First Topic of 2007
Happy New Year everyone! I've been struggling with remaining in vacation mode but it's time to get back to work.
It's a brand new year full of hope and opportunity. I wish you all happiness and prosperity in the coming year. I hope we can all work together on making Fillmore "the best small town in Southern California".
So, what does that mean to you? The newly seated City Council will probably be coming up with new goals for 2007. What should they be? If you could draw of vision of goals for Fillmore 2007, what would it look like?
posted by Gayle Washburn @ 8:18 AM
10 Comments
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10 Comments:
Goals that can be accomplished is what the 2007 council need to focus on and achieve.
1. Mayor Conaway and council member Dressler need to take a stroll down to River Oaks and talk to the home owners and check their properties out with their own eyes . From rippled ceilings to swamp-like yards and deformed garages , No the homeowners are not pleased with Griffin Industries. Would you be satisfied if you spent half a million on a home and it was half -ass completed? I await your answer.
2. Represent the people of Fillmore not a small fraction of people. (Campbell ,McMahan,Brewster and the rest of the prairie dogs)
3. Put egos aside and actually work together instead of being divisive and manipulative. I know it will be a struggle for Conaway but I know he can do it!!
Best of luck too our town. God Bless all.
saralee: Is the goal setting process done every year? I hope so. I hope they consider your goals.
I would also add...
1. Open government. Communication and public invovlement needs improvement. Maybe have a citizen advisory group to get input and feedback from the community in a more timely manner when issues come up.
2. Use the website to facilitate communication. Add minutes, staff reports, budget, etc. like the other VC communities do. Ojai Sanitation District even has their own website with lots of good information.
3. Consider a municipal WIFI(wireless internet service) enterprise. Our police, fire department and City could save money on communications using IP telephony. They could also provide wireless internet for the entire community for $10.00 or so. Many cities are doing this. Our small size seems like it would be relatively inexpensive to setup.
4. A budget overview presentation similar to Santa Paula's:
http://tinyurl.com/y5x2jp
(you'll have to copy and paste the link into your browser)
I think this is a good example because the public can clearly see how we are doing.
5. Review our contractor expenses. Would we be better off hiring our own people and keeping our tax dollars circulating in our community where it belongs?
I miss your poems...
Who else has goal ideas for the City Council? Maybe we can make a list and present it to them if they are interested.
Unfortunately I sadly disagree with saralee bakery goods.
Conaway ,Dressler and Hernandez have no intentions of being openminded. EX : Look at the their response last evening in regards to Griffin buying land in River Oaks. Why is Conaway so concerned about the sludge beds now ? Im more concerned about the homeowners in Riverwalk through River Oaks. Its seems Griffin Industries does not specialize in customer service except when a disgruntled client has no other choice but to voice their fustrations and concerns to our council members and our town after having a defected home. I know for a fact there are numerous homeowners that have a bad taste in their mouth in regards to Griffin Industries business pratices.
I've heard that Griffin was run out of every other city in Ventura County. Why is Fillmore so desperate to keep building every spot-even on top of the poop ponds! Yuck! They need to keep that space a greenbelt.
I believe you are wrong about Griffin Industries being run out of every town in Ventura County. Griffin has more than done his share in supporting our town with donations. Hard to believe that he doesn't stand behind his workmanship in his developments.
He doesn't hire day labors does he?
anonymous: Good point about Griffin and you are correct. I just threw out a generalization that had no basis in fact and I'm glad you brought it to my attention. Even though it was a "hearsay" kind of thing it shouldn't have been posted and I was wrong to do it.
Now as far as donations, I have heard about the odd pittance here and there but Griffin is a wealthy company and I would guess that our local service groups probably have contributed more. And, even though El Pescador has only been open a short time I bet Chuy has donated a lot more to this community. Especially in comparison to the benefits received.
I'm sure the Griffin folks love this town and the people that live here and wouldn't be motivated by the ability to buy political influence like they did in 1989 and got fined by the FPPC.
"GRIFFIN HOMES, SI-88/528, (1989)
84300 (c) - Twenty-two (22) counts
84211 (h) (j) (m) - Two (2) counts
$47,000 fine
Griffin Homes, a southern California developer, laundered more than two dozen contributions through employees in 1985, 1987, and 1988. A majority of the contributions involved amounts which would avoid having the employees listed by name, occupation, and employer. Griffin Homes also failed to itemize $4,820 in contributions made in 1986 and to properly disclose $3,768 in contributions made in 1987 on major donor campaign statements."
I hope I don't sound too bitter but when I see the machinations that they engaged to develop HVP into the floodplain as well as continue to be able to develop Hometown IV when we should have had a sewer moratorium in place it makes me angry that this beautiful city has been so exploited. How about that beautiful Pole Creek Debris Basin?
I have been sick with a flu bug for over a week and may be delirious...what do you think?
Good info Gayle.
Makes me wonder about the past election 2 years ago, (2004??).
Any contection with Ms Uber?
Why is Mrs. Uber's name brought up? I have read it before on the blog. She is not on the council, is not an employee of the city and not a developer. I don't understand. Maybe I just haven't been here that long.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sorry anonymous, I deleted your comment just because there were some other names mentioned with no real facts to back up the criticism.
However, I will let this statement stand because it is true and I have seen the evidence of it.
Anonymous said...
RE:9:42PM Question about Mrs.Uber
"Mrs.Uber has made multiple slanderous accusations against council member Patti Walker. Mrs. Uber not only has been fined herself but she continues to gossip , promote smut around town on issues she knows darn well arent true. Prairie dogs are prone to this trait.(Its a sickness and its boredom, GET A JOB)"
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