Thanks to Council Member Lou Waters who evidently heard from enough citizens and saw fit to ask the council to reconsider the closure of the OV pool during the hours of 9:00AM to 3:00PM.
The council will take up this issue, hopefully at the next meeting.
It's nice to know that sometimes people's voices are in fact heard.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Council To Further Study DRB Operations
The Town Council last night discussed the suspension of the operation and terminate the members of the Development Review Board, the Art Review Commission, the Finance and Bond Committee, and the Parks and Rec Advisory Board.
Leading the charge, Mayor Hiremath, denying that he is trying to abolish citizen participation in town Government, asserted that there was a need to step back to develop an effective system of operation.
"We need figure out what we want to do," noted Hiremath using an analogy to his father asking him to clean the garage, putting everything back into a proper place (not sure what he really meant by this).
Council Person Waters stressed that "we've reached a new point" as a more developed Town than when these Boards were initially established. "We need to take a good hard look at the Boards and Commissions and how we do business in Oro Valley."
Council Person Hornat supported not suspending these Boards; rather, use the next six months to understand what they are doing and to use their expertise. "I want to continue these Boards and evaluate these individually." Council Person Snyder agreed. "I too value the volunteer spirit in town," she noted.
Bill Garner said he is not in agreement that "...we should go cold turkey" and suspend these Boards. "We need to work with our Boards and Commissions." Garner felt that a disbandment would "send out the wrong message." These boards are a very good source of citizen training, Garner noted.
Five Citizens, for various reasons, spoke on not suspending these boards. One, Bill Adler, noted that he wasn't sure that the Council Members understood what they wanted these Boards to do, creating written expectations by the end of this year. Mike Zinkin, former DRB head, noted that the Board Members have no training since Sara Moore left. "Dont' get rid of them. Train them."
The Board voted, 7 to 0, to further study how these Boards operate, what the Council wants these Boards to do, and what they will do in the future.
Leading the charge, Mayor Hiremath, denying that he is trying to abolish citizen participation in town Government, asserted that there was a need to step back to develop an effective system of operation.
"We need figure out what we want to do," noted Hiremath using an analogy to his father asking him to clean the garage, putting everything back into a proper place (not sure what he really meant by this).
Council Person Waters stressed that "we've reached a new point" as a more developed Town than when these Boards were initially established. "We need to take a good hard look at the Boards and Commissions and how we do business in Oro Valley."
Council Person Hornat supported not suspending these Boards; rather, use the next six months to understand what they are doing and to use their expertise. "I want to continue these Boards and evaluate these individually." Council Person Snyder agreed. "I too value the volunteer spirit in town," she noted.
Bill Garner said he is not in agreement that "...we should go cold turkey" and suspend these Boards. "We need to work with our Boards and Commissions." Garner felt that a disbandment would "send out the wrong message." These boards are a very good source of citizen training, Garner noted.
Five Citizens, for various reasons, spoke on not suspending these boards. One, Bill Adler, noted that he wasn't sure that the Council Members understood what they wanted these Boards to do, creating written expectations by the end of this year. Mike Zinkin, former DRB head, noted that the Board Members have no training since Sara Moore left. "Dont' get rid of them. Train them."
The Board voted, 7 to 0, to further study how these Boards operate, what the Council wants these Boards to do, and what they will do in the future.
Mayor Hiremath Prepared To "Axe" Oro Valley Volunteer Boards Tonight
If you think this past election, especially for mayor of Oro Valley didn't matter, think again.
In only the latest of many questionable actions by new mayor, Satish Hiremath, this council may well vote to disband, among other volunteer boards, the Development Review Board.
Mike Zinkin, our candidate for mayor, and former chair, along with present chair, Mike Schoeppach join with thousands of other citizens, hoping it won't come to that.
This item is on tonight's council agenda.
Every citizen should be aware of which council member votes to disband the DRB, and who supports not taking this action which will certainly have "unintended consequences."
Read The Explorer article here.
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2010/09/01/news/doc4c7d802b44182625528830.txt
In only the latest of many questionable actions by new mayor, Satish Hiremath, this council may well vote to disband, among other volunteer boards, the Development Review Board.
