NEWS FLASH 10/10/2000!
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NEWS FLASH 10/10/2000! |
Our letters and phone calls are helping! One of our neighbors (Jim Dexter) has received an email response to his telephone call to Claudette Ford of the Department of Public Works!
We're being heard!
Your emails, faxes, letters and calls are helping. Let's keep making noise that
WE WANT THE STAIRS FIXED!!!
Communications Log (listed most recent first)
view most
recent email from Claudette Ford 10/5/2000 (Public Works)
view Jim's follow-up message 10/4/2000 (with excellent
questions!)
view Claudette Ford's reply 10/3/2000
view Jim's original post to the Action Log 10/3/2000
From: "Claudette R. Ford" <crford@oaklandnet.com>
Reply-To: <crford@oaklandnet.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 19:38:13 -0700
To: <JimDexter@aol.com>
Subject: RE: Please%20fix%20the%20Thorhill%20Dr.%20stairs!
To try and answer you questions in order:
Yes, we are committed to a date. I believe it is the Nov 17 PWA
committee
meeting. If that is incorrect or there is some change I will let you know.
I have received numerous emails and staff has investigated. We do not
disagree that the steps need fixing. However, if you feel you have
additional info that might be helpful send it on.
The PWA committee will help decide the priority of the permanent
repair
schedule for all of the stairs and paths.
At this time we do not know if there is a good temporary fix to your stairs
or if the only best fix is permanent. In either case, we have to know how
much it is going to cost and if it can be fixed by city forces or if it must
be contracted out.
At the November 17 meeting council can make a decision, ask for
more info or
make no decision at all. We as staff will try to have all of the info they
need to assist with the priority process. I know your steps are in bad
shape but they are not the only bad steps. So, I need to inform the council
of our plan of action since to fix the problem involves a lot of money.
Yes, it is in my purview to review and fix and upgrade. It was my plan to
include this project in my recommended Capital Improvement Program for FY
2001-2003. There were no specific funds set aside to conduct such an
extensive repair program. So it was on my to do list. Please understand
that the lack of repair of the steps preceded me. This is not to make
excuses, but a way to attempt for you to understand the process.
Hope this helps.
CRF
PS I almost forgot -- the public is welcome to speak at all Council
meetings so if you want you can attend on the 17 at 1:30 p.m Hearing Room
One City hall. I would like to meet you.
In a message dated 10/4/00, Jim Dexter writes:
Dear Claudette Ford,
Thank you for your response to my telephone call to you via email. Email is
an excellent means of response, and is probably better than a telephone call!
Thank you!
PART ONE: THE TELEPHONE RUN-AROUND
My call yesterday was at approximately 4:10 p.m. I neglected to write down
the person's name that answered the call (I'm sorry, I'll do better in the
future, because I do want to help you in any way).
I fully accept that your staff did not attempt to give me the 'run-around',
however, this is what actually happened. As Richard Fish on the television
show Ally McBeal always says, "Bygones." This means let's drop the
issue of
a run-around. I'm confident that this will not happen again.
PART TWO: FIXING THE STAIRS
If I understand your email, you are gathering information and cost estimates
to submit to the Public Works committee for a decision. I understand this
activity, and I am glad that it is underway. This generates in my mind a
number of questions:
* Is there a commit date for submitting the report to the Public Works
committee?
* Is it useful (and is there any means) to have public input into the
creation of this report?
* What are the possible decisions that the Public Works committee can make
as a result of the report analysis?
* Is there a commit date for a decision by the Public Works committee?
The process outlined in your email does concern me negatively, however. I
wonder why the report/committee process cited above is necessary at all.
Here are some of the questions that come to mind:
* Don't you have the ongoing responsibility to regularly maintain the
existing stairs?
* Can't you organize repairs/upgrades to the stairs under your current
sphere of activity without further analysis/decision by the Public Works
committee?
* Was there actions taken by any city government entity that formally
decided that your group should not maintain the stairs in the Montclair area?
Please take the time to consider the last questions carefully, since I
understand they are extensions of logic beyond what your email indicates and
implies, such as: If you are going to have to submit a report to the
committee, you obviously feel you don't have the authority/responsiblity to
maintain the stairs. What I'm asking is when did this
authority/responsiblity go away?
Sincerely and with Respect,
Jim Dexter
5591 Merriewood Drive
Oakland, California 94611
510-339-2184
In a message to Jim Dexter dated 10/3/00 4:30:42 PM, from Claudette Ford (crford@oaklandnet.com)
writes:
Dear Mr. Dexter,
I am sorry that you were transferred to the wrong division. It was by know
means an attempt to give you the "run around." It would help me a
great
deal if you could tell me the time of the day you called and what number.
We work hard to train staff but occasionally things can go wrong.
In response to your concern about the Thornhill stairs, I have received
numerous emails and staff is actively investigating the cost of a repair to
the stairs. The damage is fairly extensive and is not an easy fix. In
addition there a many stairs and pathways in the city that are in similar
condition and these must be addressed as well.
We are preparing a report to be presented to the Public Works committee that
will provide an inventory of all of the steps and path ways, there
condition, cost of repair, etc. so that the council can make an informed
decision on how we proceed.
Due to the fact that I will be in meetings tomorrow and Thursday, I am
responding by email. However, If you wish you may call me at 238-6256, my
direct line an I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please be assured that I am just as concerned about the Thornhill steps as
the rest of the community and working to get them fixed properly as soon as
possible
Sincerely,
Claudette Ford
(posted by Jim Dexter on 10/3/00 to the Action Log at www.lansharks.net/stairs)
Lessons learned today in calling Claudette Ford:
1. Call city offices before 4 p.m., since everyone seems to leave by 4:20 p.m.
2. Watch out for the government run-arounds (see below).
I called Claudette Ford at 4:20 p.m. today, and was told she wasn't in the office.
Her manager was also not in the office. They said the best way to resolve the
issue
anyway was to call 434-510, and I was immediately trasferred to this number
before
being asked if this was ok.
The person who answered said that their office was not responsible for this,
and I should
call Sanitation.I asked why Sanitation, and was told that, if they were responsible
for the
stairs area, they were the ones to clean them. I said I didn't want the stairs
cleaned, but
repaired. She paused, and asked me "Reparied? How?" I said "rotton
wood", and then she
said I should call Kathy Reid (615-5979) who was in charge of a carpentry crew.
However,
Ms. Reid was already out of the office at 4:25 p.m. Further, I would have to
ask Ms. Reid if
she even had juristiction over the Thornhill stairs.I asked for Ms. Reid's manager
(was told
Dwight Chambers, who was out of the office) and Mr. Chambers' manager (Barry
Wieland,
who was out of the office).
Ugh.