Council members:
If you disagree, provide me with a written explanation, point by point.
Respectfully,
Michael C. DeMoss,
Menlo Park resident,
Former Chairman of the Audit Subcommittee, Menlo Park Finance & Audit Commission,
Commercial Real Estate Attorney.
What is:
Menlo Parks ballot measure: "P" ?
It is:
"a Citizens Initiative Prohibiting the City of Menlo Park from Selling, Leasing, Donating, Disposing, or Conveying the citys Taxpayer-Owned Downtown Parking Lots, WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL."
Why vote "YES on P" ?
Because: This city council is violating their fiduciary duty, by planning to "GIFT" OUR FIVE (5) ACRES of downtown surface parking lots to a PRIVATE DEVELOPER, for $1/year, for 50+ years!
Explaining the councils violations:
1) The Council plans to Violate the following Promise:
The Property Owners, adjacent to the downtown parking lots, PAID an EXTRA TAX ASSESSMENT, for years, to construct and maintain the parking lots, IN EXCHANGE FOR the CITYs Solemn, legally valid, and well documented PROMISE that:
"The parking lots will NOT be changed, unless the adjacent property owners VOTE to APPROVE the change."
This council plans to violate this promise, IF citizens vote "NO on P".
2) The council has, negligently, NOT obtained a professional real estate appraisal, to determine what the correct leasing rate should be; or even offered to compensate the adjacent property owners for violating their promised property rights.
3) Five (5) acres in downtown Menlo Park would conservatively lease for $50,000 per month, $600,000/year, with annual escalators.
(NOT the councils negligent plan: $1/year, for 50+ years ! )
4) There is a pending lawsuit to STOP the council from declaring OUR parking lots as "SURPLUS LAND", and the council is:
A) Ignoring the valid claims in that lawsuit, so they can "gift" ($50 for 50 years?) our parking lots to a PRIVATE developer, who REQUIRES the taxpayers of Menlo Park to PAY up to $45 million (or more) to build the developers PRIVATELY OWNED (metered, pay to park) multi-story parking ramp; AND
B) Ignoring the fact that the City of Menlo Park is in serious Financial Deficit, well into the future.
5) A mere majority of three (3) council members, with NO commercial real estate experience, should NOT be allowed to:
A) Ignore more than 130 adjacent business owners who signed a petition OPPOSED to the parking lot plans; and
B) Ignore numerous "red flag" warnings from experts, and
c) On their own, unchecked, decide this very long term, costly, unaffordable, contentious, flawed, irreversible change; lasting for the next 50+ years! Without Voter Approval !
6) Finally, The council is ignoring its own FEASIBILITY REPORT that says ALL three (3) developers bids are NOT financially feasible!
Normally, voters should trust their city council to be fiscally responsible, and perform their fiduciary duties . . .
BUT, in this case:
This council has violated that trust !
Based on these violations of trust by THIS council, It becomes Necessary for the taxpayers to intervene, and vote:
"YES" on P" !
"The Citizens Initiative Prohibiting the City from Selling, Leasing, Donating, Disposing, or Conveying OUR Downtown Parking Lots, WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL."
Its very important to vote "YES on P"
Sent from my iPhone