Mike Zinkin, our candidate for mayor, and former chair, along with present chair, Mike Schoeppach join with thousands of other citizens, hoping it won't come to that.
This item is on tonight's council agenda.
Every citizen should be aware of which council member votes to disband the DRB, and who supports not taking this action which will certainly have "unintended consequences."
Read The Explorer article here.
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2010/09/01/news/doc4c7d802b44182625528830.txt
Oro Valley Spending Priorities Are All Askew. Closing Pool Is "Crazy."
Closing the OV pool and spending tax dollars so indiscriminately is nothing short of lunacy. That is exactly what this council Super Majority thinks of its citizens, including those too young to vote.
Please read what Janice Ward says in her letter to The Explorer.
Disclaimer: As a senior citizen homeowner with a pool, this closure does not impact me. It does impact many other of our citizens.
OV should keep its swimming pool open in daytime
Oro Valley Community Pool? Not.
New hours at the OV community pool have been cut. So there is no swimming between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
What? You heard it, no swimming during those hours starting Monday, Aug. 23 ... and it was 105 yesterday and it's Aug. 24.
I don't get it. Worst scheduling I'd ever seen in 11 years of living here and swimming at the pool. Plus it still has to be heated, cleaned, and maintained, right? Swim teams pay to use it, so do we.
I understand the budget was cut and someone had to make the hours, so they looked only at numbers of swimmers, for pool times. Where does this leave us retired, work at home, moms, etc? Come on ... it's not always about majority, please. Come cooler weather, those hours can get pretty darn cold.
We all have different rhythms for exercising, and I like to sleep between those current pool hours, thank you very much, or at least gear down at 6:30 p.m. at night, not crank up. I have a family.
I never did get it, moving here 11 years ago, that "summer hours" go from Memorial Day to Labor Day. ... when we still have months of summer outside that window. And probably non-swimmers or even non-exercisers make those decisions for the hours we swim. Many of us swimmers said we'd even pay more to keep the pool open even just a couple of hours twice a week.
Shame, shame, Oro Valley for not utilizing your jewel of a pool, one of the only facilities here in our sweet little town. I'm disappointed. I know my fellow daytime swimmers are too ... so writing this not only for myself but for all of us.
Janice M. Ward, Oro Valley
Catherine Atalla, aquatics manager for Oro Valley, reports the pool is closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays this time of year due to budget constraints. Three high school teams and two club teams use the pool from 3 to 6:30 p.m. – Ed.
Please read what Janice Ward says in her letter to The Explorer.
Disclaimer: As a senior citizen homeowner with a pool, this closure does not impact me. It does impact many other of our citizens.
OV should keep its swimming pool open in daytime
Oro Valley Community Pool? Not.
New hours at the OV community pool have been cut. So there is no swimming between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
What? You heard it, no swimming during those hours starting Monday, Aug. 23 ... and it was 105 yesterday and it's Aug. 24.
I don't get it. Worst scheduling I'd ever seen in 11 years of living here and swimming at the pool. Plus it still has to be heated, cleaned, and maintained, right? Swim teams pay to use it, so do we.
I understand the budget was cut and someone had to make the hours, so they looked only at numbers of swimmers, for pool times. Where does this leave us retired, work at home, moms, etc? Come on ... it's not always about majority, please. Come cooler weather, those hours can get pretty darn cold.
We all have different rhythms for exercising, and I like to sleep between those current pool hours, thank you very much, or at least gear down at 6:30 p.m. at night, not crank up. I have a family.
I never did get it, moving here 11 years ago, that "summer hours" go from Memorial Day to Labor Day. ... when we still have months of summer outside that window. And probably non-swimmers or even non-exercisers make those decisions for the hours we swim. Many of us swimmers said we'd even pay more to keep the pool open even just a couple of hours twice a week.
Shame, shame, Oro Valley for not utilizing your jewel of a pool, one of the only facilities here in our sweet little town. I'm disappointed. I know my fellow daytime swimmers are too ... so writing this not only for myself but for all of us.
Janice M. Ward, Oro Valley
Catherine Atalla, aquatics manager for Oro Valley, reports the pool is closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays this time of year due to budget constraints. Three high school teams and two club teams use the pool from 3 to 6:30 p.m. – Ed.
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