We get another go-round of the debate on the future of Orange County’s parks tomorrow morning as the supes once again talk about a plan they voted on last May. You remember this one, right? The supes disregarded virtually every recommendation made by the hundreds of volunteers who worked for a year writing the first version of the strategic plan.
Among other things, advocates are angry that the supes voted in favor of keeping the parks agency under Resources and Development Management Department instead of giving parks its own department. They also don’t like the name change from the long-held “Harbors, Beaches and Parks,” to “OC Parks” and they are unhappy about a move that would allow private conservation groups to manage some county lands.
The county’s Harbors Beaches and Parks Commission voted in August against the supes plan — and that’s being backed up by the volunteer group called Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks. Here’s that group’s letter to the supes. Some 15 other organizations are expected at tomorrow’s meeting to protest the supes’ first plan.
– Peggy Lowe
The Orange County Supervisers seem intent upon showing again that they do not represent the people of Orange County when they ignore the recommendations of those volunteers who cared enough about parks to work on the parks strategic plan. Are they now preparing to turn the parks over to a private management group? Who will represent the people?
It seems like it’s time for the Ad Hoc Committee (Campbell and Norby) to start working with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee to work on the major deficiencies in the Plan. It is telling that the OCHBP Commission (appointed by the BOS) voted to reject the Ad Hoc Committee Plan.
The Santiago Creek Watershed will be impacted by these decisions. I hope that the ecological integrity of our natural resources remains the top priority. No resource=no recreation.
Why has the the Board of Supervisors ignored the Advisory Committee? Something is wrong here. Why have they disregarded park advocates? The users and dedicated volunteers are the ones that should be listened to. Who are these private conservation groups that want to manages the parks? and why?? Wow, does the public know about this? Something’s not adding up here.
Concerned citizens made it clear in the strategic plan meetings over the last year+ that we want HBP to be autonomous, to have authority, and to be the ones to manage our OC park resources and habitat - not to outsource this vital role. If the supes approve the strategic plan as is, they effectively will be thumbing their noses at the HBP Board and at the 100s of interested citizens who participated - and for what? Surely we can’t accept this as appropriate governance.
Orange County Board of Supervisors is out of step with the wishes of the citizens of the county. We want the OCHBP to be a separate entity. We want the county to stop using OCHBP funds to pay off the bankruptcy. We want OCHBP to be healthy again.
Concerned Soul
The Supervisor’s decision-making seems to be answering to another authority. They are clearly NOT listening to their constituents with regard to our public parks. If a grand jury, many volunteer agencies, employees of HBP and the majority of citiizens are pleading for HBP to be an autonomous agency, why are they ignoring us? Thank you Peggy Lowe for bringing some measure of transparency to this process! Without this insight we would have no idea what’s going on.
The Sups are ignoring the obvious: it’s time to jumpstart a multi-agency effort to purchase the Coyote Hills parcel from Chevron while it’s still cheap (zoned for oil and gas) so we can save one wilderness park on the last land in North Orange County.
I was one of hundreds of citizens from many different interest points who said our first priority was providing parkland to the greater numbers of people who will be living, working and enjoying our county.
OCHBP needs to be separate and functional to make these plans a reality. I feel completely disrespected.
Concerned citizens made it clear that we want HBP to be autonomous, to have authority, and to be the ones to manage our OC park resources and habitat - not to outsource this vital role. If the supes approve the strategic plan as is, they effectively will be thumbing their noses at the HBP Board and at the 100s of interested citizens who participated - and for what? Surely we can’t accept this as appropriate governance. autonomous governance is a must.
The OC Supervisors approved a corrupted Parks Plan. Long live former Parks Director Kevin Thomas. Will justice prevail?
Supervisor Norby & CEO Tom Mauk need to make this right.
What do we have to do, storm the Civic Center with baseball bats?
North county issues still include park space deficit, and major land use decisions regarding AERA (Shell Oil) property, 4000 acres in north Brea; and Coyote Hills, 500 acres in northwest Fullerton.
Both critical habitats This thing just stinks, stinks bad, I say.
Who better to manage and control the O.C. HArbors beaches and Parks than the people that acquired them, developed them and grew them into the best park system in California. Why do the County Supervisors believe that developers or non profit amateurs can do better than the professionals who have managed so far.
And what better group to review and critique the county plans than the identified stake holders that developed the strategic plan?
The County Supervisors are answering to shadow organizations that cannot stand the light of day!
Don Thomas
The O C board of supervisors = corrupt criminals.
They and the directors and managers have been on the take (taking gifts of money and other items) from land developers for over 30 years.
Can we remember to vote these un-ethcal indivuals (bos).out? I certainly hope so.
Why do you think so many inteligent, frustrated citizens move out of OC. They are disgusted with the sight and thought of these petty, but semi-wealthy, politicians, who lie for a living.
They do not represent the people, they represent their own best interests and get paid all too well also.