ABSTRACT: Monetary grants are awarded by the City to youth services organizations for "recycling projects, special projects and ongoing recycling programs." Last year, Carmel Middle School Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat was awarded a grant for the Forest Theatre Native Plants Landscape Restoration Project to be accomplished in three phases between Spring 2007-Spring 2009. This year, however, the second (2008) and third phases (2009) of the Forest Theatre Native Plants Landscape Restoration Project were abruptly terminated because of a new development project proposal to be reviewed by the City this fall.
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
August 7, 2007
VII. Consent Calendar
These matters include routine financial and administrative actions, which are usually approved by a single majority vote. Individual items may be removed from Consent by a member of the Council or the public for discussion and action.
I. Consideration of a Resolution awarding recycling grants totaling $26,450 to youth service organizations.
COMMENTS:
“The City’s contract with Carmel Marina Corporation requires the City to donate annually at least $18,000 to youth service organizations for programs or projects that expand the City’s recycling efforts.” The City awards grants to youth organizations that support recycling efforts.
Last year, Carmel Middle School Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat was awarded a grant for the Forest Theatre Native Plants Landscape Restoration Project. As originally envisioned, the project was to encompass three phases over three years; that is, the first phase completed in the Spring of 2007, the second phase completed in the Spring of 2008 and the third and final phase completed in the Spring of 2009. By Spring 2009, the entire Forest Theatre grounds were to be landscaped with native drought-tolerant plants, scrubs and trees.
This year, however, the City granted the Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat at Carmel Middle School two grants; one grant of $12,200 for “Forest Hill Park Landscape Improvements” and another grant of $6,000 for “Beach Bluff Pathway Restoration.” Note: “The grant requests were reviewed by the Assistant City Administrator, the City’s Administrative Services Director, and a representatives from Waste Management. In addition, the projects proposed by the Carmel Middle School Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat were reviewed and approved by City Forester, Mike Branson, as the projects benefit the City’s Beach Bluff Pathway and Forest Hill Park.”
Apparently, the second and third phases of the Forest Theatre Native Plants Landscape Restoration Project were abruptly terminated because of a new development project proposal to be reviewed by the City this fall.
(Reference: City Council Agenda Item Summary, Joyce Giuffre, August 7, 2007.)
QUESTION: Why can’t the City, Forest Theater Guild and PacRep cooperate with Carmel Middle School Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat and work together for the benefit of the Forest Theatre?
ADDENDUM:
The Carmel-by-the-Sea WATCHDOG!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Forest Theatre Native Plants Landscape Restoration Project (Phase One): Carmel High School Ornamental Horticulture Class
REFERENCE:
City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
Summary of Youth Recycling Grant Applications
FY 2007-08
Amount Completion Organization Project Requested Date
Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat at Carmel Middle School Forest Hill Park Landscape Improvements $12,200 June 2008
Provides organic gardening, composting and recycling activities, native plant propagation and habitat restoration activities and education to over 1000 Carmel Unified School District students.
Students will create a design and management plan for Forest Hill Park to submit to the City Forester for approval. The students will replace dead and dying native plants with seedlings grown at the Carmel Middle School Habitat. The students will also set up a main water line to the planting areas.
Hilton Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat at Carmel Middle School Beach Bluff Pathway Restoration $6,000 June 2008
Provides organic gardening, composting and recycling activities, native plant propagation and habitat restoration activities and education to over 1000 Carmel Unified School District students.
Students will collect seeds, propagate and grow 2500 plants and plant the native site-specific seedlings to restore the beach bluff pathway. This project is a continuation of last year's Beach Bluff Pathway Restoration project which also supplied the City with approximately 2,500 plants.
3 comments:
It is too bad that the City of Carmel won't allow the completion of the Forest Theater project. Unfortunately, it is typical of a majority of the city council, including the mayor, not to honor commitments when it doesn't suit them. On the other hand, improving Forest Hill Park and the pathway above the beach is a good thing too. Whichever the students are working on, Carmelites owe them and the Bialek Biological Sciences Habitat a lot of thanks. The teachers and students involved with the Habitat are doing a great job.
If it is true that the reason for welching on the obligation to complete the good work that has already been done at the Forest Theater is a potential development, then shame on the city council and more particularly the mayor (if the those who voted for this can still feel shame). It certainly looks these days as if at least three members have never seen a development in Carmel they didn't like no matter how much it might hurt residents, businesses or the tourism industry in the long run.
Recently I was on a walk of Carmel and particularly visited the landscaping at the library, medians, new Sunset Center landscaping and Forest Theater landscaping. The former three are well maintained, weeded, irrigated, etc. Whereas the Forest Theater has a proliferation of weeds and in general doesn't appear to be looked after. The city is supposed to be a steward of all the properties in the public trust, not just a chosen number. Until the city does a better job of maintaining all our properties in a non-discrimatory manner, Carmel appears only to see to properties viewed by tourists.
This is a matter of whom the Mayor favors: the kids at Carmel Middle School or the Forest Theater Foundation (made up of PacRep and Forest Theater Guild)?
The kids get the shaft because the Forest Theater Foundation wants to develop the property and take over the running of it and the Mayor wants to divest the theater from city responsibility. She wants these theater groups to succeed. We saw this coming from way back when Sunset Center was cast off to private enterprise.
If you think the Forest Theater looks less than well-maintained, look to the tenants (PacRep, FTG) and to how they treat the forest as a garbage dump. They also do nothing to contribute to the maintainance of the historic perimeter fencing or to the weeding around the property. The fence is being randomly removed without replacing it. (When we had an Assistant City Administrator, he made sure the grounds and structures were well-maintained.) Now, the city lets the Forest Theater fall to ruin out of neglect and hopes the private sector will fund refurbishment and take over control, just as they did with Sunset "Regional Cultural" Center.
Why would anyone contribute money to a development plan being offered by the Forest Theater Foundation, when its these tenants that misuse and abuse the facility and treat it so shabbily?
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