Joint Committee Meeting - Improving Communications between MHS and HV residents

From: Charlessands
Date: December 2, 2010 4:44:19 PM PST
To: undisclosed
Subject: Fwd: Joint Committee Meeting - Improving Communications between MHS and HV residents

FYI ....

-----Original Message-----
From: Mari Tamburo
To: Hamar, Rosalind
Cc: Christina Oldenburg >; Al Wuthnow ; Kristin Cann ; Trigg McLeod >; M Hunn ; HEAR US; Charlessands Sands; Steven Kinsey; Liza Crosse ; descobar
Sent: Thu, Dec 2, 2010 4:37 pm
Subject: Re: Joint Committee Meeting - Improving Communications between MHS and HV residents

Dear Roz :

Thanks for your reply. Apology accepted.

In case you haven't noticed, the "Homestead Headlines" has not done an adequate job of communicating what has been going on with the school to the residents.
If it had, we wouldn't be on the verge of a class action lawsuit.

Please - let's work together to improve this situation. The methods that have worked in the past are NOT going to work this time around.

Sincerely,
Mari

On Dec 2, 2010, at 3:58 PM, Hamar, Rosalind wrote:

Dear Mari,

Sorry I did not send you an earlier notice as I had promised.

Actually, it has been our practice, in accordance with our CUP, to notify all neighbors in Homestead Valley via the Homestead Headlines, in advance of any meetings of the Joint Committee. We routinely schedule the meetings so that the Headlines announcement will go out at the first of the month for meetings mid-month. We have not used any other mailing list to announce the meeting.

Roz

From: Mari Tamburo
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2010 3:25 PM
To: Hamar, Rosalind
Cc: Christina Oldenburg; Al Wuthnow; Kristin Cann; Trigg McLeod; M Hunn; HEAR US; Charlessands Sands; Steven Kinsey; Liza Crosse;
Subject: Joint Committee Meeting - Improving Communications between MHS and HV residents

Dear Roz :

This is a follow up to previous correspondence regarding my efforts to improve communication/relations between MHS and Homestead Valley residents.
Please scroll down to review your reply to me, dated August 31st, where you agreed to add me to the send list for Joint Committee meetings.

Since that time, I have not received any communication from you or MHS regarding the date, time and/or location for the next Joint Committee meeting.
The first public notice I received was from Mr. Sands, the second notice I received was in the Homestead Headlines and the most recent message I received was today -
a reminder from the HVCA list serve and another one from Mr. Sands.

I'm sure this must be an oversight - please double check to ensure that I and all Homestead residents on the send list receive first notice - preferably at least 30 days in advance of the meeting.

Also - I checked with on the local Mill Valley Patch and there was no mention of the Joint Committee meeting, so I posted it for you. I hope you don't mind.
http://millvalley.patch.com/search/events?keywords=marin+horizon+school

I look forward to working together with you and the Joint Committee to improve communication moving forward.
After all, if there is no communication, there can be no civil discourse, don't you agree?

Sincerely,
Mari Tamburo

On Aug 31, 2010, at 11:33 AM, Hamar, Rosalind wrote:

Dear Mari,

Sorry I did not get right back to you. You are right about this being a crazy busy time.

I am happy to add you to the send list for Joint Committee meetings and just so you know, they are always announced in the Homestead Headlines, along with the names and contact information for members and the public is welcome. You are also welcome to come by my office and look at my informal notes from Joint Committee Meetings. We do not keep formal agendas and meeting minutes. You will find there is only a little reference to the sidewalk project.

