Updated Sept. 8, 10:51 p.m.–
Latest letters and comments from readers discuss ideas for how Citrus Heights should allocate additional funds, as well as continue discussion about whether City Council Candidate Porsche Middleton should be able to use her title as Planning Commissioner for the occupation voters will see listed under her name on their election ballots.
Racism?
[RE: Letters; Sept. 6th] The assertion that I’m a racist is absurd. I have known Mrs. Middleton and her family for over two years, and I have done nothing but treat her with kindness and respect. I was simply voicing my opinion about her telling the court that she spends 20 hours per week on Citrus Heights Planning Commission business. The Citrus Heights planning Commission meets only 6-8 times a year (both scheduled meetings for September have been canceled). Generally 2-5 hours of work per meeting is all that is needed.
I find it hard to discern where Mrs. Middleton spends 80 hours a month on a commission that may not even meet during that given time frame. I apologize for any assertions about perjury, but as a Planning Commissioner, I find the hours she purports to work on Planning Commission items “unfounded.” Suggesting that my comments were motivated by racism — are uncalled for and is way out of line.
Tim Schaefer, Citrus Heights Planning Commissioner
Serving on the Planning Commission isn’t your occupation
[RE: Candidate wins legal fight with City of Citrus Heights over election dispute; Aug. 30] I served on the Citrus Heights Planning Commission for four years. When I decided to run for Citrus Heights City Council (in 2010), Planning Commission was not my occupation. This is what is at question. The Planning Commission requires that you participate in two meetings a month. Those meetings last about two hours. There is approximately 1-3 hours of reading to prepare for each meeting. So, there is a maximum of 10 hours a month and not the 20 hours a week that was stated by the candidate.
Some months there is no business to conduct — so no meeting at all. Other months there is one meeting called. Stating that you are on the Planning Commission within the body of your ballot statement is fine. However when identifying your occupation, it’s not Planning Commissioner.
Jim Monteton, Citrus Heights
New money should go towards homelessness, roads
[RE: Citrus Heights will soon get an extra $5-6M per year. How should it be used? Sept. 6] Repair our streets and get the homeless out of here. One-way tickets to San Francisco is a start!
Dennis Clark, Citrus Heights
From Facebook: More than 100 additional comments were posted on The Sentinel’s Facebook page regarding the additional $5-6 million Citrus Heights will be able to allocate, beginning in 2022. Selections from those comments are included below:
Ashley S. — How about better schools? Consistently the worst schools and they keep declining. Seems like a good chunk of money to invest in the youth. School tutoring programs, sports programs to help teach the kids discipline, etc.
Lisa S. — Revitalize sunrise mall! We will lose revenue of the mall closes when the stores start closing! Make it a destination for people to come too. Bring in more restaurants to the mall parking lot! Plenty of space to expand.
Aimee P. — They should tear down the mall and put in a water recreation area, retail and residential loft spaces above. Like The Fountains in Roseville but for safe, family fun and to maximize living space.
Kathy A. — Pave aging neighborhood streets. I have lived on Baymore Way for 40 years and it’s never been touched. The asphalt is crumpling, so many cracks grass and weeds are growing in the street, the man hole is about 6 inches higher than the street. Other streets in this neighborhood need help too.
Mary C. — How about the crime and homeless problem. More money for the police would be a great start.
Robin S. — Try to clean up the area between Antelope and Greenback, the area by Sylvan Library, Grand Oaks Plaza. Face-lift. Riff-raff in all these places. I’m a grandma who is kind of afraid to go with my grandchild to the mall area. We need to clean up our areas, like it use to be, even just 5 years ago was better than now… I used to take my grandchild to Crosswoods Park, which we call rabbit park, because of all the bunnies. Last time we were there, there were dirty grown older men. Not comfortable. And they are freaks. It’s truly scary. It’s really sad, and UNACCEPTABLE!
Nick J. — How about a nice bike trail that would rival the one in Roseville. If we could get these old people to lose the “not in my backyard” attitude, maybe Citrus Heights could actually build something that would entice people to come and hang out in this nice city.
Jason F. — I have lived in my Citrus Heights street for 34 years and they have never touched our road. I can probably find some skin on the road when I was a kid. Lol
Jason S. — I’m not sure we should fix the roads. It’s pretty fun catching air Everytime I go through a major intersection. Or the washboard sound on the roads and playing Dodge the pothole.
Rochelle C. — Roads, an aquatic park, or upgrade our parks to have splash pads — I’m tired of driving to Roseville every summer. And definitely replenish the reserves so we maintain our debt-free city. Oh, and how about hiring additional police officers.
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