Measure E for Elk Grove - Did You Also Know? Segments 3 & 4
Segment 3
Did you also know?
The city of Elk Grove has been
addressing issues of homelessness by purchasing and renovating houses in our
neighborhoods, contributing to the funding of several non-profits, and funding
an outreach program through our police department.
Elk Grove has three transitional homes for families with a
length of stay between 12-18 months. One home for single adults with a length of
stay of six to 12 months. One permanent shared
home, one home is under renovation and to be
opened in the future.
The city distributes monies to serve the needs of the community
through community block grants. Many
of our local non-profits serving our homeless community receive funding through grants. Again, the Community block grants are funded by our federal taxes
collected.
The city has monies through state taxpayer-funded homeless
grants.
Our tax dollars support a full-time homeless navigator to
assist our homeless population in obtaining permanent housing. Hotel/motel vouchers are given to provide
overnight and short-term housing.
Also, our monies are given for the support of two
transitional and one emergency shelter for pregnant youth and another shelter
My Sister’s House, which provides help to individuals of domestic violence.
Elk Grove Hart, a non-profit volunteer program in the city
offers and supports homeless individuals through educational programs as well
as opportunities for long-term housing and employment.
Elk Grove OWL organizes and opens overnight warming centers
during the winter months.
Many individuals within our faith-based community
recognized the need of our homeless population and organized to bring
solutions. We need to thank the
organizations that have been proactive in finding and advocating for solutions.
Our volunteers are the visionaries in addressing our homeless population.
Did you also know the mayor and city council members just
recently passed an ordinance they found as a solution for the homeless? I think of it as the “out of sight, out of
mind” ordinance, as it simply keeps our homeless individuals moving around and
not developing campsites.
Did you also know because of the pressures of
neighbors and an unwillingness to adapt the zoning (which has been done ad nauseous for other
special developers), the 67-unit Oak Rose supportive housing community was denied? This supportive housing offered housing and
services, a long-term solution, and a permanent place to live.
Segment 4
Did you also know?
On our property tax bills
are Mello Roos (special tax assessments) that pay for our street maintenance,
repair, and replacement and the 2006-1 Special tax collected for road medians
and public landscape projects.
Did you also know in
October 2013, the city’s Public Works Director (see video below) presented to our mayor
and city council a detailed report on the quality of our roadways? He alerted
the mayor and city council that an annual funding gap of $8 million dollars
existed, and this would only increase over time as the cost of utilities and repairs
would increase.
Again, this report was
repeated in April 2014, and the mayor and city council voted to kick the can
down the road and not address the need. Instead of funding our roads as a
priority, the mayor and city council voted for their own wish lists instead of addressing
our quality of life with road improvements.
Ask Councilmember Hume, who
was on the city council at the time. It was only Councilmember Trigg who wanted a
full discussion and solution, while the others passed on a discussion and
solution.
Here are a few examples of mayor and council policies and spending; the funding of a sewer lift station into the undeveloped parts of Elk Grove supporting their developer friends. The purchase of many properties; two examples are the $4.4 million above market rate land purchase for a multipurpose Soccer Stadium that will not happen. The 100-acre property for a possible zoo was $9.5 million. Then there was the $16 million investment in Old Town redevelopment.
Please do park in the public parking lot in Old Town: We paid for the land!
Did you also know our road
conditions and traffic congestion have not been funding priorities of our
elected mayor and city council members?
2 comments
Lynn - Someone needs to get you a megaphone so more people can hear the cold, hard truth you are speaking. But sadly, I am afraid voters are apathetic and indifferent, unless it slaps them in the face, maybe then people will pay attention! You know more about city government and public administration than the hacks we have in office now. If you ever choose to run for elected office, I will support you 100%! BTW, kicking the can down the road is what our fearless "leaders" learn on Day 1 in A Day in the Life of an Ekl Grove council member.
It all makes sense now seeing how Congress is so dysfunctional if many of the members originate from local politics. They are pros at kicking the can down the proverbial road...
Atticus, point of fact, Lynn Wheat DID run for office, twice...once for Council, and once for Mayor.
Of course she did not receive the required land developer money or have the minimum $100,000 to personally loan to her campaign and then grovel at the feet of developers to pay her loan back, as has been the practice for the last 20 years.
What we are left with has been 20 years of groupthink, 5-0 votes on everything, and no opportunity for opposing opinions--except 180 seconds to speak at the podium--and not a second more!
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