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| Image: This photo that a reader created is exactly how I feel. Local government is out of control and unwilling to accomodate the needs of all of its citizens. I am not angry or bitter. I am now fully active on all fronts. I have a phone, and a computer. I have legs and arms and a brain. Some may question the capacity of the latter. But these are tools I'm willing to use to create change in our community. Change is needed. Leadership is needed. I believe that we may need to pass a referendum to overturn the council's decision on disc golf. I am looking for 100 people willing to help gather 80-140 signatures from registered voters in Chico. This will have to be done quickly, but it can be done. The goal would be to overturn the council's decision to remove disc golf from Bidwell Park. We would want to see a compromise option, C, put in place instead. This option costs no more than option D. It allows disc golf to continue while alternate locations are found. A city planner has said that it could take as much as 5 years to perform a study for an alternate location. Ann Schwab and Tom Nickell's refusal to allow Larry Wahl's friendly amendment to option D that allowed continued use of the site until alternate locations were found killed disc golf. That was shameful politicking and should not stand. Are you willing to help with a referendum? Will you be one of the 100? |
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| UPDATE: City closes disc golf courses and recommends people leave town or overrun the kids course. Totally sustainable. Great job Andy Holcombe, Mary Flynn, Ann Schwab, and Tom Nickell.
>>> Lynda Cameron 11/19/08 4:42 PM >>> Hi Dennis, We are receiving a lot of questions on where people can go to play, is it illegal to throw in the park, will they be ticketed at the old site and such.... Can you clarify... Thanks, Lynda -----Original Message----- From: Dennis Beardsley [mailto:dbeardsl@ci.chico.ca.us] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:59 AM To: Lynda Cameron Cc: svisconti@chicorec.com; Brandy Daniel; Carmen Parachou; Denice Britton; David Burkland; Debbie Presson; Jessica Murgia; Kim Parks; Kirby White; Linda Herman; Linda Johnson; Madelyn Fernandes; Marc Sulik; Ruben Martinez Subject: Re: Disc Golf There are courses in surrounding communities the closest being Oroville. There is a short Course at the Hooker Oak Recreation Area which CARD provides. It is not illegal to through a disc or frisbee in the Park; however, it is illegal to take, remove or damage vegetation (including trees). Discs can damage trees if used as targets. If people do damage vegetation and/or trees they could be cited for detruction of Park property. Regarding the existing course, we are preparing a plan that will begin the restoration process as required by Council policy. The exact timing and specific closure process has not been finalized. We are asking people not to use the course at the present time and will provide more details in the coming weeks. Hope that helps - anything else - please let me me know. Dennis |
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Referendum
27 Comments
Lon
About Me: Fasten your seatbelts for an exhilarating trip through Chico's public policy; I guarantee it's marginally better than public access TV.
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ahhh this is terrible!! I am willing to do everything I can. I will get 200 signatures myself!
btw, if i was in town in time for the meeting i would totally have been there. =(
referendum, recall, and/or civil disobedience sound like great ideas to me. I have placed calls and emails to the city council, Ranger Bob, etc. and all replys have told me that throwing a frisbee is legal in all areas of the park. The course has been banned, and it is illegal to target or harm vegetation. So, if we all decide to go for a walk and throw frisbees together, we would not be violating any law.
[note- moved from Are You Calling Me A Liar?]
To Lon,
I own Dragon Graphics Design Firm here in town and have been receiving e-mail updates for years on the disc golf issues and assumed that we would win this argument. Apparently I was wrong. I am willing help provide all of the Shirts, banners stickers and such at cost and maybe even for less if it helps. I am outraged that they are concerned about the environmental impact that disc golfers have on the park when I am pretty sure that there are houses built on my old MTB trails. Disgusting!!!
Please, Please contact us and let us show you how we can help. We have very strong ties with the ultimate teams in CA and know lots of people to sign petitions.
Thanks and Lets go Head hunting.
I will help in any way I can to set a referendum in motion. Let's git-er-done!
Dragon;
Yeah those houses are horrible, I hate hiking the south rim trail and walking into someones backyard. Even over on the other side, those houses ruin the view. It's quite a double standard for sure.
I am willing to help out... And here is my homemade bumper sticker that i made yesterday:
http://www.solecki.net/savediscgolf.jpg
My only concern with a referendum is that we have argued that FOBP have spent years wasting the money of the city. By putting this to a referendum arent we in a sense doing the same? Creating extra expenses for the city to go through the process?
Just something for us to think about because i am sure it will be something we need to address...
B
you can count on my signature - just let me know when and where
I work at a company with 200 people, many of them disc golf players, and can easily get at least half of their signatures. We won't go down without a fight.
Include me in your group. You would not beleive the number of parents and teachers at my school telling me that they are outraged by this decision. These are folks that don't play the sport but see the sheer stupidity of the closure. I'm certain that I could easily get 100 signatures.
