Conceptual designs will be presented for two potential sites. The first is a turf area on the east side of Slifer Park; the other is a landscaped area north of the Park & Ride lot on Bixler Road. Ongoing maintenance, preliminary budgets and estimated timelines will also be discussed.
“We’ve received resident support and requests for a local dog park and understand that there is a real need for one,” said CSD President Kevin Graves. “This is just the first step in making the project a reality. Making it a successful one will take input from our community. We encourage residents to participate in this community forum.”
A town hall meeting focused on fire protection is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Discovery Bay Elementary School. According to East Contra Costa County Fire Protection Chief Hugh Henderson, it will be the first in a series of community outreach forums.
“We are inviting the (CSD) board and members of the community to some outreach meetings that we will be starting as plans for the parcel tax move forward,” said Henderson. “We really hope the community will be present to hear what is going on with the fire district as we move forward.”
A new fire district representative was also recently named to represent Discovery Bay and surrounding areas. Cheryl Morgan, who was appointed by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, will replace former representative John Jewell.
In other Discovery Bay news, groundbreaking on the new Regatta Park basketball court began this week, bringing to a close the nearly two-year effort to secure a high-school-regulation court in the park.
“We’ve finally broken ground and now we’re going to have a basketball court,” said CSD Director Brian Dawson. “It’s great news.”
For many years a concerned group of citizens has asked the DB CSD and its management staff to establish and overall multiyear community vision document and long-term specific financial plan. But year in and year out they have refused. So I think, right now, we all should be concerned with these ad-hoc capital expenditures that are certainly more want than need. For a long time this board has been called on to step-up and act responsibility, to comply with statutory requirements for water and sewer analysis and truly put every aspect of this districts operating scope (direct and AC) into a written planning format that can be used to set priorities, track progress and insure resources can be efficiently obtained in the 'needed' time frame. Now that the water and sewer reports have been updated (and are showing significant deficiencies with inadequate reserves) the time is perfect to engage in an overall, all encompassing planing process reaching to every facet if this CSD's responsibility.
A dog park would be nice but mr. graves if you want to do something about a true and real 'need' please focus on an overall priority/financial plan for DB. Lets get past the long entrenched ad-hoc, knee-jerk mentality of this board and lets put real effort into guiding this community to a higher level. Why don't you look at a wide array of special interest wants and develop a way forward that prioritizes & plans across a multi-year horizon? Looking at projects, such as dog parks, one at a time (in a vacuum so to speak) might keep the noise level down but is that myopic approach really in the best long-term interest of the entire community?
cheers,
jb
Do you not think that it is incredibly disrespectful of you not to address Mr. Graves properly with his name written as a proper name?
You sound like the type of person who would not have a pet because you SEEM to be a very judgmental person and pets tend to gravitate towards people who have unconditional love for people and pets. Many people who have pets would lOVE to have a place to all meet and have activities for their pets right here in our community. It is not like we do not spend a kings ransom on parks and pools for kids and no one complains about that. If you want our neighborhood in the morning and afternoon you will meet many, many people and you might not know the name of the human, but you knew the name of the pet.
So, I truly hope that we can have a doggie park to go along with the parks for kids. And accomplish it with decorum and courtesy towards everyone interested in the committee.
Wendi Rank
(Mom of 4 legger Kaysee Abigale the Chihuahua)