Times Falters on Accountability Criteria
Dear Editor,
I want to applaud the efforts of the Morgan Hill Times on grading our City Council. It seems to be a good start in having our elected officials held accountable for the trust that’s been bestowed upon them. I would like us to hold all of our elected officials to such scrutiny.
As for the criteria the Times selected, I think we could do better. The goals as identified by the Times really do not reflect all the work the council does. Council has the charge to run the city, to run it efficiently and effectively.
If you want to see if council is doing a good job look at the budget and all the enterprise funds the city administrates. Are there deficits? Where is the money being spent? How many city employees do we have per our population as compared with others? How do our water, sewer and utilities costs compare with other cities? What about the quality of our water? Is it safe? What’s the crime rate? What are our response rates to crime and medical emergencies? What about our roads and intersections. At what level of service can we find them? Are the roads in good repair, streets safe and public places covered with adequate lighting? What are the costs for permits, buildings and other developments? Are they in line with other cities? How much park land do we have per resident? Is your city clean and well maintained? Do we have a master plan and sub elements for all service areas that the city follows as it makes key decisions on land use, zoning and other related issues? Is there recreation, cultural and social opportunities for all the age groups? Are there enough commissions and committees to allow the public to interact with council and city officials? Are you well informed about city services, projects and challenges? Is your council responsive to public needs, inquires and concerns? Is your council value driven?
To answer the question, Council, with significant support from city staff, is effective and efficient. Our budget is balanced with a projected surplus. The city spends most of its general fund dollars on the public safety and works as it should. We have fewer city employees per capita than most cities around us. Our water systems are such that water is clean and in adequate supply to meet our needs and our costs are in line with the other cities around us.
Our crime rate is low and our response times meet targets. Our roads are safe, maintained and our intersections are at a level of service that is more than satisfactory. Our costs for permits and development are lower than other cities around us.
We have a good master plan that looks far into the future and anticipates needs, growth and challenges. It is updated periodically though an extensive review process by an oversight committee of local residents. We have good parks but we need more to address growing needs, and we do have a number of recreation facilities and opportunities for families, some of the best in the area.
Council is responsive to public inquires, holding a lengthy and special session recently for neighborhood concerns on state housing, and I personally hang on every word said at each and every council meeting by each and every resident and read every letter and e-mail I receive and respond appropriately with deep appreciation.Â
We are driven to make this city safe and secure, clean and well maintained and to provide exemplary services to residents.
We may not always agree on the dais but our diversity is essential if we are to keep focused on all needs all the time, guided by values as defined by our residents and advisory groups.
If you asked me to grade what we do, I can not. We do so much and still we can do more. We are not perfect but have high standards so that even if we fall short, we didn’t fall that far.Â
Mark Grzan, member
Morgan Hill City Council
No Logical Reasons to Oppose Trails
Dear Editor,
I have been a part of the Morgan Hill community for two years and my husband and I have just bought our first home here. We enjoy the outdoors; my husband is a cyclist and I use local trails for biking, hiking, walking, and running. I attended the Bicycle Trails Advisory Committee meeting focusing on proposed hiking and biking trails in the public land bordering Jackson Oaks. When I first heard about the possibility of these trails I was elated. Local trails for mountain biking and hiking, what a treat! I currently drive to Cupertino to find beginner mountain bike trails and have a significant drive to meet my girlfriends to hike in Coe or North Bay trail networks.
Hiking and mountain biking are two activities I would like to do more often and easily accessible trails would allow me to regularly incorporate exercise into my busy life as a kindergarten teacher, graduate student, and new wife. I think about how nice it would be for Jackson Oaks residents to step out after work for a hike, see all their neighbors out enjoying the outdoors, and be back by dinner. Wait, how much are those houses I ask.
Aside from potential parking issues I could see no reason to be against this proposal. Some of the Jackson Oaks residents concerns are valid and the plan needs more consideration to make it appealing for all, but I left the meeting disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm for an opportunity to improve the physical and mental health of the Morgan Hill community.
The Jackson Oaks community has come together to fight the proposed trail and raised several issues to consider. I couldn’t help but think that if these residents would put the same amount of energy into helping find a workable solution that we could have a trail system that benefits us all. I was saddened by the hostility some expressed toward cyclists and generalizations about the “outsiders” that would be coming into the Jackson Oaks community to use the trails. I chose to live here because of the small town community feel, but tonight I felt unwelcome in Morgan Hill. I ask that the residents of Jackson Oaks reconsider the benefits of having a local trail for themselves and the rest of us down below.
Jamie Hammond, Morgan Hill
