Mailbag - April 25, 2002
What is really behind the districting plan?
I see that Scott Baugh is proposing significant changes to the City
Council. A newspaper article identified him as a paid consultant to the
AES Corp. In the supplemental voter information pamphlet for the recent
March election, Scott Baugh signed the argument against Huntington Beach
taxing AES.
Taxing AES was put on the March ballot by the current City Council. Is
this proposal a further attempt by AES to avoid paying taxes to
Huntington Beach?
And who is paying for the gathering of the approximately 16,000
signatures necessary to place this City Council change on the
ballot?ROGER BENNETTHuntington Beach
Development is eating up all the natural beauty
The letter in the April 11, 2002 mailbag from Connie Tuttle of
Huntington Beach could have had my signature below it also.
I am a native Southern Californian and also remember our beloved city
as a small, quaint, residential beach town of 1962.
That is why our whole family still resides here. The money hungry City
Council and developers have ruined our town with hotels and tourist
income development. It is every bit as sad as the development along
Pelican Point and Crystal Cove in Newport Beach. Does every inch of land
have to be income for the cities and county? Do only a few folks have
reverence for God’s natural beauty?
DONNA M. WEST
Huntington Beach
Don’t renew that waiver
I think the sanitation district’s waiver should definitely not be
renewed I think it should be rescinded.
JILL KRUM
Huntington Beach
Council needs to watch taxpayer’s moneyJust as when a
property owner’s home needs repainting, and the homeowner seeks bids,
evaluates them, check references and work quality and then makes a
decision as to who the chosen painter will be, so the City Council should
carefully evaluate all expenditures, including street sweeper contracts.
The council should seek bids, check references and work quality of
prospective bidders before giving a contract for services.
The citizens of Huntington Beach deserve no less.
Prevailing wages are not the only criteria for selecting contractors.
Many times it is possible to receive quality work at less than the first
quoted financial cost or the prevailing wage. There is no doubt that it
“pays to shop around.”
Would our council members, when shopping for a new car, automatically,
without question, pay the sticker price? I hope not. I would hope that
they would treat the taxpayer money as their own and spend wisely.
It is inconceivable that when doing the job in-house is less expensive
that the council voted to continue the present contract. What responsible
homeowner would spend their own money in this fashion?
I know that to carefully monitor our taxpayer money takes time and
effort but that is part of an elected official’s obligation. If our
council members are too busy or overextended to properly administer the
finances of the city, perhaps they should give someone else the
opportunity to do so as no one forced them to run for the City Council.
NORMA VANDER MOLEN
Huntington Beach
Leave the dog park right where it is
I would want the dog park to stay exactly where it is and extend the
hours so people like myself who work could take their dogs to the park as
well.
KELLY MEYER
Huntington Beach
I am the proud and responsible owner of two wonderful dogs. I
frequently visit my mom who lives in Huntington Beach and when I go visit
my mom, we always go to the dog park together.
I am in strong favor of leaving the dog park located at Edwards and
Talbert.
KATHY SUTTON
City of Orange
I believe that the dog park should stay where it is. Together the city
and the volunteers for dog park have created a wonderful area in which
Huntington Beach can take great pride.
The existing site is easily accessible and well maintained. To
relocate it would be costly especially when it seems that none of the
other locations would become a permanent site or be shown to be
environmentally safe without even more cost to clean up the existing
site.
Our entire family frequents dog park -- I take our two dogs during the
week and my husband and children will go on the weekends. I understand
that the barking from some of the dogs at the park might be a nuisance,
but I also know that the daily traffic noise is much louder than the dogs
all the time.
Perhaps the two neighbors who complain about the dogs can petition
City Hall to reroute the increasing traffic up and down Edwards hill.
That traffic noise really disturbs the dogs you know.
CINDI DROEGER
Huntington Beach
Leave the dog park where it is currently located at Edwards Street
Talbert Avenue and make it accessible to working people by staying open
until 8:00 p.m. The results of the city’s sound readings, averaged over a
six day period, show the noise from traffic to be 65.5 decibels, dog park
to be 44.5 decibels, and neighborhood dogs to be 62.1 decibels. The day
time limit is 55 decibels, according the city ordinance.
The Community Services Commission is right on. Unfortunately, we are
not so blessed with our current City Council.
ELINOR MATTSON
Huntington Beach
I would like the dog park to stay where it is currently located at
Edwards Street and Talbert Avenue.
CATHY EDMONSON
Huntington Beach
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.