Letters

Dear Mayor and Council members,

Many questions about district electionsDear Morgan Hill City Council,At the City Council meeting on June 7, you decided on your own to change to District elections for Council members.You had a very clear example that our residents will step forward on short notice and at a challenging time of the year to prepare applications and attend interview sessions. Over 20 well-qualified residents expressed their interest in filling the vacancy left by Gordon Siebert at the end of last year.Yet you claimed that the short time period and challenging time of the year prevented you from forming a Citizen Advisory Committee. So your direction to staff is to support workshops (which currently have no definition). Historically, most public comment at your meetings and workshops are one-way input to you, not actual discussion and debate.If a district has no candidates, does the council do an appointment? If so, would that be the same process that was used to replace Mr. Siebert?When you have formed districts, under what conditions could we still be sued for bias?How will district boundaries evolve over time? Does this become an issue with the city’s Residential Development Control System?What is the definition of equitable representation?Who represents those who are financially insecure?Who represents those who live in apartments or mobile home parks?Given the very different levels of resident involvement in our last election campaign and the following appointment process, we should have had a city-wide  discussion on how to get more residents involved in selecting who decides how our city operates. Instead, we get a mandatefrom council to go to district elections for council members.More than once, Council member Rich Constantine stated that the city had done nothing wrong. Yet you chose to be stampeded by the lawyer trolls. And it was a choice for you to make, even though you claimed that the outcome was forced on you by the cost/benefit analysis.Thank you for your consideration,Doug MuirheadMorgan Hill Thanks for promoting WorkAbilityThe Morgan Hill Unified School District WorkAbility/TPP office would like to take a moment and thank those business who have signed on to open their doors to our students to assist them in learning and practicing new job skills. Please patronise these merchants and thank them for giving back to our community.If your business is interested in investing in the youth of Morgan Hill in this way, please give us a call at (408) 201-6300 ex. 42217. The student’s salary and workers compensation insurance are paid by the district, so it is a win-win!The following businesses have signed on so far: Ace Hardware/Johnson Nursery, Advance Haircuts, Bargain Hunters Outlet, Community Garage and Towing/Ponzinis, Goodwill of Silicon Valley, Granada Theatre / Willow Heights Mansion, GVA Cafe, Made in Japan/Europe/USA, Massive Sounds with DJ Guy, Maurizio's, Morgan Hill Foods, Prova California Table, Rosy’s at the Beach, St. Vincent de Paul’s Thrift Shop, TJ Maxx, Top Knot Salon and YMCA/CRC.WorkAbility I and the Transition Partnership Program of Morgan Hill Unified is a program for high school students in special education. For five weeks beginning June 19, a group of 14- to 21-year-olds will be hitting Morgan Hill for some Community Based Instruction (CBI).The purpose of CBI is to promote each student’s community knowledge through instruction, participation and real world experience.CBI combines functional academics, social skills and job skills. Students practice essential life skills like how to purchase items, order lunch and make sure they have received the correct change. They learn how to dress for work, fill out time cards complete with proper signature, and how to be independent and confident in their community.We hope to meet you while we are out and about this summer!Catherine CanoMHUSD Job Developer

Rally The Valley launched its debut event with live inspirational music performed by Benji Cortez and his impressive band, setting the atmosphere for a joyous and powerful event.The azure skies and mild weather were ideal for the convocation of leaders from local government, military and spiritual sectors at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center’s Amphitheater June 10.Acts Revival Center, located at 17555 Peak Ave., hosted the event with the purpose of bringing unity to the community. For two and a half months, Debra Osikominu, Diahann Soleno, Victoria Salcido and Pastor Michael-John of Acts Revival Center, along with a team of dedicated volunteers, worked tirelessly on Rally The Valley.Michael-John opened the event with a powerful prayer, then introduced Morgan Hill City Council members Rene Spring and Caitlin Jachimowicz who both offered their vision and passion for the city. Dr. Ed Silvoso of Harvest Evangelism decreed a dynamic, inclusive prayer over government officials, police, firefighters, first responders, entrepreneurs and the inhabitants of Silicon Valley.Army Sgt. First Class William Carter, who is stationed in Gilroy, officially represented the military and veterans. Pastor Adam Bernal from Jubilee Christian Center prayerfully shared his heartfelt appreciation for Morgan Hill and his excitement of being a new resident of the city.Father Randy Valenton of St. Catherine Church ministered a stirring message on God’s love. David Thompson with Harvest Evangelism prayed for the families in the South Valley. Rosie Guerro of Cathedral of Faith and Carmen Martinez of Acts Revival Center both poured out their hearts, expressing Christ’s love for the poor, disenfranchised and the broken hearted.Several leaders approached Michael-John after the event, sharing how impressed they were with the spirit of unity present. They offered to be a part of future Rally The Valley events.Michael-John echoed the same sentiment: “There was freshness in the atmosphere as God’s love permeated the grounds, and as if on cue, the fountains in the courtyard sprang to life, propelling jets of water high into the air . . . signifying new things to come.”The vision for Rally The Valley spawned from God because of His love for the community. The church meets 10 a.m. Sunday mornings in the Morgan Hill City Council Chambers, 17555 Peak Ave. The newly remodeled chamber is an ideal locale for the innovative church and its pastor, who isn't confined to stuffy religious methods. His pastoral ability goes beyond the realm of the traditional function of a minister because of his love for people, combined with his entrepreneurial and entertainment background.Some of the expanded benefits of the ministry include life coaching, business consulting, mentorship, counseling for married couples and deep teaching of God’s word, which draws the congregation closer to their creator. Acts Revival Center ministers to a wide range of people with various backgrounds and careers. It’s a creative church, designed for Silicon Valley. Attendees include doctors, high-tech security personnel, authors, engineers, game designers, artists, secretaries, retail managers, police, students, entrepreneurs, realtors and the homeless. The pastor helps guide each person to achieve their prophetic destiny with wisdom from the Word of God, touching their relationships and careers. Acts Revival Center has four locations: San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Los Angeles.For more information, please visit actsrevivalcenter.com.Angela YoungMorgan Hill

