HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/16/2021 Item 12, Arrighi
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Dean Arrighi <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:SLO Open Space Winter Evening Hours of Use Pilot Program
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I would like to make the following comments on the subject report prepared by Robert Hill &
presented by Gregg Hermann for tomorrow’s City Council meeting:
(1)
Open Space Usage - The report indicates a total of 7,783 usage permits were issued. However this
figure, as well as the breakdown of hiker & biker permits, does not tell me how many individuals
obtained these permits. For instance, the same person could have obtained hiker permits 3 days a
week throughout the pilot project. I think in order to get a good picture of the overall community
participation in this program, we need to know how many separate individuals obtained these
permits. Also, I think it would be helpful to know how many individuals who obtained these
permits were SLO city residents, and how many were out-of-towners.
(2)
Assessing Wildlife Impacts - The report shows no wildlife data. How are we to judge what, if any,
impacts this program had on the local wildlife population without wildlife data? I thought one of
the goals of this program was to assess the wildlife impacts that may be caused by the increased
night activities on Cerra San Luis? What wildlife species were negatively impacted, and what were
the impacts?
(3)
Funding - The FY 2021-23 estimate to continue running this program is $175,000. I think this may
not be a wise expenditure of funds considering the COVID-19 related economic downturn and
associated reduction of City revenue. Also, I think it would be bad policy to spend additional funds
on this program without knowing what the overall benefit to our community this program made,
as I posed in para. (1) above.
Based on these questions and a lack of information, I cannot make a sound judgment on whether
or not this program should be continued.
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Thanx,
Dean Arrighi
San Luis Obispo
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