#25, September 29, 1999
On August 24th, I
went back in time.
It happened in Santa Rosa, in the Sonoma County Supervisors
chambers. Our Supervisors were conducting hearings on the proposed Outdoor
Recreation Plan (ORP). I was there to seek support for the Naturehood Watch's
"bridge building" approach to softening our neighbors' opposition to
parks and trails. When my turn came, I began by telling the Supervisors how the
ORP had been influenced (to its detriment) by the few people who were holding
up the opening of Lafferty Park.
Then it happened! I was back in 1995, standing in front of a
hostile public board, except this time it wasn't Petaluma's Mayor but Board
Chairman Mike Cale who interrupted me. The mention of Lafferty was enough to
trigger an angry 2 minute lecture about how he wasn't going to let the ORP process
get drawn into that quagmire (as if it already wasn't) and how the County
Supervisors had (and wanted) nothing to do with Lafferty.
Fortunately, Petaluma Council Members Hamilton, Keller, and
Cader-Thompson later stepped up to explain in detail how the draft ORP suffered
from behind-the-scenes selfish influences of a few local landowners. Support
for opening Lafferty Park and designating a trans-Sonoma Mountain trail weren't
the only south county casualties. While other districts got generous park allocations,
including a 1000 acre park on Taylor Mountain, our landmark Sonoma Mountain got
a measly 45 acres on top. But we are slated to get a park on top of the
Meacham Road dumpsite, plus some extra pastureland at Helen Putnam Park.
Council Member Pam Torliatt, one of nearly a dozen
Petalumans who spoke critically about the plan's poor treatment of the Second
District, appealed directly to
Supervisor Mike Kerns for leadership on behalf of his constituents. Supervisor
Paul Kelly of Cloverdale responded with a very sarcastic comment about her
ignorance of how the Supervisors work. Supervisor Kerns, who was well aware of
the unanimous City Council support for including Lafferty Park and the
trans-mountain trail in the ORP, then repeated his claim that Lafferty had
nothing to do with the County. But during the break, Mr. Kerns angrily
confronted Ms. Torliatt, asking her why he should help "you people",
telling her "nobody wants a park up there."
When the old Petaluma Council majority treated constituents
like this, citizens watched it on public access television. In reaction, they
pressured the Council to unanimously enact an ordinance mandating a wilderness
park at Lafferty, then elected council members who show more respect for the
public. In this Supervisors meeting, however, the public access television
cameras pointed blindly at the walls. While the morning sessions are televised,
the Supervisors apparently have insufficient interest in televising the
afternoon and evening meetings, when the more controversial topics are
considered.
As I've said before, this Lafferty business is about more
than mountains and trails. It's about democracy-- the accountability of public
officials to the majority of their constituents, not just those whose wealth
buys influence. I'm encouraged by reports that Supervisor Kerns has taken a
step in the right direction-- he is supporting some form of trans-mountain
trail. But he needs to go further. I call on him to support these steps:
·
Immediately arrange for recording all public
Supervisors sessions and timely distribution of tapes to all public access
stations in the county.
·
Adopt the Petaluma City Council request to have the ORP
recognize Lafferty's existing park status, and specifically
include Lafferty as one of the trans-Sonoma mountain trail routes.
·
Designate a large wilderness park on top of Sonoma Mountain,
such as exist on virtually every other landmark mountain in the Bay Area, in
addition to an active-use park in the foothills.
·
Drop the gold-plated standards for upgrading Sonoma Mountain
Road, and for environmental reviews and access roads for future county parks.
·
Support organizations that are working for cooperation
between agricultural and rural recreational interests, and condemn
organizations that oppose it (e.g. the Sonoma Mountain Conservancy.)
Supervisor Kerns, join us on the path to a great system of
parks and trails.