On May 17, the City Council voted 3-2 (Caitlin Jachimowicz, Rene Spring against) to approve a time extension request for a construction project proposed for the corner of East Dunne and Murphy avenues. At face value, that may not seem like a big deal. But, since last December two significant actions occurred—one questionable, and one that shouldn't be legal.Last December, the developer requested an extension for this project. Even though it only fulfilled one of eight requirements to qualify for an extension, the Council (4-1, Spring against) determined there was enough potential impact to the neighboring residents and church that granting an unqualified extension was in the best interest of the city. At the urging of Councilmember Larry Carr, a stipulation was added to the amended agreement, Section #11 of Ordinance #2228, that "No further extension will be provided."On May 17, Mayor Steve Tate and Councilmembers Carr and Rich Constantine broke their word and approved another six-month extension for the project, violating the restriction they voted into the ordinance. I have a problem with that. I think the residents of Morgan Hill should have a problem with that, too. Not because a bunch of houses will be built where a bunch of houses will eventually be built, but because three members of the city council violated an ordinance to resolve their problem.The council says they have the authority to amend development agreements. That's true, but what makes this agreement different from other agreements is the council added a specific restriction in Section #11 prohibiting an extension. Ordinance language is legally binding, and the council had sufficient time to amend Section #11.The developer's request was in the city's hands at the end of March. There were two council meetings and one planning commission meeting prior to the May 17 vote, with included staff reports noting the extension request. I sent at least three emails questioning this extension. Tate, Carr and Constantine chose to put all that and Section #11 aside, and simply changed the agreement to approve the extension. Their only justification was a very convenient "what's best for the city" excuse.It's hard for me to trust members of our city council who feel comfortable violating ordinances, except in an emergency, by simply saying they're doing "what's best for the city."  What’s best for the city is having leaders who stand behind the integrity they say they have, who demonstrate that the rules apply to them and developers as much as the rules apply to everyone else in Morgan Hill.  I've heard no legal explanation allowing Mayor Tate, Mr. Carr or Mr. Constantine to circumvent the restriction in Section #11. In their "what's best for the city" excuse, I only heard them attempting to absolve themselves of guilty feelings for going back on their word.The council can still fix this. I hope they do. I think it's more important to build trust through integrity and credibility than to build a few houses.Chris MonackMorgan Hill

