The Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District meet on
Tuesday, July 17th, and they elected their new chair and vice chair.
There were only four of the seven park advisory commissioners were on hand to
decide the leadership for the next year. Previously, the chair was Rudy Macioge
and the vice chair was Cassy Benson. For the past year, the leadership had been
concentrating on the Aquatic Center, for which Macioge, Benson, Poole, and Allen
were strong supporters. Last June 24th, the property owners had
spoken; this is not what they wanted with a loud voice and in the end they only
spoke for 24% of the people. Despite the disapproval of the property owners of
this valley, the current commissioners decided to have Benson as chair and Allen
as vice chair, leading the leadership for the next year.
Bob Ybarra spoke during public forum, asking the commissioners
about the public input procedure for the July 25th Skate Park design
in Sugarloaf, to move public comments to the end of the agenda so that people
can speak about items after the commissioner’s discussions, and what the status
was on Supervisor Dennis Hansberger’s $1 million dollar grant. General manger
Reese Troublefield stated that the form of the agenda now is how the County had
approved, yet he would look into it. Further the procedure that the Park
District staff had set up for the Sugarloaf skateboard park meeting, was that
they to have those people who would be using the park to help design it. To
date, fourteen people have signed up for the design meeting. Lastly,
Troublefield stated that Supervisor Hansberger wants to direct the money towards
the East End, which will be open to discussion.
People of the valley have long dislike how the park
commissioners handle public input. At the pool subcommittee, no one who was not
on the committee was allowed to speak. At the last workshop meeting where the
discussion was about Fawn Harbor and Captain John’s Marina, the commissioner
Allen and others stated that workshop, like all their meetings were not
open for public comment or participation; but “working” meetings for the
commission to get things “done”. It is clear to us, that public participation is
unwanted and they believe that they have the right to shut up anyone from the
public or the press. They run these meetings as if they were employee meetings
and the managers get to speak.
It seems unconceivable that an advisory only commission should
be able to tell anyone they can’t speak. Perhaps these people should read and
have to take a test on the US Constitution and our First Amendment rights that
so many are dying to protect these days. Public forum is for those items not on
the agenda, which is exactly what the Park District agenda states. The chairs
read it, but they do not seem to understand it. That means anything on the
agenda should be open to the public. The problem with the Park District
commissioners is that if an item is on the agenda, they never allow the public
to speak. They listen to the staff giving the report, discuss the item amongst
themselves, and make decisions with the taxpayer’s money. Only the privileged
may speak and that isn’t anyone sitting on the audience side of the table.
Someone has to tell these commissioners how to hold a meeting.
If they don’t want to drive down to the Supervisor’s meetings held every
Tuesday, they can get online and watch it live or on video. Well run meetings
that have the staff give their reports and board members may speak before or
after the item is opened to the public. That is how it is done in a democracy.
So maybe someone should tell these arrogant people that
Supervisor Hansberger did not appoint them to this board to be kings or queens
over us. We the people who pay the taxes are the benefactors and the payers for
the services from the Park District. Their job is to make sure that all the
taxpayers get the best they paid for. How can an advisory commission make
decisions without the input of the people they make decisions for? The latest
example of the park commissioners not listening to the people has shown that
they only represent 24% of the people.
It is time for the people to contact Supervisor Hansberger and
Jeff Rigney of the County’s Special District office and tell them the following:
“You work for us and we want to speak. Please change the
Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District procedure to allow us to speak at
any subcommittee, workshop or meeting for each and every item on their agenda.
Otherwise, heads will roll.”
We are asking you to email the above comment or anything else
you want to say to the following emails. Just
click here to email to all of the following people:
Supervisor Hansberger
Jeff Rigney - Deputy Chief of the Special Districts
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publish with newspaper and Author credits. No advertiser content
coping... PO Box 4045 Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 Phone: 909 585 4661
Fax: 909 475-8306
