 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
CRA News March 2000
Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association
CRA ENDORSES MARSHALL HYDORN, BARBARA LIVINGSTON AND KEN WHITE
City Council Race
Marshall Hydorn
and Barbara Livingston have an exemplary track record of voting
for the interests of residents. They deserve to be re-elected. Both have
been consistent in their efforts to protect and preserve the character
of our village. In addition, Livingston and Hydorn have a wealth of valuable
experience which will help them in making the right decisions as Carmel
faces increasing pressures for change. That experience, combined with
their vision for Carmel's future, will serve the city well. None of the
three other contenders for City Council has served on a Carmel commission,
committee or task force.
Mayoral Race
Ken White's
re-election will provide needed continuity and leadership in a variety
of important projects. The Sunset Center Project has long been a centerpiece
of the mayor's tenure and will come to fruition within the next few years.
He has also been a champion of the Design Traditions Project, which will
soon be coming back to the City Council for final approval. Mayor White
has worked hard at communicating with all groups in Carmel. He has good
relationships with public officials throughout the county and is an excellent
ambassador for our city.
March Meeting:
Carmel Post Office and Water Board Update
| Thursday, March 23 -- CRA Meeting | |
| 4 p.m. -- Light Refreshments 4:30 p.m. -- Post Office Remodel & Update on Water Board Activities Vista Lobos Meeting Room, Torres between 3rd & 4th Following the meeting, delicious hot and cold hors d'oeuvres |
|
What are they doing to our post office? Why?
On March 23, Carmel Postmistress Cynthia Rivera will give CRA members an overview of the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) plan for remodeling this Carmel landmark. The proposal has caused great concern. According to the Feasibility Study, "The Corporate approach to new construction has been to provide a consistent look and feel to Postal Facilities Nationwide...much the same whether they were tenant improvements to a retail space in a shopping center or parts of a new free-standing post office. Relatively contemporary commercial fixtures and finishes are used along with a clean white wall with bold red and blue graphics, plastic laminate and paint scheme." The plan would include a "Postal Retail Store," 1000 more boxes, the possibility of one less postal clerk, and, of course, the removal of all old brass-fronted boxes.
USPS officials say one reason for the update is to shorten the wait for new boxes. However, when asked, Carmel postal clerks say there is virtually no wait at all. As for people sharing boxes, they state that the only people who share boxes are those who want to save money.
Major concerns about this plan are the loss of the small-town ambiance of our post office, a daily meeting place for locals, and the loss of a postal clerk. Also, the addition of 1,000 boxes, almost all for non-locals, will worsen traffic problems in an that area, which is already badly congested.
Mayor Ken White has enlisted the help of Congressman Sam Farr to convince postal officials that Carmel needs special treatment, as has been accorded several other historic towns. Farr pointed out that an appropriations bill is pending so it is a good time to talk with the Postmaster General.
Update on Water Board Activities
Alexander Henson, Carmel's representative to the Monterey Peninsula Municipal Water District Board, will also be on hand at the March 23 meeting to give us a brief update on current activities of the Water Board.
President's
Message
This promises to be
a very exciting, busy and eventful time for our organization and our
community. I am very proud to be serving as your president. Neal
Kruse was our inspirational "kickoff" program in January followed
by our February Citizen of the Year Celebration honoring Noel Van
Bibber and our very successful Candidates' Forum on March 1. Are
we a dynamic organization, or what! Thank you so much to everyone who
worked to make these events so successful.I hope that you were as stirred as I was by Neal Kruse's passionate commitment to our village. For those who missed his talk, Neal's theme was that pressure for change will always be upon us. "Whether we give in or continue, as our predecessors did, to actively and passionately resist changes that are detrimental to our way of life is the question...Carmel will not stay as it is if we do nothing. If our resistance to the forces of money and over-commercialization weakens, then Carmel will go the way of other once-lovely coastal communities and become just another town with a nice beach, devoid of individuality and real charm."
Carmel's character and way of life, enjoyed by both residents and visitors, are based on our long-standing traditions, such as going to the post office for mail and camaraderie; never seeing stop lights or street lights; meandering down crooked streets canopied by stately trees; frequenting unique one-of-a-kind small shops and experiencing a quiet, safe commercial district after dark.
