LETTERS LETTERS (October 06, 2004)

Mayor's view of Measure T promises

Editor:

At the recent candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Menlo Park, candidates Kelly Fergusson and Andrew Cohen both charged that the present council was not fulfilling the Measure T "promise" by building a $3.6 million renovated childcare center instead of nearly $7 million for a new and overbuilt one.

The Measure T campaign committee (of which I was a member, along with former and still-serving council members), produced many campaign flyers and mailings on this issue, some of which were targeted to specific voter groups.

Recently I found two such mailings in my "archives." The one that specifically targeted families with small children promised a renovated children's center -- not a new one. In a different mailing targeting young adults with no children, the childcare center was never mentioned.

All mailings promised to renovate the Burgess Gym, which serves tens of thousands of people each year. There are no present plans to do this. None of these mailings, even if mentioning the renovated childcare center, ever placed a price tag on it.

Some of the flyers did say "new" childcare center; but just as many said renovated or left the childcare center out completely. This is why many people who voted for Measure T did not vote for it because of a $7 million childcare center. That is why the Council is upholding the Measure T "promise" by supporting the $3.6 million, high-quality center.

The second glaring misrepresentation at the forum was Mr. Cohen's characterization that the "council majority" has downgraded the senior shuttle service, which, I worry, may alarm seniors who heard him. The truth is we are adding a shuttle during the peak midday hours.

Lee Duboc
Mayor of Menlo Park

Percent for Art ordinance not working

Editor:

It is easier to criticize than to praise. Catherine McMillan's letter of September 22 demonstrates this. Her vituperative and baseless attacks on the Menlo Park City Council completely ignore their accomplishments.

The City Council rescinded the Percent for Art ordinance because it wasn't working. This precipitated the mass resignation the Arts Commission -- a classic example of "if you don't play the game my way I'm taking my dolls and dishes and going home." Instead of looking for alternate ways to fund art, the Arts Commission stomped out thereby cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

Ms. McMillan should be aware that the current City Council brought back sanity to Santa Cruz Avenue by removing the concrete slalom course installed by the previous City Council. They also saved Middle Avenue from a similar fate.

The accomplishments of the current council are many. Street and storm drain maintenance are a priority after have been neglected for years. A business development manager has been hired to keep business in Menlo Park and to recruit new business, which will result in increased revenue for the city. Millions were saved by converting the police station into a childcare facility, which also spared the city from the inappropriate structure that had been planned.

The City Council is now looking at dog parks, a traffic management system for the whole city and a new Bayfront Park.

All this and much more have been accomplished. Menlo Park is moving forward in spite of budget deficits. Kudos to the Menlo Park City Council.

Barbara Hunter
Laurel Avenue, Menlo Park

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