By Emerson Drake
1/23/10
The City Council wants to be your Backdoor Council and make an end run around our Refusal of the Annexations be prepared to be there and tell them NO WAY.
They are refusing to have another public meeting so we can't gather the opposition.
Don't let the developers raise your water and sewer rates AGAIN!
We have asked for another public hearing to address the changes made to the General Plan since the November 18th meeting which is reasonable because they have added more land to the proposal.
But since they are refusing to have another public meeting, and it's unfortunate because over over 50 people attended the last one(at least two were for this end run), and it appears that the Planning Commission is the next step.
Now it isn't certain they will take public comments into consideration for future adjustments but regardless they will take input from the Planning Commission and then the next step is to go before the Economic Committee.
One very real concern is as soon as it hits the Economic Committee and the environmental studies are finished they could bring parcels individually to the City Council for approval.
Once they have the get that far almost nothing can be done to stop or change their plans.
Recently at a City Council meeting we watched Kristin Olsen(who it services her donors well)argue adamantly for one of her large political donors(Chopra) and against a small family owned group.
Her specific comments were now that we've reached this portion of the process things are cast in stone and would be difficult to change.
Two thirds of the small family's land was going to be used for storm water retention ponds while the Chopra property was going to be relatively unused.
We MUST be on our guard because there are powerful interests who have donated large sums of money to politicians towards annexing these properties and will push the process behind closed doors as much as possible.
Also please note that four of the recent changes in the General Plan haven't been had their potential sewer connections voted on.
Why are they trying to keep Modestans in the dark is a good question.
Did you read anything about this in the McClatchy Bee?
NO...maybe we should ask ourselves, WHY?
