NOTICE: Message BELOW this one is from Scott of SouthSanJose.Com

Greetings !!! Some friends and I were responsible for putting out 1300 flyers and posted notices at Park entrances to help invite the local neighborhoods to their own meeting. I live on Ansdell Way, which borders the East edge of La Colina Park. (since 1988)

I received the City flyer on my porch 12 days before the meeting date and since the City is only obligated to issue such notices to residents within 900 feet of the Park's boundary (did you get one?), I decided to help them get the word out to as many others as possible. THANK YOU FOR COMING !!! I received 26 E-Mail addresses out of the 85 people in attendance so please pass the word around and let friends know they can be added to my list via . (I'll also remove you from this mailing list if you request it. I'm new at this and may accidentally violate some rule of "netiquette", so tell me if I do, please!)

I have much to say about the Park and I'll do that in the chat room but right now I'll make two points;

One, you can still add input through Scott's Website (see his message below mine) like we did at the meeting. PLEASE DO THIS WITHIN THE NEXT 3 DAYS. Throw in your friends' & neighbors' ideas too....

Two, despite reassurances you heard at the meeting.... it IS STILL POSSIBLE (not necessarily likely given the large turnout and hopefully LARGER turnout at the next meeting) BUT IT is POSSIBLE FOR FUNDS TO BECOME UNAVAILABLE FOR USE THIS FISCAL YEAR!!! (ends June 31, 1999). Until the City Council approves these funds for specific materials and services they are not ENCUMBERED. Given the right (wrong) circumstances (like not being re-budgeted for La Colina next year of '00), these funds can slip through the cracks of our bureaucracy (that's how our system works, and that is most likely why there have been no improvements to the Park since 1988 when the Tot-lot and "temporary" fence were put up). Even if such "unused" funds are "re-budgeted" into the next fiscal year for the same purpose, there is still no assurance of how and when they will be spent until they ARE encumbered by vote of the Council.

As I understand it, $200,000 of the total $550,000 currently allocated for La Colina, is dedicated to ADA improvements involving the Tot-lot and three of the six Park entrances.... Other capital developments such as the older children's play area, picnic tables with barbecues and shade structures, new trees, restrooms, etc, would come out of the $350,000 balance.

The ONLY WAY to actually get SOMETHING built by the end of this summer is to create enough public pressure that La Colina Park is moved from the bottom of the "to be done some decade" list and moved up to the TOP! This WILL happen if we all help bring the light of public attention to our endeavors.... Invite EVERYONE YOU KNOW to the next meeting... Wed, Mar. 24th at 7 pm. I'll be there by 6:30 if anyone wants to chat. If you want to see more copies of the 1981 Master Plan please call the Parks dept. and ask for one. That's how I got mine and they should really have some available to hand out at the next meeting! Now I'll get off my soapbox and turn you over to Scott.... THANKS AGAIN!

PS: If you desire to give direct feedback or ask questions contact:

Charlotte Powers, City Council, 277 4282, <[email protected]>
Jim Norman, Deputy Director, Parks, 277 4573, <[email protected]>
Todd Capurso, Parks Manager, 277 4573, <[email protected]>
Bill Guraro,Parks Capital Project Coordinator, 277 5470, <[email protected]>

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------

Subject: La Colina Park survey
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 14:44

Hi Mike,

The La Colina Park survey is up on the web site for those neighbors who couldn't attend the meeting last night to give their input to the same three questions we were given to answer on post-it notes. It also will give an opportunity for those who may have forgotten something last night and still wants to get that idea to the parks department. Jim Norman agreed to give us a few days to allow for this and he will consider this input as well as what was done at the meeting last night. It also gives people a chance to contribute in the feedback section on the La Colina park issue.

Scott