Among our challenges are the homogenization of the business district caused by more and more chain stores and the seemingly endless amount of outside money flowing into our village. We now have 60% absentee ownership in our neighborhoods and the replacement of Carmel cottages with "trophy homes" is increasing. Our speaker was also concerned with the growing tendency to look at issues solely from a budgetary standpoint rather than also weighing in our quality of life.
Neal's hope was that the Carmel Residents Association as an organization and other residents would strongly resist the pressures on our village. Will we succumb to the norm elsewhere and embrace money, speed, efficiency and homogenization, or will we follow our village's history of contrarians and fight to preserve what we love about Carmel?
Since the CRA is the only residents organization which studies community issues in depth and speaks out publicly in defense of residents' needs and concerns, it is important that we reflect upon these issues. Our strength depends on the commitment and involvement of our membership. We are fortunate to have both. Please attend city meetings and help us meet this challenge. You can make a difference.
-Melanie Billig
|
Don't Believe Everything You Hear about the City Budget |
|
Recently there has been much fretting about Carmel's financial situation. Let's look at some facts. Carmel's Fiscal Year 1999-2000 budget is balanced. All of Carmel's reserve accounts are funded to the maximum. In fact, from 1991-92 through 1998-99, Reserve Funds have tripled, growing from $1,803,612 to $5,882,907, an increase of 226%. In addition the city will end fiscal year 1999-2000 with a projected surplus of $300,000 to $600,000. Every city has deferred maintenance. City staff has identified $15 million of needed repairs and upgrades for aging buildings. This list covers everything from seismic upgrade to worn-out Venetian blinds. And, despite comments to the contrary, the City Council has been addressing this issue. In the past five years, $2,885,000 has been expended on capital repairs and improvements. The council has pledged $5 million for the Sunset Center renovation, all for deferred maintenance, which will reduce the total bill to $10 million. Further, master plans -- detailed outlines and costs of needed upgrades -- have been commissioned and carried out for the Scout House and the Fire House with plans for the Forest Theater, Vista Lobos and City Hall next on the list. Once these road maps for repairs and improvements are complete, the council will analyze them as a whole and set priorities. It is true that future revenues may flatten because, despite city expenditures of over $600,000 for tourist advertising in the past five years, sales tax receipts are not increasing as anticipated. The council will soon be considering several possible new sources of dependable revenue that can be used for repairing and upgrading city facilities. However, we must not equate this planning for tomorrow with the city's being in a financial crisis today. Carmel has more services than most cities of its size, in part because the great influx of visitors necessitates a larger than average work force. It also has far more interested citizens and volunteers than other cities of the same size. So, let us think very carefully before, in the name of budgetary salvation, we begin cutting city services or staff members. Or before we begin selling off city property for onetime gains--land that will never again be available. And, let's be especially careful not to let election rhetoric take the place of logical community discussion. Remember that election season is the time when many issues can be blown out of proportion. |
Local History Lecture to feature George Sterling
Winter Sundown: George Sterling is the title chosen by literary biographer Richard Hughey for his March 27 Local History Lecture to be held at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Park Branch Library. Hughey's talk will cover Sterling's life after he moved to Carmel in 1905. The first of many Bohemians to bring their unconventional life styles to Carmel, Sterling was a handsome and talented poet. He participated in every aspect of village life and, when he committed suicide at the Bohemian Club in San Francisco in 1926, it made headlines throughout the West.CRA members Elisabeth and Lou Ungaretti live on the site of Sterling's former home, which burned in 1926. Their living room has the original beams from Sterling's house.
Here is your chance to learn more about raccoons!
A free informational seminar, Raccoon Challenges, will be held on Tuesday, March 28, from 7- 9 p.m. in Carpenter Hall at Sunset Center. Sponsored by the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea and Pacific Grove and the Monterey County Health Department, the seminar will deal with wildlife issues and raccoon problems in particular. An impressive panel of seven knowledgeable experts will participate in this free event. A similar event will take place on March 29 in Pacific Grove. And, an all-day conference ($50 registration fee) will be held at the SPCA on March 30. For more information, call 624-6403.Monthly Beach
Cleanup
Saturday, March 25 (Weather permitting)
10 a.m. - noon
* Volunteers meet at foot of Ocean
Avenue
* Please bring gloves
* Coffee and pastries served
