Former Paradise Mayor, Ray Dalton, on local issues.
RDA Funds.
After speaking with a good number of you in the business community it is clear that you are less than satisfied with our local government but live with a certain measure of fear to oppose it. The common thread running through is that the town has not only failed in its promises made of a brighter future if only you do your part, but with the hiring of another code enforcement officer, you have experienced an unwanted presence hampering your progress rather than helping with it. The gap between “public servant� and those to be “served� seems to be ever widening.
I believe the evidence shows the town manager has an agenda of his own and it is not you. This was made abundantly clear with the transferring of a reported $250,000.00 from the Redevelopment Agency to the park fund to build a “new train museum.� That was to be a “ community park� not a monolith to the locomotive history on the ridge. We have just lost those funds, funds that are a direct result of personal dollars poured into local businesses.
Four years ago council made a commitment to this community, that if you entrusted us with the formation of an RDA we would keep certain promises; among them that your increased tax dollars would be spent on infrastructure and streetscape in the downtown and RDA areas, and to increase pay for police and fire, neither has happened. Where is the parking, where is the cluster septic system that was to bring in new restaurants, where are the traffic calming implementations, where is the leadership? The manager has stated there are projects slated for the downtown in 2007 or 2008, but 2008 is a long way from promises made in 2002, promises myself and others made.
In November of 2004 as mayor I signed Resolution 04-57 applying for a grant from the State of California with full knowledge it would be a matching grant with the museum to provide the match. Now, according to RDA meeting minutes of 1/24/06 by the town manager/exc. director the town is now paying $45,900.00 for design of the existing depot. He further states the town’s portion of the shared cost of the depot is $200,000.00 including the $114,000.00 grant. Now according to town documents the contract cost for REM Construction to do the exterior work only is $233,902.00 placing another burden on the Paradise taxpayer. But wait, there’s more. We now see that the contractor has demolished the entire building, and to date I have met with the town clerk and the assistant town manager, and no one knows who approved the demolition, nor the cost? Further more, I am in receipt of the quite detailed structural report by Stantec Consulting Inc. to the town manager dated 11/18/05 stating the building is in surprisingly good condition. What happened and what’s going on? And why is the Paradise taxpayer being held responsible for the cost?
Our business base and public safety are vital to the success of our community. The commitments made then should still be honored now, for without you, there is no downtown, no park, and no new economy. We have the ability to be one of the largest collective voices in this community, we can if we have the WILL for the coming battle, form and shape not just this election but also the future of Paradise.