San Ramon, CA
The City of San Ramon has sued to stop Doug Burr, resident of San Ramon, for bringing forth the Stop Signs and Speed Limits Windemere Initiatives, and to prevent the initiatives from being placed on the ballot.
"I just want the children in this neighborhood to walk to school in safety," said Doug. The City Council then voted in closed session to authorize the lawsuits.
Doug Burr spoke at a previous City Council meeting in September 2007, requesting that the City Council take action and support a resolution which would keep the speed limit on Windemere Parkway and East Branch Parkway at 30 mph instead of the County's plans to increase it to 45 mph. (see new information update below)
Look At The Legal Action Taken!
San Ramon City Sues to Stop Safer Streets for Children!
Mayor H. Abram Wilson's "proper procedures" according to a closed session of City Council was to promptly file not one, but two legal lawsuits against Doug Burr for bringing initiatives forward that will reduce the speed thorough a section of Windemere where children go to school. The proposed initiatives include reducing the speed limit back down to 30 mph and the placing of a number of stop signs in the residential neighborhood where parks and Hidden Hills Elementary School are located.
The City "maintains that the initiatives are invalid because it 'embraces more than one issue' to wit: establishing a speed limit of 30 miles per hour on Windermere Parkway in the Windemere Development; and, establishing a speed limit of 30 miles per hour on East Branch Parkway in the Windermere Development."
Doug Burr disagrees with the City's legal conclusions and maintains "that the Proposed Initiative does not 'embrace more than one issue.'"
The city is taking the same tact with the stop signs initiative, and filed a second lawsuit against Doug on the stop signs initiative.
So, the City wants a judicial determination and is suing Dour Burr for a judicial declaration of invalidity on the initiatives, for costs of the suits (each suit estimated to be over $25,000 in damages to the City), and for any other further relief as the Court deems just and proper; as a way of preventing him, or any others from getting the petition on the ballot. (Speed Lawsuit and Stop Signs Lawsuit PDFs)
Doug has set up a Winderemer website with more information about the Stop Signs in Windemere at www.stopsignsinwindemere.com.
Here is what the residents of Windemere want.
Stop signs at 11 intersections and 30 miles an hour posted for all of Windemere Parkway and East Branch Parkway!
Windemere Parkway is classified as an arterial like Bollinger Canyon Rd. Every intersection on Bollinger has either stop signs or traffic lights. The majority of intersections on Windemere Parkway have no traffic control.
All of the intersections are in front of schools, on intersections children use to walk to school or in front of parks.
What intersections specifically?
1. East Branch Parkway and Arlington Way (There was a stop sign, it has been removed)
2. South Bellingham Way and Windemere Parkway
3. Silva Way and Windemere Parkway
4. Kearney Way and Windemere Parkway
5. Holborn Way and Windemere Parkway
6. Windside Lane and Windemere Parkway
7. Albion Rd and Harcourt
8. Albion Rd and Silva Way
9. Craiglee Way and Harcourt Way
10. Sherwood Way and Baker Way
11. Sherwood Way and Melbourne Way
San Ramon's Alcosta Blvd., south of Bollinger Canyon Rd., is a good example of what they want. If the City can put stop signs and a 30 mph speed limit there, why can't they put them in Windemere?
The Stop Signs in Windemere website has over a 125 petition signers listed with many more signing up and are outraged by what the City of San Ramon is doing to their own people.The San Ramon City Council's idea of following the will of the people is to rule them with an Iron Fist.
Is this America or is this Russia during Stalin's reign and bringing the Hammer down on the people, or is it Germany under the reign of Hitler? You be the judge.
Post Your Comments Online
Update and new information: The county is no longer planning on raising the speed limit to 45, it is the City of San Ramon that plans to raise the speed limit to 40.
14 comments:
This is Crazy!
What is the San Ramon City Council thinking?
That whole area is now a major shortcut from Camino Tassajara to Bollinger Canyon Road, through residential districts. Drivers will be zipping along at 55 mph, not 45 mph when all is said and done.
I can't believe Mayor Wilson and the City Council is suing to prevent this from going on the ballot. This is plain ridiculous.
It makes sense to have it like Alcosta Blvd. south of Bollinger Canyon Road, with stop signs and slower speeds.
It's apparent that there is more going on with this City Council than meets the eye. They are trying to set a precedent for all future initiatives brought forth by individuals or groups.
These initiatives encompasses one local area, one local safety zone, one local community, and should not have to bring ten or more initiatives for every stop sign or reduced miles per hour road initiatives, with initiatives costing the group or individual $600.00 each.
It is just plain common sense. Common sense which is lacking by Mayor H. Abram Wilson and the San Ramon City Council.
Will the City sue those who want to let the people have a vote about the traffic-jam causing City Center it proposes to build at Bollinger Canyon and Iron Horse Trail/Camino Ramon? Will any attempt to allow democracy cost fifty thousand dollars in City punishment fees? -- Thomas Albert, bordeaublanc@yahoo.com
This is amazing. Why won't the city let the voters decide what is best for their community? It does make you wonder what country we live in. Perhaps the city council needs some competition in the next election. Sounds like an abuse of power to me.
