Sunday, August 16, 2009

Random Reportings

ABSTRACT: Random Reportings on Grants to Pacific Repertory Theatre, Star Creek Ranch Grazing Goats, Free Historical and Nature Walks, City Expenditures for Sale of the Flanders Mansion Property and City Compensation to RFM Architects for the Forest Theatre Schematic Design are presented.

Grants to Pacific Repertory Theatre (PacRep): PacRep received a $5,000 grant (2009-10) from the William McCaskey Chapman & Adaline Dinsmore Chapman Foundation and a $3,000 grant from the Pebble Beach Company Foundation.

Star Creek Ranch Grazing Goats: Goats from Star Creek Ranch (Aromas, CA.) are an eco-friendly method of weed control. One herd of about 300 goats can clear an environmentally sensitive area at about an acre a day. And according to owner Pete Pulis, the cost is a few hundred dollars per acre. The City contracting with Star Creek Ranch would be ideal for ridding Mission Trail Nature Preserve of poison oak and other “weeds” and allow more native plants to grow in the city’s largest park and only cost a few thousand dollars for the entire 35 acres of Mission Trail Nature Preserve.

• Free Historical and Nature Walks: On Saturdays, August 22, September 12 and September 26, the Flanders Foundation hosts Historical and Nature Walks with Flanders Foundation President Melanie Billig, Local Environmentalist Joyce Stevens and Noted “Birder” Bill Hill, beginning at the Rio Road entrance of Mission Trail Nature Preserve and ending at the Flanders Mansion in Mission Trail Nature Preserve. Reservations Required, please call (831) 626-3826. For More Information, view Flanders Foundation Website. Complimentary cold drinks provided.

• City Expenditures for Sale of the Flanders Mansion Property: As of the City’s July 2009 Check Register, the City expended $18,624.73 for the month of July 2009 for the Sale of the Flanders Mansion Property for a grand total of $785,906.20, including a total of $163,059.01 to Attorney Joel Franklin.

• City Compensation to RFM Architects for the Forest Theatre Schematic Design: Since the City Council’s unanimous adoption of a Resolution entering into an agreement with RFM Architects for architectural services in an amount of $131,000 at the December 2, 2008 City Council Meeting, the City has expended a total of $38,226.86 to R.F. McCann & Company Architects, as follows:

118096 6/16/09 R.F. MCCANN & COMPANY ARCHITECTS $33,226.86 01 89429 FOREST THEATER MASTER PLAN PROJECT DESIGN SERVICES

117184 1/20/09 R.F. MCCANN & COMPANY ARCHITECTS $5,000.00 01 89429 FOREST THEATER MASTER PLAN DESIGN WORK

Additionally, the City expended $740.85 to JRP Historical Consulting for a Forest Theatre Historic Survey in July 2009, as follows:

118225 7/7/09 JRP HISTORICAL CONSULTING $ 740.85 01 64051 FOREST THEATER HISTORIC SURVEY

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The City told us the McCann plan would be completed by March 2009 with construction starting in April 2009, but we have seen nothing concrete by August 2009. I would have expected more of the budgeted money for the Schematic Design to be paid to Richard McCann by now. I suspect their are hidden ulterior motives in operation here. Why else would there be such a delay and the whole enterprise cloaked in such secrecy?

Anonymous said...

Every time I take my dogs to Mission Trail Park I think how fortunate we are to have the open space to enjoy and I think how much worse and overgrown with vegetation it is every time I venture there.
I think the goats are a wonderful idea. The poison oak and ivy is so thick in places no seedlings and other native plants can grow.
We need the city to make more of an effort to maintain the park. Its a mess, but it does not have to be with some commitment from the city.

Anonymous said...

I am a Carmel-by-the-Sea voter. And I just got a postcard in mail about Flanders Mansion in Mission Trail Nature Preserve. Geographically, it really shows the parcel in the heart of the park. Some of us even like the challenge of hiking uphill to get there from Rio Road and when tired we can park right next to Flanders on the driveway and walk from there.

In my opinion, we should sell City Hall long before we sell Flanders Mansion or sell Sunset Center, now that would save a lot of dollars.