Public Comment: Why can’t you address the real problems we face? Mayor Rich and Vice Mayor Zollman,
As leaders you have a critical responsibility for defining the priorities that the city employees and the council focus on to make our city a safe and economically secure place to live. When you should be addressing a critical study on how to attribute general fund expenses legally and ethically to water and rate payers, instead you chose to make the middle east conflict the focus of the next council meeting. You set off a firestorm of controversy.
I keep asking myself “why”? What were you thinking when you sat down to explain the middle east crisis with roots going back to the late 18th century and solve it with a proclamation that will not bring middle east peace, not even peace and security to the community of Sebastopol.
Why can’t you focus on the problems facing Sebastopol:
- After several years of double digit increases in expenses without comparable revenue increases the city recently was forced to declare a financial emergency and is considering significant tax increases. - Water and Wastewater Operations are a city function and have operated in a deficit for more than 3 years. A few meetings ago we heard a proposal to more than double water rates.
- Recent report on the homeless situation suggests the effort to help our homeless by enlisting the support of SAVS has been less than successful at finding permanent housing for residents of the Horizon Shine RV Village. - The Fire service response times are growing as the city and Council grapple with how to make a predominantly volunteer fire service function effectively. We are on our third interim Fire Chief.