Community Involvement
Published by DanM October 30th, 2007 in Southern Utah Talking Points and Questions, Southern Utah People, Southern Utah Places.SpringDale Town Council Elections
During the “Meet the Candidates” night at the Canyon Community Center in Springdale last week, another phrase that was repeated a lot was the slogan, “community involvement”. Cheryl Frassa wanted to know why significant events, like the appointment of a committee to study the question of Fourth of July fireworks, weren’t made known to people. Stan pointed out that the community had to become more involved in planning for a Trail. Everybody was in favor or more “community involvement”. Will Rogers famously said once, “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” That could be said about “community involvement” too.
The standard methods just don’t work. The “rules” for participating in “official” meetings, like the Town Council, just don’t lend themselves to personal involvement. There’s no question that there is plenty to do in a small town like Springdale for anyone who wants to labor on a committee. Our town is rich in people who work for the benefit of the town on projects like Z Arts, the Farmer’s Market, and the Zion Canyon Visitor’s Bureau. There’s no question that these efforts pay rich dividends in results. But they’re still “islands of participation”. Even in a community as small as Springdale, there’s very little that brings the whole community together.
In fact, probably the most unifying force in Springdale is the town Post Office. Since the postal service doesn’t offer home delivery in Springdale, everyone has a box at the Post Office. So most people go there on a fairly regular basis. You soon learn that the bulletin board at the Post Office is the best way to discover new things that are happening. It’s loaded with information and it’s kept up to date, partly because space on the board is at a premium.
What we need is something like that; something that people can use to discover things, add their own point of view, and get to know their neighbors better without giving up their whole evening on Tuesday.
That “something” exists today and it’s called “the Web.” Sites like Facebook and YouTube have proven that the Web can open the door for real participation.
Springdale has a web site (http://www.springdaletown.com/). But it just doesn’t invite involvement. For example, the same great folks who brought you the Farmer’s Market have been working on bringing you a great new Community Garden for at least a year. Where’s that on Springdale’s web site? What if you had something to say about the idea of a Community Garden? There’s no way to say it. There are things on the Springdale web site that I wonder about. For example, the most recent update for “The Mesa” Arts & Humanities Residency Center was added back in 2004. What’s happening there? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to post a message and ask!
This web page is not a substitute, but you can, at least, leave a comment and say what you think about the idea. Who knows? We might get something started.
I can only think of a few small towns that have true cohesiveness. One is Garrison, North Dakota, and I’m still not exactly sure what made everyone pull together as well as they do. I think it might have something to do with their Charles Dickens festival. The other small town I know that seems to be pretty unified is La Sal, Utah–just the opposite corner of the state from St. George. This little town also had a post office with a bulletin board, but its biggest success when we lived there was the community potluck. It was held on the last Friday of every month at a local church, and at least half the community came–even the ones who didn’t belong to that church. I don’t know how long it had been going on before we moved there, but it was still going on when we moved away, and we loved it.
Dunno about Garrison, but I know La Sal. If there is a frontier left in America, it’s gotta be around there somewhere.
I want to write Cheryl Frassa. Does she have an accessable e-mail address? I oppose the “trail” and the invasion to be tolerated by residents on the east side of the Blvd. We should have a Springdale blogsite where we can leave notes and discuss issues. This town does not belong to the retailers along Park Ave, or the Town Council. Morris
First … Thanks for the comment!
Second … Yes, she does. I don’t have her permission to distribute it, however, but I’ll forward your message. Perhaps Cheryl will reply.
Third … In my blog, “ The Tragedy of the Commons: Color Country“, I quoted Kyle Gubler, running for the Council down in La Verkin, as saying everybody wants “open spaces and a country feel” but “the paradox is that the majority also wants to be able to do what they want with their property with as few restrictions as possible.”
Although we agree that there ought to be a forum where we can discuss these things, we do not agree about “The Trail”. I think that a great community - and Springdale is a great community - has to make hard choices to stay that way. I think the Trail is worth it.
Cheryl Frassa asked me to post this for her.
1. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies-Resource Management from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and have been a Bureau of Land Management Consultant for the last 10 years. I am running for office because I believe I will bring expertise and common sense to the Town Council.
On July 4th, I watched the fireworks until the brush caught fire. Through the night, 19 acres burned killing two Desert Tortoise, an Endangered Species. No structures were damaged and no injury/loss of life to humans.
At the following Town Council meeting, I listened in disbelief to the Mayor’s apology and how the fireworks are a “Tradition”. Later, I asked the Fire Chief why he signed the fireworks permit: “Tradition”. I told him that Zion Park has banned all campfires and may soon be forced to close backcountry hiking due to the extreme dry conditions and continuing drought. He said, “They over react.” This type of “traditional” decision-making must end and I will ensure that future decision-making is based on sound, critical, and deliberated judgment.
2. The biggest issue facing Springdale is lack of public involvement in the Town’s decision-making process. There are far too few residents attending the meetings and those who do express concerns/questions do not always get answers and have stopped attending out of frustration.
Additionally, at July’s Town Council meeting, a resident requested that a committee be formed to address whether or not to have fireworks next year. The first I heard that a committee had been formed was at last weeks “Meet the Candidate” night when an incumbent mentioned it. Where was the public notification? Who’s on the committee? The same people that allowed the fireworks last year? This is not acceptable.
The problem lies in the Town’s decision not to follow the existing public notification ordinance that requires postal delivery unless residents notify the Town, in writing, that they want email notices. Yet, emails and posting notices around Town is the norm and there is no way of determining how many residents are informed. I will ensure that all concerns/questions get answers and that the Town follows the notification ordinance in the future.
3. The local government can improve the quality of life for residents by making decisions based on public input, not private agendas. One example is the proposed “River Trail” that will negatively impact the magnificent Virgin River Corridor with the addition of 5-7 more bridges and allow approximately 3,500 people access through our peaceful community at a cost of millions!
The River Trail sounds great in concept, however, it involves the dedication of a trail easement across private land adjacent to the river and not all landowners want a public trail on their property. So, in order to avoid these people, the Town proposes more bridges! We already have four bridges on the Pa’rus Trail, one at the theatre complex entrance to Zion National Park, and four more in Town. Should any of the existing bridges fail due to floods, earthquakes, landslides that occur in this area, no one can determine how the river will react or what loss of life/property will occur. Yet, this concept is another “tradition” pushed by the Town.
Additionally, quality of life can be improved by insuring that development decisions are based on our most valuable resource, water. I’ve seen how developers drive growth in Las Vegas even as Lake Mead declines precipitously due to the continuing drought. I’ve watched Springdale change from an agricultural community to a tourist destination. We have a limited amount of developable land and a finite water supply. I will ensure that these resources are used wisely.
Cheryl Frassa [cfrassa@localnet.com]