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(A BRIGHTER FUTURE THROUGH
COMMUNITY ACTION) http://www.swcvca.org;
PO Box 6064, Chula Vista, CA 91909, (619)
425-5771
SWCVCA End of Year Report-2009
Biggest
Accomplishments this year: (SWCVCA advocated for these things for more than
a year in several cases):
1. We rehabilitated two homes on Tremont
street-painting, yard work, concrete work, stucco, changing fascia, etc.
2. January 2009 we had a successful garage sale,
made $1,000 and donated a lot of extra materials to several charities.
3. Staff included the actual comments of the
participants at the workshops for Specific Plan development in their final
report.
4. The city has set up a Southwest Planning
group on a trial basis that will review projects and help write the specific
plan for the Palomar Gateway area (Anita to Palomar-Frontage to Industrial,
including Walnut and Trenton) A Specific Plan is a zoning document so this will
determine what will be permitted in this area for the life of the current
General Plan (2020).
5. Due to the comments that Zenith Street should
stay Residential and Otay Farms should stay Commercial, staff is recommending
that no specific plan be written for the Main Street area. This means existing
zoning will stay in place and the suggested changes in the General Plan will
not occur.
6. The expansion of the peaker power plant by
MMC Energy 250 feet from people’s homes will not happen. Also the city will
seek to come to an agreement with a company to tear down the existing one.
7. The Redevelopment Agency is starting a pilot
project to rehabilitate residences that are now in Redevelopment areas.
8. We held 11 meetings attended by 331 people
and sent out 11 newsletters to 150 people without e-mails. We also regularly
e-mail over 100 people.
9.
We had 87 paid members and many others who received information from and/or
attended meetings with us.
January We had two informational
meetings about the proposed 1% sales tax increase one with City Manager Jim
Sandoval presenting and Ed Herrera giving a rebuttal. We also voted to pursue
grants to rehabilitate homes of low-income people in Chula Vista. Mitch
Thompson also presented several ways SWCVCA could act as an umbrella
organization that could help Mobile Home Park residents in Chula Vista buy
their own parks.
February: We had an informational
meeting to hear our new Fire Chief David Hanreman; we honored everyone present with “You
Make a Difference” ribbons. We gave voting rights to 3 Associate members who
participate actively in SWCVCA. We got a lot of ideas for future meetings.
March:
Report on stimulus monies coming
to Chula Vista and possible projects that qualify including approx. 3.2 million
dollars of Federal money to upgrade arterial streets. Also discussion of grant
money applied for by fire dept. (2 stations and $15 million) and community
block grants.
People
were asked to attend the meeting to support denying a permit to MMC power plant
April: We had an informational
meeting about Solar Electricity with Brendan Reid from the city of Chula Vista
presenting. People gave input to the city about the update of the 5- year
Redevelopment plan. We voted to ask that the EIR process for the Bayfront be
continued and brought to a conclusion.
People
were encouraged to go to city’s meeting on April 30 at the Orange library about
Redevelopment 5- year Plan. Many people did. Many people did prep work on the
houses to be rehabilitated on May 2-stucco, concrete, painting, demolition
MAY: We heard a presentation
from Larry Breitfelder
of the CV Tax Payers Association about the need for more fiscal responsibility
in the city. Alta Consultants presented the city’s new Pedestrian Master Plan
and collected input from those present.
We
gave an informational overview of changes proposed by the General Plan for
Southwest Chula Vista and urged everyone to go to the upcoming meetings where
the city was going to collect input to use in the Specific Plans which are
zoning documents. On May 2 30 volunteers and on May 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 other
volunteers worked on our two houses that we rehabilitated this year.
JUNE: The president went to
Sacramento to testify on 6/17 about the proposed MMC plant. The CEC rejected
their application. Volunteers continued to work on our two homes targeted for
rehabilitation.
We
heard from Manuel Medrano of the city of Chula Vista about how to deal with
Hazardous Waste from our homes and Recycling. We voted to support the closure
of the SBPP as soon as possible.
Robert
Garcia spoke of his desire to help low income residents get solar electricity
for their homes.
We
voted to have a booth at the Lemon Festival. Hugo Salazar and Ed Herrera spoke
about new organizations in Chula Vista with purposes of political action, the
former, and reform, the latter
We
encouraged everyone to attend the three meetings city was holding to get
information for specific plans.
July: We started selling raffle
tickets to earn money for SWCVCA. We heard Laura Hunter (EHC) and Michael
Meachum (CV) speak about why the SBPP needs to be shut down and removed as soon
as possible from the bayfront. Michael also showed the potential location of
new power plants in Chula Vista and told about a grant that would give 50-100
people free energy upgrades in CV and the city’s new solar facilities.
Catherine Rodman from Affordable Housing Advocates spoke about the city’s
affordable housing program and improvements her research shows need to be made.
We
also continued working with volunteers on the two houses on Tremont.
August: We heard a presentation on
Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. Jose Preciado, a member of the Sweetwater Board
spoke about water rate increases.
We
had a drawing for our raffle and earned $200 for SWCVCA.
September: We heard a presentation
about walk audits done around 32 schools in Chula Vista and grant money that
will help improve some of the deficiencies found. We also heard a presentation
about a new park to be built next to the Orange library on SDGE land. The fire
Department also talked about taking land from the library for a new fire
station, if the federal government funds the grant they have applied for.
People were urged to attend the Oct. 4 meeting at the library to give more
input about the park and the proposed fire station.
October We heard a presentation by Dr. Farah, an oncologist from UCSD, about
the new Center UCSD had opened in Eastlake to treat cancer with precision
radiation.
November: We amended the Bylaws to
read, “A majority of the members present at the Annual meeting will elect a new
board”
Two
motions passed: 1. to oppose adding residential to Redevelopment areas as it is
now written in the 5 year plan and 2. to support any RDA goal of rehabilitation
of blighted multi-family housing within redevelopment areas using low-mod funds
We
nominated Jerry Thomas to the Board.
Nick
Aguilar-a member of the Board at SWC- gave an update as to the problems
Southwestern College is suffering due to economy and problems between president
and students and staff.
Jonathan
Martinez from the Border Patrol spoke about what the Border Patrols mission and
job is.
Cesar Luna, former undocumented immigrant
and now immigration attorney spoke about applicable law and rights of
immigrants.
Please join or renew
your membership for 2010. The more members we have. The more power we have.