Calling all planning geeks
By Matt Artz
Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 12:45 pm in Uncategorized.
Just in case you don’t regularly check the city web site, there will be a genral plan discussion about the beautiful Irvington District, home to Fremont’s top two taco trucks, only permeable parking lot and finest out-of-compliance head shop.
Perhaps fittingly, the meeting is scheduled for 4/20.
For details, click here.
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April 17th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
OK, I know I’m cheap, but why do we need to feed people to get them to show up for a public meeting? Can’t people eat at home before they show up for a 6:30 meeting? Makes me thing the City has too much money it doesn’t know what to do with.
April 18th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Lifer, I’m guessing the city staff hopes to attract some to the meeting directly from work. Since so many people commute they probably don’t get back in town much before the meeting start time.
The old saying, “the way to a man’s* heart is through his stomach,” might be true.
*I know this is sexist, but if you add “woman’s” you’re insinuating that women are motivated by food and that’s politically incorrect as well.
April 18th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
“general plan discussion” hosted by the Redevelopment Agency? What gives?
April 18th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I thought the same thing (about people coming from work), but if they’re still working they can arguably afford to stop at the McDonalds, Taco Bell, or Togos that are within about a mile of the Community Center. I just don’t think it’s an effective use of limited City resources. They could use that dough for the Senior Center or Meals on Wheels. Or communication skills training for Our Mayor.
April 18th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
The flier advertises a Redevelopment community meeting, not a General Plan meeting and it is looking for projects within the Redevelopment district which can be funded using tax increment funding. These funds are only available for such projects and are not able to be spent for normal city operations. There are four redevelopment districts, downtown Irvington, Niles, and Centerville along with the Industrial areas west of I880. All of these areas were blighted when they became redevelopment projects and, except for Centerville, have made major steps because of redevelopment.
And, while I don’t know for sure, I would bet they are offering food just to make sure they get a good crowd to get a good input from the public. And, when you are looking at projects which cost millions of dollars, a few sandwiches are insignificant. And, of course the money spent for sandwiches comes from redevelopment funds not available for general fund projects.
In earlier posts, I read a lot of complaints about the city not listening to the public. Here they are trying to encourage it and they get criticized (by the same people?). As Ricky Nelson sang, “You cant’ please everyone so you have to please yourself.”
April 18th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Will there be a rally sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce following the General Plan discussion at the Saddle Rack?
April 18th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Gus, I’m not saying that they shouldn’t have the meeting. I just think that people should show up because they have a genuine interest in what’s going on in their community, not for the free food.
Yes, I know about funding coming from different pots not being able to go to just any item, but frivolous expenditures do send the wrong message.
Do they think we can be bought that cheap? It insults our commitment to our town, plain and simple, and illustrates further that the people who run this city, many of whom do not even live here, simply do not understand that we are hungry for information, not for free food. Keep your sandwiches; give us respect.
They can go on “pleasing themselves”; it hasn’t exactly been working out so well for them lately, has it?
April 18th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
It is blatantly obvious that food if any is a gesture, not a bribe.
April 18th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Thanks Gus; so it’s NOT a “general plan discussion,” it’s a REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY meeting about Irvington.