Columnists

The consultant game is rich territory – especially when the firms are dealing with school districts spending taxpayer money. Who’s really qualified to make the judgment on construction projects, budgets, timelines and change orders? Administrators? School board members? Staff? The answer 99.67% of the time is the proverbial “None of the Above.” That’s how MHUSD gets into the conundrum it’s in now. Interim Superintendent Steve Bertando wants the technology implementation plan to start now for $20 million plus – $2 million in engineering fees. Meanwhile, a couple of trustees believe that Cumming Corporation, the project management firm hired by the district in May for $1.5 million to oversee the first $55 million in capital improvement projects funded by the $198 million Measure G bond, should handle engineering, etc. What school districts need to do? 1. Form an advisory facility committee composed of members from the business and construction world; 2. Hire a staff administrative-level project construction management person to oversee all facilities projects. They would negotiate contracts and have, as clients, the taxpayers and the school district. If districts would make those changes, a lot of money would be saved and a lot of battles avoided. And, really, when you’re talking about spending $198 million and getting the best bang for the buck, doesn’t it make perfect sense?

In my last column I mentioned that I should turn my focus away from food and more towards bicycling, so here we go...Most of us think about bicycling seasonally, but there is a group of local residents who think about it year-round. This group is the community based Bicycling and Pedestrian Advisory Group (BPAG). They’ve been working on all things bicycling and pedestrian oriented and have been providing direct feedback to the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission. This group was resurrected last year just in time to be helpful in the Bikeways, Trails, Parks and Recreation Master Plan update that’s underway right now, so their impact was felt immediately.The BPAG’s goal is to make Morgan Hill the most bicycle and pedestrian friendly community it can be. They are helping to plan more and better amenities in town for those who want to recreate outdoors; but just as importantly, they also want to better identify and promote what we already have.One example is to focus on getting bicyclists from the Coyote Creek Parkway to the core of the city. The Coyote Creek Parkway is like one of those trails you’d expect to see in a place where there is a pervasive focus on active lifestyles like Boulder, Colorado or Portland, Oregon. But this trail is right here, and it meanders 15 miles through beautiful scenery from San Jose to Morgan Hill. Many ride the trail from San Jose to where it ends at Anderson Lake County Park and head back, never knowing how close they were to so many wonderful destinations in Morgan Hill.The BPAG has been working on identifying the best and safest routes from the Coyote Creek Parkway to our downtown. It’s more complicated than you might think when you take into account all the different types of riders, but the common denominator should be that it’s safe for families. Our community needs more safe recreation opportunities for families, and this should be one of them.City staff and crews have been working on many bicycling and pedestrian related efforts. One of these is the installation of trailhead signage on the Madrone Channel Trail which could also tie into the trail from Coyote Creek Parkway.This wonderful trail, next to the percolation ponds and most visible from U.S. 101, is one of the routes between the Parkway and downtown. However, it is little used. This improved gravel trail, which is protected from city streets, is a wonderful place for families to get outside to walk or ride their mountain bikes together. Let’s get people out using this trail.I hear Specialized Bicycles and the city’s Recreation Department are working to resurrect their lunch rides. Sounds like they’re moving the ride from Monday to Thursday to accommodate the many who are overwhelmed on Mondays, so look for an even better turnout. Watch for these fun rides.I’m going to try and dodge the storms and start getting my rides in. I need to be ready for a summer full of riding.John McKay is president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, a city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.