The original idea for the sidewalk came from the Mill Valley SRTS Task Force in 2001 when representatives from all school neighborhoods were identifying possible ways to get folks out of cars and walking to school. It stayed on that list for a number of years and over that time most of the projects that were taken up and completed served our public schools. It then was an idea that appealed to a joint Traffic Calming committee of the HVCA that met mostly in 2005 and 2006. We held a well publicized workshop with Wendi Kallins, Director of Safe Routes to School, a walkabout with Ms Kallins and the SRTS traffic engineer, David Parisi, a follow-up community meeting, and we conducted a survey of Homestead residents through the Headlines. While we examined many approaches, the idea of reclaiming the right of way down the south side of Evergreen for a dedicated walking path was endorsed in those meetings as the favored and highest impact strategy. It was strongly supported because it would address a major safety concern in the valley. After that process was completed, the idea was on a list of Marin County projects that SRTS actively supported. In November 2007 I was contacted by Hank Van Dyke, a retired traffic engineer engaged by the county to draft a proposal for federal SRTS funding to build the project. He told me that it needed to be a regulation sidewalk. The first grant proposal was submitted in April 2008 and was not approved by the federal funders. I kept the HVCA Board apprised of the submittal and the rejection. This happened again in 2009 and a revised proposal was submitted in April of that year. We received word in the fall 2009 that the proposal had been funded. Again, I kept the HVCA Board apprised and both Christina and I recommended that the county hold community meetings before they got to far along in the process.

Since then, the county has been quite clear about their need to first develop a conceptual plan that would identify all of the potential issues that might need to be addressed and as soon as that was ready, they would host a hearing. That hearing and a pre-meeting walkabout were held this past July. At that point, county public works officials stressed that the plan was only 10% complete and it would be further developed as they went property owner to property owner on Evergreen to address their questions and concerns. They have been doing public projects for many years and have not found it productive to hold a meeting before they fully understand what the project would entail and how they might be able to address challenges and issues they identify. They are currently in the process of going along Evergreen and meeting with property owners and will continue to do so, as I understand it. They will also host another community meeting this fall at HVCA.

I want to assure you that from the beginning I have been a strong advocate to the county for public process as we knew there would be concerns and objections.

We also know that in order to assure the safety of our students, all of the Homestead Valley children who walk out of the valley to schools, and the many residents (young mothers with children in strollers, commuters, older neighbors with their dogs, etc..,) who walk on Evergreen we need a dedicated walk way. There have been many close calls on Evergreen over the years and walking on it is treacherous when folks have to walk in the road around parked cars, especially in the AM and PM when the sun is in the eyes of oncoming drivers. The county will not construct a project that requires significant maintenance which is why they will not entertain the idea of a crushed granite path.

I think it would indeed be a shame if opposition to the sidewalk causes this opportunity to be lost and the county allows the funding to revert to the federal government. I am hopeful that we can all come to a place of support through civil discourse and a thorough vetting of everyone’s concerns.

Best,

Roz Hamar



From: Mari Tamburo
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:15 AM
To: Hamar, Rosalind
Cc: Christina Oldenburg
Subject: Follow up to my previous email

Dear Ms. Hamar:

I am a resident of Evergreen Avenue, I live about a block from the school. This is a follow up email to previous emails I have sent to you and messages I have left on your voicemail as I have not yet received a response.

This email is to respectfully request the minutes of previous Joint HVCA/MHS Committee Meetings. I understand that you are busy right now, with school just starting, but please, this is very important. I would expect that you or Christina, being co-chairs of the committee, would at least provide me the courtesy of a response.
If the meetings are open to the public, then the minutes should also be available.

Safety of everyone who uses Evergreen Avenue is on the line here, and I firmly believe that this current design for a sidewalk is not of benefit to our community, especially not for the children that travel to Marin Horizon School by bicycle and scooter. I have talked to a Safe Routes to Schools representative, and she said we can apply again during the next cycle.

I am encouraged by your Marin Horizon School mission:
"Our mission is to challenge students to be self-reliant thinkers and lifelong learners. We inspire academic excellence, nurture students' natural love of learning, and encourage them to be confident individuals who are responsible to each other, the community, and the world."

Sincerely,
Mari Tamburo

Navigator
http://www.avehicleforchange.org

P Please consider the environment before printing this email.