How many people will have to die before the residents get what they need? The stop signs proposed are mostly around local schools and parks. In the remaining cases, they are there to assist in major blind intersections. It's clear on their website: www.stopsignsinwindemere.com
I think it is about time the Mayor and the city council was "recalled", if there is any such provision in the City's laws.
Before you start running your mouth about a recall, perhaps you people should actually put up some actual candidates to challenge the incumbents during the regularly scheduled election.
By the way, why do some people only direct their venom towards the mayor, even though the four others on the council vote in lock step with him? Hmm....
Hey Rick,
You are right on all the City Council members locked into step with the Mayor. Councilmember Carol J. Rowley, Councilmember David E. Hudson, Vice Mayor Scott Perkins, and Councilmember Jim Livingstone are all guilty, with Mayor H. Abram Wilson leading the pack.
When was the last time you heard serious debate on any issue in the City Council sessions? Almost never, because the Mayor discourages debates and runs the City Council with an Iron Fist himself. Debates should be a part of local government, where views are freely expressed for the citizens to watch and listen, but not in San Ramon. If there are any debates what so ever, they happen behind closed doors and in back room deals subverting the Brown Act.
As far as your assertion that because no one ("you people") is running for election does not give a person the right to speak out, exercising their rights to free speech, is completely wrong of you. As citizens, our elected officials serve at the pleasure of the people. We have a right and an obligation to question them and demand accountability. Just because no one ran for City Council elections, doesn't mean that the entire group shouldn't be recalled.
This is stupid for the City Council, Wilson, Rowley, Hudson, Perkins, and Livingston to bring a lawsuit against a San Ramon citizen for an initiative that was brought forth by an individual to protect the children and the citizens of a small community area.
Recall Them All! Hudson, Livingston, Rowley, Perkins, and Wilson.
I think what Rick is saying is this. If you feel that the City Council is so bad, and is making such bad decisions, then why couldn't your group even muster up support and funding for a single candidate to take on this as you claim, group of incompetent fools?
And if you didn't have anyone who could run against them, how do you feel you can muster up enough support for a recall? Do you know how much that costs in both time and money?
Give them time. It's about time for the Dougherty Valley to have some representation. There will be candidates coming for future campaigns. This law suit was filed in October, AFTER the election was canceled.
Wow! I really can't believe that the city is actually filing not one but two lawsuits against someone that is only trying to make his neighborhood safer. It's really sad to tell you the truth. As for the comment about "you people running your mouth" I think it's OK for people to suggest a recall or some type of action against the mayor and city council without actually bringing in candidates to replace them. It's OK to have an opinion about issues without having to fix them all yourself. I do think that something as ridiculous as this calls for some type of action against the mayor and city council. Even if they drop the lawsuits eventually they still need to be held accountable in some way. They can't bully their own residents like this ever again. Unfortunately I don't have the answer to what that punishment should be nor do I have candidates lined up to take their place. No matter if the initiative is ridiculous or not (which this one is not)legal action against a resident for bringing forth the initiative is UN American.
For the record, a 'recall' is a process in the State election code. In order to recall elected officials you must gather petitions and an election to fill the 'vacant' seats is held during the same election. You can't have a recall and not have people ready to replace them.
As far as this initiative is concerned, why not have the citizens of a city decide all the traffic issues, and do away with the Transportation departments? We can have stop signs at the library and have them available for any person who needs one in their neighborhood.
Obviously the traffic studies done in Windemere aren't adequate, or this initiative wouldn't be needed. Besides, if the City Council was trully concerned about the safety of children and residents, they would put up stop signs and change speed limits everytime a citizen complains.
Hopefully this sounds as ridiculous to you as it does to me, and logic and cooler heads will win out over a couple of well intentioned but misled people looking for their 15 minutes of fame.
It appears that Mayor Wilson wants to have child injuries or even deaths before he decides that stop signs are necessary. My family just moved to the area. The speed limit is already too fast for us on Windemere and on Sherwood Way. We would be very unhappy if these speeds were increased!! More stop signs are necessary to protect our children and stop the crazy drivers from taking control.
The arrogance of the current City Government in San Ramon makes me sick. Just the fact that this group of city official have so little respect for their citizens, that they would go to the extreme of actually filling lawsuits, rather then work with this civic group to achieve a reasonable compromise, when there is truly lives of the citizens of this city place at risk, demonstrates lack of respect they have for the citizens of this city. They do little to actually add any value to the quality of live for the citizens of this City. They have been ridding the coattails of the previous counsel for years. They play at their evil politics and line their ego’s every chance they get. The leader of this pack of idiot’s is notorious for strutting about. When it comes to dealing with actual issues this current counsel cowers and hides behind the dies running to hid behind the City Manager and Lawyers. Sadly they seldom actually talk to the people who live in this city. Sad sad people we have representing us. Don’t expect them to take the high road, it’s not in their nature.
I am not surprised. We have a disabled child and a Building Department Official made threatening, discriminatory remarks and although we've tried to resolve the issue, we're still being targeted.
They are horrible!
Post a Comment