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Next Salida MAC Meeting:
Tuesday, Sept 25, 2012
at 7 p.m.
Speaker: Salida Union School Superintendent,
Twila Tosh
Salida Library Community Room
4835 Sisk Rd. Salida
Members of the public are welcome to attend and share their community concerns.
You can watch Salida MAC meetings at home on government cable channel 19 in Salida and channel 7 in Modesto
Saturday 11am-1pm
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Report on August’s Salida MAC Meeting –
Salida Annexation Update
The well-attended August 28th meeting opened with many public questions and concerns regarding the possible annexation of Salida by the City of Modesto. Salida MAC Councilmembers answered as many questions as possible then Stanislaus County Supervisor, Terry Withrow and Modesto City Councilman, John Gunderson spoke on the issue. Supervisor Withrow (pictured left) stated that the annexation feasibility study would be returned in about 2 months, but until that time, many questions will remain unanswered including whether the annexation will proceed.
(If you do not subscribe to the Modesto Bee and have not heard about the annexation issue, there were 3 articles and 1 OpEd published about it in August which you can read in the Bee’s online archives at modbee.com) We thank all who attended the meeting and hope you will attend future meetings and continue to communicate your community concerns.
Help for Neighborhood Foreclosures, Renters, Emergency Shelter, etc. from Stanislaus County’s Community Development Department
Aaron Farnon, Stanislaus County Community Development Manager reported that his department applies for special federal grant programs to help serve the middle class to low income community. Programs like first-time home buyer rehab programs to improve your home. 10% of their funds are set aside for public services which range in aid for domestic violence services to homeless shelters. This department helps about 50,000 individuals each year. In Salida, they received some neighborhood stabilization funds and there are still funds available for the Salida community. This year, they’ve helped 8 first-time home buyers purchase homes and 4 of those helped were in Salida. If you have any foreclosed homes in your neighborhood, that have been sitting vacant 9 months or more contact the county because they can rehabilitate them. This department also provides funding for a fair housing provider which is a non-profit that acts as an intermediary if you have landlord/tenant concerns. Additional programs provide funding for emergency shelters and to the Salvation Army, and a solar installation program for low-income homes to offset the high-cost of utilities. Contact 525-6330. For more info: http://www.stancounty.com/planning/index-cdbg.shtm
Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Library
Diane Bartlett, Library Branch Manager reported that Pre-school (Ages 3-5 Thurs @ 10 am) and Wiggle-worm (Ages under 3 on Wed @ 10-11) story times will be starting again in September. For adults, dinner and a movie “Men in Black” on Sept 24 at 6 pm. You can volunteer and sign-up for ‘LoveSalida’ which benefits the library and pick up ‘LoveSalida’ signs at Salida Kountry Kitchen. Visit lovesalida.com to sign up.
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About Salida MAC
The Salida Municipal Advisory Council aka Salida MAC was founded on July 31, 1984 with purpose of advising the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors on matters that relate to Salida including but not limited to advice on matters of public health, safety, welfare, public works, and planning. Salida MAC is comprised of five councilmembers who must be registered voters within Salida. Councilmembers are elected to a 4 year term but vacancies can be filled by the Board of Supervisors. Councilmembers are all volunteers and receive no monetary compensation. Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. In the Salida Library’s Community Room located at 4835 Sisk Rd, Salida. Each meeting has reports from our local Sheriff Deputy, Salida Librarian, and sometimes a CHP officer. District 3 County Supervisor, Terry Withrow, also attends or can opt to send a representative. The public is welcome to address the council during the “Community Concerns” portion of the meeting but please limit your comment to five (5) minutes so everyone may be heard.
Your Salida MAC Councilmembers are: Chairman Thomas Reeves, Vice-Chairman Brad Johnson, Secretary Ana San Nicholas, Karen Gorne, and Katherine Borges. Contact info: P.O. Box 490 Salida, CA 95368 Ph# (209) 612-2305 |
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Eye On Modesto 
The meeting was generally the same as the last two meetings I’ve attended in the last two years. If there are no answers to guestions from a previous meeting, what good is the meeting. Although I do appreciate the younger council members that now hold office, we would like some answers your predacessors were unable to answer. At the sewer meeting last year, when we were invited to voice our worries, I asked for the balance sheets for sewer system to show how the system was in such a deficit situation, that it was voting on a 100% increase for sewer when most of Salida was in a depretion. At tonights meeting, it was reported that those figures are almost ready. If Salida has not improved on there bookkeeping system in one year, it’s time for a new system. Otherwise how do we know our funds are being used in the most proficient way. The council need to be more open with the residents and let us know what kind of fiscal shape we are in.
The spendings of the Salida Sanitary District should be reported to the board and Salida residents. Attention needs to be paid on the spending of conferences the staff went and spended. Public agencies nowadays almost cancel all the expenditures on conferences and out of region, out of state conferences. Salida Sanitary District should cut their expenditures on conferences.
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