Make One Phone Call... To Bring Back a Friendlier Downtown ?
Our Story Up to Now...
The removal of the seating area along the Pacific & Walnut planter
(next to Costa Brava, Rosie McCann's, & the Pacific Trading Company) will
begin Friday June 6th. The project is proceeding without any public hearing. It
has appeared on no City Council agenda. It has been discussed by no City
Commission. It flies in the face of a Parks & Recreation 
Commission recommendation made months ago to
save & expand seating space downtown. Mayor Reilly is violating City
Council rules by not putting the recommendation on the agenda or returning it
to the Commission with an explanation. The removal will overcrowd benches,
particularly disadvantaging elderly residents. It costs $12,000 (not $7000 as
previously reported) & will solve no real problems.
But Wait...
On Friday May 23, Assistant City Manager Martin Bernal reported that the entire
process of behind-the scenes staff decisions to "fence off the
undesirables" was held without any City Council input. It was done in
response to complaints from the neighboring businesses (some of them listed
above). It is part of the "increased police power" solution--removing
benches, fencing off the New Leaf Market planter, enforcing new anti-homeless,
anti-performer Downtown Ordinances. Tell the three sidewalk-snatching
businesses (listed above), you will consider a proposed boycott. So far
all three mangements have refused to comment.
If a single City Council member calls him, Bernal said the destruction of
seating space would be halted for further discussion and, if requested, put on
a Council agenda. Let’s see if that
will really happen!
So call the City Council TODAY and demand they reject this whole
unsound plan.
Message Phone Numbers of The Current Gang of 7 (aka City Council):
|
Mayor
Emily Reilly 420-5022 |
The
Whole Council 420-5017 |
|
Ed
Porter 420-5024 |
Mike
Rotkin 420-5023 |
|
Tim
Fitzmaurice 420-5025 |
Cynthia
Matthews 420-5026 |
|
Mark
Primack 420-5027 |
Scott
Kennedy 420-5028 |
CALL the Councilmember
you find the least repugnant and ask them to
* SAVE PUBLIC SPACE DOWNTOWN ! * STAND UP TO MERCHANT PRESSURE !
* SUPPORT FAIR AND OPEN PUBLIC PROCESS NOT BACKROOM DEALS !
Flyer by HUFF (Homeless
United for Friendship & Freedom) 831.423.4833 rnorse@hotmail.com
309 Cedar PMB #14B Santa
Cruz, CA 95060 5/29/03
www.huffsantacruz.org