Unlicensed staff to perform invasive procedures?I am a health clerk at Morgan Hill Unified School District and it is very important to know the facts.MHUSD is trying to change our Health Clerk Job descriptions to include ALL RN and LVN invasive procedures. This includes catheterization, feeding tubes, administration of insulin and any other invasive procedure that an RN or LVN is educated, trained and licensed to perform.   We the health clerks already oversee (watch over) our diabetic students every day. This is not just about giving insulin to our diabetic students! We are not licensed nor do we have the medical training/education needed to perform any of these invasive duties.The problem is not with the Health Clerks, it is with MHUSD. This issue is clearly fueled by an allocation of funds. They have allowed the already established jobs of the RN and LVNs within MHUSD to become grossly understaffed, which prevents the students from receiving the care and procedures that they require on a daily basis. I am sure that the parents of students who require specialized procedures would not want someone with no medical training, who is not licensed or qualified, to perform any of these invasive duties on their child.• We are not Registered Nurses or LVNs; we are not licensed at all. We have no medical training or education except for first aid and CPR.   • We are only at our school sites for three or four hours a day. This is what MHUSD gives us to do our jobs.• In that allotted time, we can see up to 30 students for multiple reasons which also requires documentation and notification to parents.• We have multiple students in our health clerk offices at once. We are required to multi-task most of the day, every day.• We have many clerical duties that we are required to complete to keep MHUSD compliant with county and state requirements.We the health clerks are unable to obtain any kind of malpractice or personal liability insurance to protect us and our families from a civil lawsuit. While MHUSD has some coverage, even the RNs and LVNs hold their own liability insurance. We the health clerks are not able to obtain any insurance to cover us. It is unethical for MHUSD to ask the health clerks to put us and our families at risk of a civil lawsuit.We the health clerks love our jobs and do the very best for the many students we see each day with our limited first aid and CPR training. I myself have been doing this job at my same site for 16 years and couldn’t think of anything else I would rather do. Our students’ health and safety is our number one priority.   We truly hope that the public understands that changing our health clerk job description to include invasive RN and LVN duties is so much more than diabetes. We urge the public to require MHUSD to re-staff the RN and LVN positions so that our students attending schools in MHUSD are safe and receiving the best possible care that they need and deserve.Heidi CurielMorgan Hill

Think big for Morgan HillMorgan Hill is going through a renaissance of sorts.Downtown is finally blossoming into the vibrant scene we always wanted and knew was possible. Construction is booming, and not just on the Granada Hotel, Sunsweet project or any of the other economic developments going on, with three new parks scheduled to be built and finished this year in downtown.Downtown Morgan Hill is actualizing into our dreams for a prosperous, inviting and sustainable city center, and I couldn’t be happier.But the renaissance I’m referring to is not the one of our downtown. I’m talking about the rebirth of innovation in Morgan Hill; the revival of our Silicon Valley spirit.If you’ve been following news on self-driving cars and the technologies used in them, you may have heard of Morgan Hill-based Velodyne LiDAR, a high tech sensor producer that has worked with Google, Baidu and Ford on autonomous vehicles.If you’re into cutting edge recreation, you might have heard how Morgan Hill’s own industry-leading Specialized recently won 2017 Bike of the Year for its Roubaix Comp model.Morgan Hill companies are leaders in their respective fields and now some South Valley entrepreneurs are trying to help make Morgan Hill a true center for innovation with their upcoming Innovation Goes Outside Disrupt Forum, a local networking event and pitchfest. Never before have local leaders taken such proactive measures to help grow an innovative incubation community in Morgan Hill.Now is the opportunity to grow Morgan Hill as an integrated center of innovation in Silicon Valley. After all, this seems the logical step for a city with pioneering startups and an ideal location within Silicon Valley.Mayor Tate and Councilman Spring both came from tech and most of the other city councilmembers have experience working with tech or with Silicon Valley as a region.We are a population poised with the expertise to transform the future of Morgan Hill’s economy and culture. Our residents are more educated than both the California and national averages. Our schools continue to succeed above state and national graduation rates. In fact, our schools are now even expanding comprehensive opportunities for our students to explore (Paradise Valley Elementary transformed into Paradise Valley Engineering Academy last year).Our infrastructure is constantly improving and the investment that’s been put into our downtown will radically improve our community and its attractiveness as a great place to live and work. We have a chance to come together and actively work to make Morgan Hill all it can be.So let’s connect our local Silicon Valley veterans with new startups. Lets help incubate local businesses and support a culture of innovation. To do this we have to think big; we have to #ThinkMorganHill.Christian AntunesMorgan HillRail is a FailWe can glimpse what's in store for South County with the arrival of the Bullet Train by looking at those Monterey Salinas Transit ("MST") luxury yachts that sail past your old office every day going to the local Transit Hub. Why don't you tell your readers the truth about the losses taxpayers sustain with those ultra extravagant examples of government transport gone amok? Of course, you'll have to look at legal accounting for their losses, and not the losses reported by the transit agency.Why? The legislature has exempted the transit agencies from using legal accounting (aka Generally Accepted Accounting Principles = GAAP), which federal and state tax regs require that everyone use. This has the effect of hiding the true extent of their losses. They all do it: VTA, TAMC, SCCRTC, etc. So, when you read Mr. Roadshow's articles about the "fare box recovery rate" on transit, bus or rail, you are seeing what the transit agencies report—far from truth in transportation.Since fares are not remunerative, meaning that they don't cover their costs (all of their costs), they can never run in the black; only in the red. So, to keep going, they need heavy infusions of OPM—motorists, truckers and motorcyclists. If they wanted to be transparent and accountable, then they would use legal accounting, and tell us just how badly they are screwing us. But they use Enron-style, Bernie Madoff-style, "off book" accounting.Take a look at Amtrak's reported losses; Caltrain's losses. Then adjust for GAAP accounting, if you want to let your readers know the truth about the waste, fraud and abuse at the joint power authorities ("JPAs"), MST, VTA, TAMC, SCCRTC, etc. Then, if you want your readers to get informed about what the Bullet Train is going to do to us, extrapolate the MST's losses by factors of 100s, 1000s, etc.Please give us truth in transportation; it would be a refreshing change.Joe ThompsonGilroy

