Letter: Meyers deserves elected representation
Publisher’s note: The following letter was sent to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on March 16, 2015.
Dear El Dorado County Board of Supervisors,
We are a concerned group of local Meyers srea residents and stakeholders in need of assistance. The letter below was submitted to our elected supervisor, Sue Novasel, earlier this year. Unfortunately, before we could meet with her to discuss our concerns, the county’s legal counsel determined she cannot participate in the Meyers Area Plan process, and we were directed by her assistant to coordinate with the same county staff we have been dealing with for over a year. Not only does this create concerns regarding the same process issues which have thus far, failed to support a true, transparent community or area plan update process, but it also leaves our community without an elected representative who will work on our behalf, first and foremost, regarding planning for the future of the Meyers area.
We therefore request you add an agenda item to the next possible Board of Supervisors meeting to discuss how our community can be adequately represented by an elected official. Further, we request the Meyers Area Plan update process — which notably will guide the future of our community for the next twenty years — be delayed until we have elected representation for our community.
Sincerely,
Joe Cardinale, Angie Olson, Jennifer Quashnick, Moya Sanders, Rebecca Schwartz and Diane Verwoest
The group above didn’t like the answer they got before and so they want to see if someone new will jump into “crazy” with them.
(Moral- I’ll not dignify that comment with a response.) I agree with the letter writers and have to wonder about the m.o. of any person who believes Meyers doesn’t need representation in the planning process. I am hoping Sue will step aside willingly so a recall isn’t necessary.
Any talk of a “recall” in this situation is silly and frivolous at best. Sue Novasel was elected by the voters of El Dorado County in the Lake Tahoe basin, not just those in Meyers.
The fact that our supervisor can’t represent us on a major planning process in our area would be funny if it weren’t such an obvious and serious problem.
Something doesn’t seem right about this whole thing. Don’t candidates have to fill out questionnaires and disclosure forms as a part of running for office? Don’t these forms ask whether the candidate has a potential conflict of interest that might create problems in representing the citizens? Sue Novasel surely has enough political sophistication to realize that partial ownership of a commercial building in Meyers could be a conflict?
I think that with the Meyers Area Plan front and center, Sue might consider stepping down out of respect for all of us who will be greatly affected by this planning process.
As an aside, whenever I called Norma Santiago’s office, someone answered the phone. Sometimes it was Norma herself. I have called Sue’s office a few times and all I’ve gotten is a recording.
get ready Meyers you are getting Porked.
Sue and her behind the curtain friends know what there doing.
Gaspen Aspen
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I think they raise a valid point. What would it take to create a locally elected commission on this? Keywords, Locally and Elected.
I find it interesting that some that are commenting here feel having any vested interest in a community as it pertains to owning a business or commercial property precludes a person from serving in an elected capacity. I’m pretty sure the situation as it pertains to local, state, and even federal government seat holders recuse themselves from voting on issues that effect them on a regular basis. Didn’t Thomas Jefferson originally get involved in our Nation’s birth as a way to simulate his printing business?
Even Tom Davis had recused himself from voting on the new vacation home rental rules going through the city council because he operates a vacation rental management company. Does that mean we should recall him or burn him at the stake?
Get real.
On these big projects that impact so many people in the community why not let the people VOTE. What a concept.
People in Meyers should be voting on any major zoning changes but that isn’t the way it is set up, it is delegated to the Board and many there are pawns of or pro developer and/or they take money from the developers for campaigns. When citizens try to take control of zoning, the developers get their check books out, just like last fall’s M-N-O campaign where they spent a reported million dollars to use blatant lies and defeat the people’s attempt to stop the rezoning for tens of thousands of new homes and other over-development with no water for it.
Meyers Resident, Thanks for sending along the e-mail about concerned Meyers residents comments to the board of supervisors about a possible conflict of interest in regards to Sue Novasel and her property holdings in Meyers which are slated for developement that she owns.
Now she can’t speak to other ElDo. BOS about the Meyers Area Plan because of this.
We have no representation to the future of Meyers except for a hearty band of locals who are not giving up on the future of their community, and their numbers are growing! Look out developers, this thing aint’ goin’ down without a fight! OLS
Great Letter !
It’s time for locals to take back control of what happens in our communities from TRPA,CTC, The County, and influencing Developers ! These entities have fabricated a nice little cooperative network to pursue interests of their own.
I believe most Meyers residents can agree on some degree of development and progress – but the final decisions need to be made by residents and business owners – NOT government employees !
Ummm, District 5 starts at Stateline Avenue and ends near Pollock Pines. It does not start and end in Meyers.
Perhaps Sue could transfer ownership of her 11.5% ownership in the property in question.
Anyway… this is all academic. Who would want to build or re-build anything in Meyers at this point? Tveten Town forever.