches, we did considerable research before selecting these particular benches.  The reason a composite material was chosen is basically because of maintenance issues.  The current teak benches must be waterblasted, cleaned and resealed every year, which is a huge, labor intensive job.  Because the benches are out in the sun and weather, they quickly lose the seal and become stained from food and drinks.  Then they look awful and we receive complaints.  In addition, we have found that the underneath bracing for the teak benches, particularly the four foot benches, are easily broken by either jumping on them or heavy loads.  The two by Lococo's Pizzeria had to be replaced because they were broken beyond further repair, and they'd been repaired numerous times.  At this point, 7 years into the teak benches, they are becoming pocked from the waterblasting and now need to be sanded.  The composite material will last for a long time with no maintenance requirements.  We selected the green supports/arm rests to blend with our green theme on the lampposts.

 You asked if anybody is personally responsible for Creek Park.  Our Public Works crew of five people is responsible for the Town's parks and streets.  They care deeply about the appearance of all the parks, and work very hard with their limited personpower and resources to do the best job they can.  I am always impressed with the pride they take in their work.  And they know that their work reflects how well we all care for the town.

 I like your idea of having a drinking fountain at the park, and will look into what that project would entail.

 Thanks, Guy, for always caring about San Anselmo.

 Sincerely,

Debbie

 Debra Stutsman, Town Manager
 Town of San Anselmo
 525 San Anselmo Avenue
 San Anselmo, CA  94960
  (415) 258-4652 (voice)
 (415) 459-2477 (fax)

 

   

Dear Debbie,

Thank you for responding.
      
There may be a lot we agree on. Right now I am in deep disagreement with the direction that my town government is taking San Anselmo, a drift towards a disrespect of nature and to the people of this community. The issues of the Park are petty compared to the greater issues facing our town but I feel very strongly about the lack of proper care and vision in Creek Park.

When you say re: the Park    ‘ it is definitely a priority for us to keep it in great shape.’

My question is, who is it that shoulders the responsibility for carrying this out and knowing that this is a priority and it is their responsibility?

       ‘ I have been in touch with the Public Works Supervisor and asked him to step up the water on the lawn.’

       As I said at the meeting my guess is that every year for at least 5 years in a row every summer comes around and we do not have a green lawn. Every year ‘we’, someone, communicates to the person in charge and every year we get just a little bit of attention. I really would like to know that in the year 2008 that finally someone really gets it.
      
        The irrigation system is flawed. There is not the care that is needed and that needs to be firmly addressed.

       As of Thursday afternoon it seems that there is no change at the Park though there are signs that the irrigation system was turned on
there are no signs that most of the burned up hard pan area has been attended too. Most of the brown area is bone dry still (I dug into the earth with a screwdriver, any detectable moisture beneath an inch from the surface is very questionable. It all seems dry and crumbly) and this includes the area  in the middle of the park and yet you say that you have spoken with the Public Works supervisor. (I don't doubt that you have it just makes me wonder. In parentheses added after the letter was sent)
      

       :The ‘brush’ around the picnic areas.

       ‘This area had not been cleared for many years’ Why should it be? The largest trunk of the ‘brush’ cleared was 7” diameter most of the other was in the neighborhood of about 4”diameter. Do you know what species of trees they were? I don’t know. I don’t remember, it’s gone now. The basic design of the Park called for a wooded separation, a barrier that benefits human beings by separating them from noise and pollution.

       Do we have an agreement that a Public Park is provided by a community for their enjoyment? That part of the role of the Park is to give
people an opportunity to sit in a natural setting, a natural setting as being a setting that surrounds people with Trees and Greenery as opposed
to an urban landscape.


        I gather that it was a directive from you the Town Manager to clear the trees and bushes that surrounded the picnic area, is that true?   I would like to be clear on this.

       As far as reducing the significant problem of smoking and drinking in the park and being more inviting for families. I am not a fan of smoking, in all my  years I have never had the experience of sitting in the proximity of anyone in the Park and being bothered by smoke.
Within 30 feet of this picnic bench area buses idle dispersing diesel exhaust. Is that the fresh air we want for our picnic experience?
As far as litter that these undesirables leave that maybe the case, but in my personal experience there have been far too many times where the litter comes from the town’s own garbage pails that are not emptied on a regular basis and frequently end up having  garbage spilling out. Humans are frequently faced with  ‘Safety’ issues vs  ‘Nature’ and what we need to do is to say no to the petty fear that drives policy way too often in the USA these days..
      I personally think a family would be nuts to spread a picnic lunch there, as you have created it, but I know there is something for everyone in this world. I am speaking for myself, perhaps there are people who agree with me. I believe that there is little room for doubt or disproof that humanity has pushed back  nature far enough in this world that we threaten our own survival. I would like my town to honor, respect and protect nature as it manifests itself in many ways throughout our community.


      The restoration of a hedge surrounding the picnic area as well as an overall plan to further plant protective and thick vegetation to reinforce the natural beauty of Creek Park will be a personal goal of mine. To have the experience of trusting a San Anselmo government that is firmly committed to protecting the surrounding Nature that would be a goal and a dream of mine also.

      I also will work on implementing the vision of an expanded green berm area on the southern portion of San Anselmo.
           
      The issue of the park benches need to be addressed. I guess you’ve done the research into this composite as to what materials it is made from and are aware of it’s environmental impacts I understand that there is very little that humans do that doesn’t have some impact.  Could you please send me a link to the manufacturing source?    If there are any more on order could you please halt that until we have had an understanding from those who care about Environmental impacts that this is the prudent path.

       Tomorrow Friday I will try to talk with someone from the Public Works department and find out what’s going on from their perspective.

       Sincerely,
       Guy Meyer       
       



     Guy W. Meyer, Jr.
         
        June 26, 2008
        San Anselmo, California
      
       guy@lifesignsphoto.com