Despite shooting, resident enjoys community

Spring’s growth position not ‘sensible’South Valley Magazine’s otherwise excellent article about Councilmember Rene Spring contained one glaring error. Then-candidate Spring opposed measure S, a sensible growth control measure, and supported more restrictive measures that would not have allowed enough new housing for the natural growth of Morgan Hill and also immigrants working in Silicon Valley.  Had those measures been in place since the 1970s, it is unlikely Spring or others would be living in Morgan Hill. Councilmember Spring may change his tune when his grandchildren grow up and need a place of their own.   Tom ScottMorgan Hill List of thanks for Passport WeekendThis past weekend, the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley hosted our Annual Spring Passport, beginning with Friday evening at the Morgan Hill Community Center where 17 of our member wineries poured their fabulous wines alongside 12 of our local restaurants offering a taste from their delectable menus.The weekend continued with more than 25 participating member wineries hosting guests from throughout the Bay Area and offering an array of food, music and a variety of entertainment.  The pictures tell the stories of folks new to the area realizing that there is a selection of remarkable wines right here in their backyards, and our recurrent visitors enjoying the beauty of the area, the diversity of the wineries and the wines they pour—not to mention the friendships they have made by becoming frequent guests.We realize how fortunate we are to have strong partners who give their time, energy and support to the wineries. We extend a very sincere “thank you” to John McKay, President of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association for arranging these restaurants for Friday evening:  Bubbles Wine Bar, GVA Café, Ladera Grill, Mama Mia's, Milias, Noah's Bar & Bistro, Odeum, Old City Hall, Prova, Rosy's at the Beach, La Nina Perdida and Trail Dust. It goes to show that we are really one community—Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy—working together.Of course, it’s impossible to name everyone who helps with our success, but I would like to mention a couple of special partners.We extend our thanks to Jane Howard, Executive Director of the Gilroy Welcome Center and her staff. They support us in reaching out to the public on a daily basis, and we appreciate their hard work and continuing efforts.And finally, wine journalist Bev Stenehjem, who leads the way in promoting our wineries through her excellent articles and her own knowledge of the wine industry. A huge “thank you,” Bev!We know it’s hard to visit all of our great wineries in the valley in a short weekend.  Take one look at our new map (santaclarawines.com/images/WSCV-map-2017.pdf) and you will see the expansive area we occupy.We will host our Annual Fall Passport Oct. 13-15 later this year. So even if you missed out this past weekend or if you simply want more fun, food and wine, you will have the opportunity to join in the festivities at that time!Thank you again to all who helped and visited. I look forward to a year of connecting.Karen SeekerCo-Owner Seeker VineyardPresident, Wineries of Santa Clara Valley Flight paths kill peace and quietOne of the great things about Morgan Hill was the peacefulness and tranquility of a small town, while it’s close enough to the larger metropolitan areas to the north.Indeed, I moved to Morgan Hill five years ago to escape the chaotic lifestyle of the Bay Area while still being able to commute to Santa Clara. But for those of us who live on the western or northern parts of the city, things have been changing rapidly.Over the last couple years, there has been an increasing volume of air traffic at very low altitudes routed over our city. This has had a dramatic negative impact on the noise levels and environment.A little research uncovers that a whole new system of flight plans has been put in place that has focused all flights into San Jose through a low altitude, pencil thin corridor right over Morgan Hill. It’s as if the San Jose airport suddenly moved to the northern part of Morgan Hill. The constant drone from the air traffic is intolerable at many times during the day, and getting worse.This is also not a problem unique to us. The new flight paths have created similar issues in places like Palo Alto, where residents expressed enough concern that the City of Palo Alto has issued a lawsuit against the airport authorities.As residents of a beautiful and once peaceful city, we need to let the airport authorities know that this is not acceptable. I would urge everyone who is affected by the noise to respond by registering your dissatisfaction.There are many ways to do this, such as, voice your concern to our congresswoman (lofgren.house.gov), send an email complaint to [email protected], or use the flight webtracker (webtrak5.bksv.com/sjc3) to enter specific complaints.Robin PeatfieldMorgan Hill

Columnist exaggerates civility crisis

Demand answers to flood questions