Brian,
The Council and the community are tired of this discussion. I'm tired of this discussion. But they were willing to spend $100,000 to answer 160 pages of questions and lawyer comments from the Friends of Bidwell Park to make sure the EIR was valid. The voted 5-0 that the EIR was adequate. Then they voted 4-3 that the mitigations specified in the adequate EIR were not adequate.
The council is willing to spend another $100,000 or more to create a new EIR for a new series of disc golf courses. At least they say they are.
It will be 2-5 years before anything would be done, and based on history it would never actually happen.
Beyond a referendum, which is part of our political system the only option I see to keep disc golf alive is to break whatever rules the council sets.
We can become criminals, or use our political system to defend our rights and access to the park. In the end I think a successful referendum would cost less than building two new disc golf courses in twe newe locations. And if it fails, then it fails.
But I'm glad you're willing to help.
Lon
I'd love to sign that! Lets do it! May I suggest you get a hold of the speaker list from the City Clerk and call all those who showed up and get there signatures as well.
I would be more than willing to be one of the 100 signature gatherers for the referendum. Just send me the information and I will get started.
It's a shame the Council did not get on board with Scott Grundl's suggestion to keep the current site for the 18 hole long course and find an alternate site for the beginner's short course. Seemed like a good compromise to me, but that is all water under the bridge at this point. Count me in for the referendum petition drive. I know I can get 100 valid signatures without much effort.
I'm all in. This will be easy as long as everyone talking the talk walks the walk. Get me the referendum details ASAP and I'll get started. Let's spread them all over town at local businesses where people congregate (coffee shops, etc.) and/or places that sell discs (sports Ltd.). Hey Lon, how about a prize for the most valid signatures collected?? Throw out the ceremonial "first disc" at the grand re-opening of the 18 hole course??
Lon,
A successful referendum will overturn the bad decision. You might want to go the extra step to put the option that you want to a vote of the people. I don't know if you can craft it into the referendum or do it as a separate initiative. Since you will be out there getting signatures you just as well in addition to a referendum propose the option that you want as a city ballot measure. The ballot measure has a longer signature gathering period and makes sure that the council is forced to adopt the option that you want.
John
I have heard a bit about this, yet am still unsure what the big deal is in keeping this available for families to enjoy. We need more family friendly activities to enjoy, not less.
Lon,
I totally agree with you... I just think the opposing forces of darkness will cry about us being hypocrites... and we should be ready to respond.
I think since we will be battling the holiday season, it might be good to come up with a couple timelines of where we go from here with the various options.
B
Matt,
I like your prize. We let the person who gets the most signatures throw the first disc.
Lon
I had the comment from John as well as an email from another reader regarding the effect of a referendum, versus the desired results I wrote above.
In those comments and other emails I was simply stating a position (we would want option C).
A referendum would prevent the resolution adopting restoration from being enacted. The City Council could strike the decision and revisit it, which would NOT require a special election. Or they could allow it to go to a public vote. That would be their decision, not ours. That all assumes a referendum is certified.
It may require the initiative process to force option C to be enacted. In other words a referendum might not be the best vehicle. But we'll figure it out.
I am still communicating with the city staff and populating a volunteer list for the process.
Lon
yes Mr and Mrs Disc will sign and we will gather as many signatures as we can.
how can I get a form to make copies?
Remember, Friends of Downtown forced the council to reneg on the parking structure by gathering signatures and threatening a referendum - I can't remember all the details, but the council backed down.
Will continue to tune in for details.
I live in Durham, does this disqualify me from signing the referendum? I would love to volunteer to collect signatures but I will be returning to school in southern California in January.
John,
You have to registered or eligible to register in Chico for collecting signatures. Same is true for signing it.
However, there might be other things you can help out with. Email your contact info to info at chico-outsiders.com
Also, write a letter to the editor and email the Chico City Council.
Letter to the editor...
letters@chicoer.com
an email link to the city council can be found at this web page...
http://www.chico.ca.us/City_Council/Home_Page.asp
Lon
Juanita,
Please email me a phone number. I think most communication we'll be using will be via email, but I want to be able to call people to organize as well.
Lon
Email sent to the chico-outsiders address, will begin working on a letter to the council and chico er
I will do what I can to get free environmental studies completed for a new site.
Jd
Lon,
Doesn't the council have to read and pass ordinances twice? So that in order for this action to be final they will bring it back one more time on the consent agenda. After that vote the 30 days starts. Or do you already have the final action to use in your petition?
John
John,
I do not have the final action. There is a big mess at the city and the clerk could not provide the resolution that was passed. She felt the 30 day time frame started on November 19th. She will have the resolution verbiage on December 2nd.
I cover this in today's blog. And I'll spend much of this morning trying to untangle the mess, so the petitions can be produced.
Lon