LETTERS LETTERS (February 01, 2006)

Council needs to set, follow, clear policies

Editor:

City Council member Mickie Winkler's admission that she directed the creation and distribution of an erroneous document that was then used to falsely justify the third mayoral term of Nicholas Jellins is quite disturbing.

She not only used this document to cast doubts on previous councils' uses of the existing policy but unjustly put our hard working city clerk in a bad light.

But more disturbing is the current council majority's dismissal of established council policies and procedures, which they have now downgraded to guidelines. Developed to ensure that the public's trust is well served, these policies should be revisited from time to time, but their adherence is designed to protect both the council and the public.

Stanford University and many businesses have policies and procedures in place to make sure that uniform adherence to preferred business practices, laws and regulations occurs. An employee who ignores policies risks exposing both the company and the employee to legal ramifications. At Stanford, at least, that would be grounds for dismissal.

The Menlo Park City Council should have clearly written and easily available policies and procedures, updated as needed, for conducting the city's and public's business. The public deserves nothing less.

Elizabeth Lasensky

Fremont Street, Menlo Park

Wireless network too pricey in tough budget year

Editor:

As your editorial last week pointed out, Menlo Park faces a nearly $3 million budget deficit in the next fiscal year.

And yet, the city of Menlo Park is actually considering building and operating a municipal wireless computer network.

The costs of doing that will not be cheap. Like its federal and state counterparts, the city seems to have no compunction about assuming vast new construction and operations costs when it cannot afford to keep up with its existing obligations.

High-speed internet is already available to anyone who wants it, from the cable or telephone company, and it can be made wireless with a $30 wireless router. Why should this cash-strapped city take on a costly project that duplicates private services already in place?

Brian Schar

Laurel Avenue, Menlo Park

Council majority is not listening to the people

Editor:

The Palo Alto Daily's headline about our ex-mayor's indiscretion is just a small indication of the unhealthy attitudes of three of Menlo Park's city council members regarding city governance.

Mickie Winkler, Lee Duboc and Nicholas Jellins are joined at the hip and nothing can separate this triumvirate or their votes. This is not how governments are meant to work. This is not democratic process. This is not how Menlo Park should be conducting city business.

Many hundreds of us have to devote hours of time and energy because these people will not hear the voices of the Menlo Park community. The mayoral vote is just one such example.

Every speaker at that city council meeting, except one, implored the triumvirate to do the right thing and follow past policy. The discrepancies on the distributed document were brought to the attention of the council at the meeting. The triumvirate simply ignored what was said, ignored what was brought to their attention. They voted themselves the mayoral position for the third time.

As a community we have some choices. Either the triumvirate can open up the democratic process or we can recall them or we can oust them in next November's election.

Christine Pixie Couch

Almanor Avenue, Menlo Park

It can't be election-time already

Editor:

Good Grief! Menlo Park's campaign season for City Council has begun.

A Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Rich Cline, has thrown his hat in claiming to be different (from) the current council majority. How? On which issues?

Does Mr. Cline oppose the push by council members Nicholas Jellins, Lee Duboc and Mickie Winkler to take Bayfront Park from the public and lease it for 55 years to a private golf concern? Mr. Cline was chosen in early 2003 by council member Duboc as a member of the task force that searched for just such a concept for the park. Can he be surprised Highlands Golf LLC is now the chosen developer?

Did Mr. Cline oppose the current council majority's decision to throw away $800,000 worth of architectural and construction drawings for the council- and voter-approved child care center? Mr. Cline was chosen in early 2003 by council member Duboc to be a member of the task force that advised the council to throw out the money, reduce the number of children served, buy a $450,000 trailer and force a remodel into the police building that not even the police wanted to occupy.

Mr. Cline has been a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission for four years and he's had plenty of time to stand up in protest against the current council to prove his differences. Why bother now?

It takes a lot of time and energy to vet these Menlo Park council candidates. Get some rest. This important, if unpleasant, chore seems to be starting early this year.

Judy Rocchio

Walnut Street, Menlo Park

E-mail a friend a link to this story.