COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING

CASTLE PARK COMMUNITY APPEARANCE PROGRAM

12/04/2007

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

MY NAME IS NED ARDAGNA. I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA FOR MOST OF MY 60 YEARS. I AM FOLLOWING UP ON MY COMMENTS MADE TO THIS BODY SEVERAL MONTHS AGO RELATED TO THE “WHITE PAPER ON COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA” I WOULD LIKE TO READ DIRECTLY FROM AN UNDATED LETTER RECEIVED FROM THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT A WEEK AGO BY A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD OF CASTLE PARK.

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AS ALWAYS A DOCUMENT RECEIVED FROM OFFICIALS OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA MUST BE READ IN THREE WAYS.

READING NO. 1:

A QUICK REVIEW OF THE LETTER SHOWS:

THE FIRST TWO PARAGRAPHS ARE BUREAUCRATIC BUZZ WORDS, THERE TO MAKE THE READER BELIEVE THAT THE CITY IS DOING SOMETHING TO SUPPORT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. TERMS SUCH AS BLIGHT, NEIGHBORHOOD STRENGTHENING, IMPROVE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

WHO CAN ARGUE WITH THAT?

THEN A SHORT LIST OF AREAS TO BE INSPECTED IS DESCRIBED; FOLLOWED BY THE THREAT OF ENFORCEMENT; WHICH IS THEN SOFTENED BY THE TERMS “PLEASE SCHEDULE” AND FINALLY “LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU.”

NICE AND FUZZY

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READING NO. 2

NEXT THE CAREFUL READING OF THE DOCUMENT FOR WHAT IT

REALLY SAYS:

THE LOCATION OF THE INSPECTION IS INTERESTING:

2ND AVENUE BETWEEN NAPLES STREET AND EMERSON STREET - A HALF BLOCK STREET IN CASTLE PARK WITH 20 HOUSES OR SO.

ON APRIL 26, 2007, AT A MEETING OF THE SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA CIVIC ASSOCIATION (SWCVCA) THE CITY PROVIDED HANDOUTS THAT INCLUDED A MAP WITH VARIOUS STREETS IDENTIFIED BY A COLOR CODE. THE COLOR RED WAS USED TO HIGHLIGHT STREETS THAT HAD PAVEMENT DESCRIBED AS “VERY POOR;” (PAVEMENT THAT IS ALMOST IN A FAILED CONDITION.)

THIS HALF BLOCK STRIP OF A STREET

IS ONE OF THE  APPROXIMATELY 20 STREETS IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF CHULA VISTA WITH THIS “VERY POOR” DESIGNATION AND IS THE VERY STREET SCHEDULED FOR THE INSPECTION / INVESTIGATION (LET’S CALL IT WHAT IT REALLY IS AN “INVESTIGATION”). IF THE CITY IS EXAMINING THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR BLIGHT IT SHOULD LOOK AT ITS OWN POLICIES AND MAINTENANCE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING STREETS AND MORE. THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN REQUESTING ROAD IMPROVEMENT AND SIDEWALKS FROM THE CITY AND NOT MUCH MORE THAN THAT, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DENIED BY THE CITY. (For more on Infrastructure with links to Powerpoint and official report click here.)

NEXT THE LETTER MAKES NO MENTION OF THE 15 PAGE

ATTACHMENT THAT IS PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES (30 PAGES IN ALL) DESCRIBING THE OTHER AREAS THAT MAY BE INSPECTED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. I AM SURE IT IS AN OVER-SITE IN THE LETTER BUT WILL BE A MAJOR AREA OF CONTENTION DURING THE INVESTIGATIONS.

FINALLY THE ENFORCEMENT LANGUAGE HAS DOLLAR SIGNS ALL OVER IT. “FAILURE TO CORRECT WILL RESULT IN FURTHER ENFORCEMENT” THIS IS CLEARLY MEANT TO INTIMIDATE THE READER AND INFORMS THE READER OF THE REAL PURPOSE OF THE

INVESTIGATION - ENFORCEMENT.

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THIRD READING:

NOW FINALLY THE DOCUMENT MUST BE READ BETWEEN THE LINES TO DISCERN WHAT IS REALLY MEANT BY THE DOCUMENT.

THIS DOCUMENT IS DEMANDING A HOUSE TO HOUSE AND DOOR TO DOOR SEARCH OF A SMALL HALF BLOCK NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CASTLE PARK AREA, CITY OF CHULA VISTA, U.S.A. IT IS A FISHING TRIP MEANT TO CAST A WIDE NET TO SEE WHAT CAN BE REELED IN

AND ENFORCED ON.

IT ACTUALLY APPEARS TO BE A TREASURE HUNT BY THE CITY FOR

NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN REVENUE GENERATION.

I THOUGHT THAT THE COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING PROGRAM WAS MEANT TO OBTAIN CONFIDENCE IN THE CITY WHEN DEALING WITH THE UNDER-REPRESENTED OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS OF SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA BY: MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS

OF A NEIGHBORHOOD; LISTENING TO THE CONCERNS; AND THEN ESTABLISHING PROGRAMS THAT MEET THE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS ACTIVITY DOES THE OPPOSITE.

I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADING UP TO THIS ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND TREASURE HUNT.

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I HAVE MUCH MORE THAT I CAN SAY ABOUT THE CITY AND THIS DEMAND FOR A HOUSE TO HOUSE SEARCH OF PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH OUT A WARRANT BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY AGENDA, THEREFORE, I WILL END MY COMMENT WITH THIS:

I HAVE BEEN A VOICE IN FAVOR OF CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN AREA OF CHULA VISTA, EVEN THE BAY FRONT - MUCH TO THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND ASSOCIATES BUT - I AM NOW COMPELLED TO BECOME A FACE IN THE OPPOSITION.

THANK YOU,

NED ARDAGNA, ESQ.,

(619) 498-3886

ned@lawyer.com