April | 2016 | MARTIN-FONTANA PARKS ASSOCIATION

Archive for April, 2016

13 Apr

Were our Voices heard?! You be the Judge.

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Adopt-a-Park, City of San Jose, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, Mayor Sam Liccardo, MFPA, PRNS, TJ Martin Park, Turf Reduction. Tagged: City Council, City of San Jose, drought resistant plants, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, Martin-Fontana Parks Association, PRNS, TJ Martin Park, Turf Reduction. Leave a comment

Rod Carpenter speaks before the Council

On Monday, April 11th, 2016, Martin-Fontana Parks Association members attended the San Jose City Council Parks Study Session at the San Jose City Hall, City Council Chambers. Please click here for a video link to Study Session.

*NOTE: Public comments start at the 39 minute mark and the Martin-Fontana Parks Association presentation starts at the 42 minutes mark.

Martin-Fontana Parks Association included this slide show to accompany our comments before the Mayor, Council Members, and the Dept of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS). The following MFPA members spoke before the Council on these subjects relating to or two parks:

Introduction – Linda Wilson
Irrigation – Linda Wilson
Rodent Damages – Rod Carpenter
Park Safety – Rod Carpenter
Weed Control – Rich Grialou
Volunteers – Mike Kalashian
Sense of Community – Rosy Bowring

We encourage you to email your park maintenance concerns to the following city officials:

sam.liccardo@sanjoseca.gov

johnny.khamis@sanjoseca.gov

donald.rocha@sanjoseca.gov

rose.herrera@sanjoseca.gov

tam.nguyen@sanjoseca.gov

pierluigi.oliverio@sanjose.gov

magdalena.carrasco@sanjoseca.gov

manh.nguyen@sanjoseca.gov

raul.peralez@sanjoseca.gov

ash.kalra@sanjoseca.gov

charles.jones@sanjoseca.gov

4 Apr

San Jose Fails To Maintain Almaden Valley Parks

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Adopt-a-Park, City of San Jose, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, Mayor Sam Liccardo, PRNS, TJ Martin Park, Turf Reduction. Tagged: City of San Jose, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, Martin-Fontana Parks Association, Parks, PRNS, TJ Martin Park, Turf Reduction. Leave a comment

Gopher colonies

Dying grove of trees

Dead areas

Property owners are outraged at the lack of maintenance in our Almaden Valley parks, as the City of San Jose fails to allocate appropriate funds and staff to keep the parks not only maintained, but safe.

How Does this Affect You??

1) Shabby weed infested parks affect property values.

2) Weeds left to seed are spreading all over the neighborhood. Do you like weeding??

3) The gophers have taken over not only our parks, but have now invaded the yards of many adjacent houses causing damage to homeowner’s landscape. If you like your gardens and want to keep your sprinklers from being chewed like a toy, you’d better hope they don’t make it to your yard.

4) The grass areas you once enjoyed with your families, friends and neighbors are now so demolished by the burrowing holes of rodents that it is unsafe to even walk on without fear of breaking your ankle.

5) You know the big check you just cut for your property taxes??? Well the part of your money that is supposed to pay for the City parks is being allocated elsewhere, while your neighborhood parks suffer. Seem fair?

6) Reminiscing about the day of green lawns before water restrictions? While you conserve, the City of San Jose fails to replace our broken 1980s irrigation system that is corroded, leaks continuously and sprays tens of thousands of gallons of wasted water in the wrong areas as the rest of the turf dries up and dies off. The system is so old that they can no longer find replacement sprinkler heads to replace the broken ones.