Dear Editor,
I am beginning to think more and more that the some of the
current GIlroy City Council members are out of touch with the
community. There are several actions that give me that feeling.
City Council more and more out of touch with community
Dear Editor,
I am beginning to think more and more that the some of the current GIlroy City Council members are out of touch with the community. There are several actions that give me that feeling.
The first is in regards to South County Housing’s request that the city purchase four of the eight remaining homes at the downtown Cannery Development. These funds would come from the Housing Trust Fund that is primarily for first-time home buyers.
Councilman Craig Gartman said, “First time home buyers would be left out in the cold.” That is the complete opposite of what would happen. The Cannery has a self-help component and affordable housing that would reach even lower-income buyers. The Cannery is supposed to include condos, lofts and some retail.
Gilroy Economic Development Director Larry Cope and the Chamber of Commerce thought that this development would be the anchor needed to revitalize the downtown. It would also help to avoid more local employees losing jobs and put to work local building contractors.
I know the timing does not seem right for the city to lend South County Housing money, but we have to think long term. And this would not come from the general fund that pays for salaries and other projects.
In the spirit of transparency, I was a former employee and board member for SCH. During that time, I became familiar with how important they are not only in Gilroy (no one else is building affordable housing) but for the other counties they serve. Traveling to seminars in different parts of the country, I became aware of how well they are respected. Their Los Arroyos Development in northwest Gilroy is a national model of self-help, market rate, affordable, senior and multi-unit housing side by side.
As a former member of the Gilroy Housing Advisory Committee it was evident that Gilroy is losing millions of federal dollars because our affordable housing element is not in compliance with standards. That is why the Housing Advisory Committee worked so hard to get a 20 percent Inclusionary Affordable Housing Policy passed by the City Council. The City Council did not adopt it. It is unfortunate that the representative from the City Council and his alternate did not attend the housing advisory meetings.
When asked why the council representative was not attending, we were told that no council representative would be sent. That makes me think that either they do not care about affordable housing or they do not know the impact of not being in compliance.
As a father of a daughter who might benefit from the self-help program, it becomes more important when I think of being close to my grandchildren and not having to visit them in Los Banos or the central valley. Councilmen Bob Dillon and Craig Gartman also voted against having Gardner Health Center locate downtown. I do not understand this. This is an agency that employees dozens and serves thousands of clients downtown who shop and eat there.
The City Council decided to not have the new library LEEDS certified as a green building which would save the city thousands of dollars in the long run because they did not want to make the investment now. This is after the city staff found out that the police station which is supposed to be green (not LEEDS certified) was costing thousands of dollars in utility bills.
I was talking to Carlos Casas who had a business (Rickenbacher Group) in downtown at Happy Dog Pizza before it closed. He told me that he did not understand why the city was hassling his employees (more than 60) about parking when they are the only people keeping some of the businesses downtown open for lunch. He moved his business and his employees to Morgan Hill.
Gilroy Gardens was purchased by the City Council with NO clue what to do with it. The Gilroy Open Government Ordinance was passed with no idea of how much money this will cost and the impact on city staff. I attended the GOGO meeting required for city staff, board members and commissioners. A parks and recreation commissioner asked why Gilroy needed this ordinance when the Brown Act and ethics laws covered everything already? Councilmembers Dillon and Gartman were there and didn’t respond. I attend several community meetings and do not see city council members in attendance except for Peter Arellano. We had a community meeting with more than 200 residents to discuss the killing of a Gilroy Youth and then a Peace March, and only Councilman Arellano again.
The chief of police and city manager Tom Haglund walked with us.
We need to hold the Gilroy City Council accountable, and the only way to do this is to have district elections instead of citywide. Every section of Gilroy would have their own representative. The City Council would be more of a reflection of the community they serve then what is currently represented. Am I the only one that thinks this is a problem? I know what the laid-off city employees think of the actions of the City Council. Out of touch!
Arthur C. Barron Sr., Gilroy
