Dear Guy,

 

I'm sorry that you are feeling so angry.   

Direct responsibility for the Town's 10 acres of developed parks and over 30 acres of open space parks falls to the Public Works Crew under the supervision of the Public Works Director.  The Crew is also responsible for the upkeep of our 50 miles of roadways, associated medians and the extensive storm drainage system.

 In 2002 the Public Works crew had ten workers.  In 2008 the crew has five workers.  The Town's fiscal crisis has taken a toll in all departments, including Public Works.  The crew is doing a phenomenal job with the limited resources we have given them and I am proud of their dedication and initiative. 

 The new benches were purchased from Ross Recreation Equipment Company in Santa Rosa.  Their number is (707) 538-3800.

 Guy, you have a lot of great ideas.  Instead of exchanging critical emails, let's work together to make San Anselmo an even better place.  Ford Greene and Peter Breen have initiated an adopt-a-park program to augment our very limited staff and resources.  Already residents on Alice Way have taken the initiative to clear additional grass and brush at Faude Park, augmenting the fire fuel reduction work that the Public Works Crew had already undertaken.  In addition, we have a wonderful volunteer who cares for the roses in front of Town Hall.

 Volunteers can truly make a difference.  I hope you will consider devoting your energy toward helping us get the job done at Creek Park.

 Sincerely,

Debbie

 Dear Debbie,
           It is no fun being angry. No fun for anyone and I apologize for my uncivil tone.

           I have been angry and it is no secret and I am doing my best to address the roots of that, not all of which are
       because of events that have or are taking place in my town.

            It is sad that the town can not take care of it’s own downtown Park. I guess that is apparently just a fact of the current condition. ‘Because of that, it is definitely a priority for us to keep it in great shape.’ I am curious as to what that sentence meant. I still have a lot of questions. A priority in my mind means that is what you put first. If the Public Works department has 20 different priorities then that sort of defeats the meaning of the word. It sounds like the way I have run my life and I don’t think it generally works.

               Let me say again I am not at all critical of the work of the Public Works department it sounds like they do a yeoman’s job and it sounds like they are way overworked. It is just that when you say in answer to my query before the Town Council. ‘Because of that, it is definitely a priority for us to keep it in great shape.’ (And of course the that in your sentence refers to all the good things that happen in the Park.)  I wonder if you could be more specific. The visual evidence is that the Park has the same problems  it has had for at least 3 or 4 years or maybe many more. The irrigation system does not seem to be set up to do the proper job.

             Perhaps you can get an assessment from our Public Works supervisor as to what it would cost the town to install an irrigation system that will provide full coverage of the grass that is used so often during the course of the year. I also would ask that he or she might make an assessment of whether their needs to be an adjustment of length of time of watering. I don’t know and don’t presume to know, I have questions.

            I wonder if the Public Works department can assign one worker two to three hours per week to look in on the Park and do what needs to be done for proper maintenance. 3 years ago during my first year in producing the Music in the Park Series these same concerns came up and I met with a gentleman from the Public Works Department at the Park where my memory is that he told me that the irrigation system  was broken and would be repaired after the summer season. Maybe that took place.

           Perhaps you can let me know what the Public Works department recommends to create a healthy green Creek Park.

           I am happy and willing to be a volunteer on behalf of my town and particularly for Creek Park.

            I am not the only person who was shocked by the clearing of the ‘brush’ around the picnic tables. I hope this is not an example of  what we will get when volunteers adopt Parks and or Median strips. I do not think that is the way to go.       

                            Thank You,
                              Guy Meyer 


       I thought my letter got kicked back through some fluke. I got the returned mail message but it also showed up in the sent box .... so I guess it got sent.
      Like I said  I don't want to be an angry man, they are just no fun to be around. 

        I am more than willing to be a volunteer. Can we have an agreement that no one will enter any Park in San Anselmo with implements of woodland destruction without having announced their plans publicly well in advance and allow for community participation in any decision of major landscaping. To think that an occasional homeless person sitting at the Park Benches would be motivation to clear out the area of its Green screen from the Parking Lot and the Bus Stop is pretty sad. Very sad.

         

     Guy W. Meyer, Jr.
         
        June 29, 2008
        San Anselmo, California
      
       guy@lifesignsphoto.com