Passive park, passive aggressive behavior
It is curious to note that Don Hay speaks of integrity in his email of December 10, reprinted below. Hay is an active member in the CQG pro-developer's PAC and he's also the leader of a local youth group that has been focused on one seemingly trivial issue: getting a bandshell built on beach property. Hay works in the city of Venice as an investment councilor. He is not a resident or a citizen of the city.

But back to that word 'integrity.' In follow up emails to the email reprinted below, Hay arranged for a meeting with Vice Mayor John Moore to discuss Tramonto Vista Park and how he believes that city council is trying to "weasel out of the agreement." Then on December 18, Hay wrote to Councilwoman Vicki Taylor and asked her to attend the same meeting: "Would you care to join us?"

Taylor declined by email later the same day: "Thank you but due to the Sunshine Law that would not be a good idea."

Say what?
Hay insists that voters were promised a number of things back in 2003 when the $10 million bond referendum was very narrowly passed in the November general election, things like a performance stage, gazebos, etc., all to be built in the park that would be created once the beachside wastewater treatment plant was torn down.

As to Hay's memory of the 2003 election, it should be noted that the materials used to promote the bond prior to the November 2003 election all referred to what would become known as Tramonto Vista park as a "passive park." The Bond Workshop Documents, used by ex-city officials Dean Calamaras, Jim Myers, and George Hunt to promote the bond at the time, use the phrase "passive park" repeatedly. I mean over and over again: "passive park."

The ONLY things that were discussed in the documents to be included in the park is the following (and I am quoting from the documents): "Parking lot, walkovers and boardwalks, dune creation and sea oat planting. Also under consideration: public restrooms and expansion of adjacent paw park parking lot."

That's it. That's ALL that was promised prior to the passage of the bond.

She sells seashells bandshells by the seashore
It wasn't until a year after the bond was passed that the first mention of things like a performance stage at the beach entered the public vernacular. Prior to the bond's passage, the Community Center was being promoted as a public performance venue. During the bond sales pitch road show, Calamaras, Hunt, and Myers pitched heavily that the community center would be a wonderful place for concerts and dances and the like.

There was a reason that "passive park" was mentioned over and over again in the pre-election bond workshop documents. There had been a massive petition drive by Maxine Barritt to keep the park "passive" once the sewage treatment plant buildings were removed. That same movement spawned a new organization in town: The Venice Neighborhoods Coalition, led by then-outcast activist Sue Lang. City officials knew that if they didn't promise the park as "passive," the bond was not likely to pass in the 2003 election, thus the city was doing everything it could to appease the citizens and prevent a revolt.

But even that was being downplayed as the election drew nearer. At three weeks prior to the election, the sales pitch road show publicly shifted to a generic statement that the bond money would simply be used to "improve" a public park with little discussion of what those improvements would be.

From: Don Hay
To: City council
Subject: A matter of Integrity
Date: 12/10/07

First off, let me clarify that I am writing this as a citizen of the Venice area and not as the representative of any organization. Also, I am communicating by E-mail so there can be no misunderstanding of my comments as can occur during council. Plus, I don't want to be added to the long list of curmudgeons that frequent current and past meetings.

In 2003, when the citizens of Venice agreed to take on $10,000,000 of debt, the creation of Tramonto Vista Park at the location of the old sewer plant was one of four projects that were a part of the rhetoric that was used to convince the voters that it was a good idea. It is my understanding that the city's Parks and Recreation Department was asked to come up with a budget representing an estimate of what could be accomplished at that site. Included in that estimate was a line item of $500,000 for a performance venue. It was recently represented to council that the $500,000 was for a P. A. System. In reality, a P. A. System was a portion of the total cost. This budget, along with budgets for the other three projects, was used to sell the voters on the bond issue. You may not find that in the bond documents, but it is in the public's memory.

As to the concept of a concrete edifice, where did that come from? The logical solution is a tensile structure such as the one erected at MCC South Campus. An open, graceful structure that is engineered to withstand 140 mile per hour winds. I spoke with the engineer on this project (always a good idea to verify your facts), and the total installed cost including power and lighting was around $300,000. You can find a picture of the structure in the back of the recently released MCC Foundation's Annual Report. I realize that traveling all the way to MCC is an inconvenience. I have to agree that a permanent P. A. System is a bad idea. It is a maintenance challenge, requires a city employee to run it, and probably would not meet the needs of most groups. Each user, be it a choir, band or church service; can supply their own P.A.

This decision is an opportunity to demonstrate council's commitment to operate with integrity. Council's recent attempt to renege on the Prudy lease [sic -- Hay is referring to the Purdy/Hona Luana lease debacle] and council's on going attempt to renege on the Pier Group's lease [Sharky's restaurant] calls this commitment to question. If you now renege on your promise to voters to provide a family friendly, active park with an adequate performance venue, what business person in their right mind would ever go to contract with the City of Venice knowing that they may well attempt to weasel out of the agreement in the future?

It is your choice.

-- Don Hay, 12/10/07

Pic: album cover of Frank Zappa's "Weasels Ripped My Flesh," released in 1970 on Bizarre Records

John Patten is the head of Web Operations for Creative Pages, and has worked in broadcasting for over 12 years. He can also be incredibly rude at times.