Page 6 - Sanger Herald 7-26-18 E-edition

SANGER HERALD 6A THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018
Your opinion GUEST LOCAL COMMENTARY and LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Your opinion Continued from page 3A
find a site to put the park the mayor and the city council should direct the city manager to put together a rough drawing of what this park should look like. It could be a crude pencil drawing, and then run estimates on what it would cost to implement it. After this, the next step would be for the planning commission to put together and almost fin- ish the look and placement of the park based upon public input, and starting from the Parks Master Plan as well as the crude pen- cil drawing.
Now some money will need to be spent. The City may need to hire outside personnel to take the vision and make it a workable plan that can be built. Thus, turning the sports complex vision into a real buildable plan.
While all the above is going on the mayor and city council should direct the city man- ager to present options on how to pay for it.
My idea is that we the people of Sanger tax each property an equitable amount. For example a single family home would be taxed at $200 a year. We can then use this tax solely for the creation of our Sanger Sports and Community Park.
Building Sanger up and dragging it down ...
Our city leaders and some city employees are spending a lot of time and effort on nonproductive issues that don't move us in a positive direction.
On the other hand we have had some real positive things happen. The positive things are:
• The city is in the process of annexing the area along Academy out to Highway 180; hopefully this can lead to a hotel being built at this site. Perhaps then the area will be zoned so they can build a commercial area to include shop- ping and restaurants. If we can encourage other businesses to move out there this could become the new commercial hub for Sanger.
• The public works department has been very busy. They have rehabilitated most of the water wells in Sanger and improved the flows dramatically. This has led to higher wa- ter pressure throughout the entire city. They are also work- ingonanewwaterstoragetankonChurchAvenue east
of Academy. The city received a grant for this project that
Here comes the tricky part. The money would need to be separated such that the city manager, the mayor, and the city coun- cil does not use our Sanger Sports and Community Park money for other purposes like they are for our Measure S money.
Sadly, it appears that we cannot trust
our leaders with our money. So what do we do? We need to create a Sanger Sports and Community Park Committee which controls the money. This can be done in the same way we protect our sewer money. We cre- ate a city owned corporation overseen by the Sanger Sports and Community Park Committee to control the money. The money will not be accessible unless the committee approves expenditures on the Sanger Sports and Community Park and properties under its direct control.
At this point we would have a plan for our Sanger Sports and Community Park, we would know approximately what it would cost, we would know how we are going to finance it, and we would have a mechanism to prevent the city manager, the mayor, and the city council from turning the money into a Measure S slush fund. The next thing is to
get the financing.
Because we are taxing ourselves at a
fairly known rate, we can have the city owned Sanger Sports and Community Park Corporation issue bonds that will be paid back by the tax money. We can also help defray the cost of the park, by offering nam- ing rights to different parts of the parks. For example, the park itself may be called the Wonderful Sanger Sports and Community Park, and the soccer field called the Fowler Packing Soccer fields, etc. Also, the cost can be defrayed by leasing out the batting cages, leasing the community center, leasing the Sanger store, etc.
After this step, we now have all of the elements in place to solicit bids to build the park. The Sanger Sports and Community Park Corporation run by the committee, with oversight but not control from the mayor and city council, will then solicit the bids and direct the city manager to get the park built.
This is one way that our mayor and city council should be working for us, and as shown above we can accomplish a lot with- out spending money, or making excuses.
We are only going to have the city that
we dream of if steps are taken to make our dreams come true. I have given but one path to make a dream come true, others may have different ways, but if the dreams and needs of our citizens, our neighbors, our children are not met and realized then those we put in charge do not know to turn dreams into reality and crystalize a vision.
We can build a Sanger Sports and Community Park, we just need our mayor and our city council to have a desire to implement a vision.
Vincent Wall is a member of the Sanger Planning Commission, a patent exam-
iner with the Unites States Patent and Trademark Office, an attorney with the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania. He is a concerned citizen who would like to see Sanger prosper and grow for future genera- tions, including his own three sons. He can be contacted by email at vincentwallesq@ gmail.com.
paid for the majority of the cost. This tank will also help our water pressure and make the system more reliable.
• The sewer system has had some major repairs. There was a near collapse of the main sewer line at North and J streets. The situation was addressed quickly and a possible shut down of the entire system was averted. At the same time some much needed work was done at the waste water treatment plant, that will help to avoid any future problems.
• The city park has been cleaned up and the buildings have been painted and new roofs put on them. The rest rooms were redone with all new fixtures. The best part is that this project came in under budget by quite a bit. Way to go.
• We are making steady progress on the veterans park on the corner of Jensen and Indianola avenues.
On the other hand we have several issues that just con- tinue dragging us down into the muck:
• The first issue is Measure S. This has been a constant irritant for several years. I am not going to go into how we have arrived at the point we are today. It has been a long and winding road. We need to work out an understanding that we all can live with and accept. This has gone on far too long and it continues to be a never-ending hot issue.
• The grand jury report ...
I don't believe some on the council understand the issues being discussed.
The report has to do with the spending of Measure S money. The resolution 4122 (concerning the issue of supple- ment vs. supplant) that was passed in 2009 and seemingly lost until coming to light during the grand jury investiga- tion. It changes the meaning as to how one would apply supplement and supplant to Measure S. It is hard to sort out and know which rules should have been followed.
• Other issues are very clear that the grand jury is cor- rect. A compliance audit was requested by the measure S committee and what they got back was a financial audit not a compliance audit. With three new members on the mea- sure S committee I wonder if this audit will be forgotten.
• The sports complex ...
This is a wonderful idea. If we only had some way to pay
for it. City staff has spent a lot of time doing research and making reports to the council and public. Unless some one can come up with a lot of money or a way of raising a lot of money this is just a dream.
• The homeless ...
This is a very complex issue. I just wonder how deep the city should get involved in it. It might be something that just grows out of reason. The police chief has enough to do with out having to start a homeless task force for the city.
We need to look forward and not let ourselves get dragged down in non productive issues.
• CalPERS ...
The state run retirement plan has been mismanaged and now the state wants local taxpayers to bail it out. This is likely to become a serious financial issue for the city in the next few years. Also a burden for the taxpayers.
Please come to the city council meetings and see what goes on. Most nights it is better than anything on TV.
Kevin Carter
Library reopening has been delayed
Yes, Sanger, the reopening of Sanger Library is coming soon, but not as soon as originally hoped and planned. Ongo- ing remodeling delays mean the Sanger Library is hoping to reopen by mid August. Therefore, The Sanger Friends
of the Library (FOL) had to move the reopening program planned for July 28 to October 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It will be a day full of fun – a source of delight for ev- eryone! There will be raffles and refreshments, magic and music, the color of ballet folklorico dancers, face painting - and ice cream too!
Save the date on your calendar Hope to see you all there!
Rosa Huerta, secretary Sanger Friends of the Library
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