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<> NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY APRIL 5, 2000 <>
<> Starting at 5 pm sharp at 501 MISSION STREET <>
<> in SANTA CRUZ --- EVERYONE IS INVITED <>
<> <>
<> AGENDA: Wrapping up details for the <>
<> Westside Metrobase Forum April 6 <>
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[we may also discuss a recent proposal to sponsor a bus tour of at least
some of the considered sites for a consolidated operating facility.]
SECOND: i append a copy of the proposed structure for thursday evening's
forum. [i apologize for any duplicate copies of this you may have
received.]
-- Peter Scott, note-taker
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|| TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS EMAIL LIST, WRITE TO PETER ||
|| drip@cats.ucsc.edu WHO WILL TAKE YOU OFF ||
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TRANSPORTATION THINK TANK
(learning through community discussion)
PROPOSED FORUM STRUCTURE
Dear panelists and others interested in the Metrobase Community
Forum scheduled for Thursday, April 6 at the Bay View Elementary
School multipurpose room, starting at 7 pm:
We wanted to provide details of the proposed structure for this
Forum, which is being sponsored by Community Television of Santa
Cruz County, the Transportation Think Tank, and Emily's Bakery.
The entire forum event will be video-taped for later broadcast on
Community Television of Santa Cruz County.
The moderator of the forum will be Geoffrey Dunn of Community
Television.
Here is the proposed structure script in detail:
The designed starting time is 7 pm.
Since the room is available to us only from 6 pm, we will have
only an hour to set everything up. This will be a challenge.
The Forum itself will be limited to two hours (120 minutes),
since that is the length of the video tape to be used.
While this is not nearly a long enough time to give thorough
attention to the complex issues being dealt with, we hope we can
provide a start and set a productive tone for future discussions
related to the issues at hand.
We intend to allow as much opportunity as possible for members of
the public to make comments and ask questions. Slips of paper
will be provided on which questions and comments may be
summarized, to help our moderator facilitate the discussion.
We are planning for a program of FOUR SEGMENTS,[1] as follows:
Segment 1: Introductions (5 min) and presentation by Les White
(approx 1 min) on how the current transit system operates,
with description of the rationale for consolidation of
operating facilities. This would be followed by questions
and comments (approx 24 min) related to this topic. (30 min
total for this segment.)
Segment 2: Presentation of information relating to the selection
of a site for a consolidated operating facility (approx 2
min) followed by questions and comments (approx 38 min). (40
min total for this segment.)
Segment 3: Remarks on issues relating to environmental and other
impacts, such as air and water quality, noise and traffic
(approx 2 min) followed by questions and comments (33 min).
(35 min total for this segment).
Of course in each of the "questions and comments" slots, there
will be opportunity for responses from Transit District staff or
any other experts who might be present, but we should attempt to
keep such responses as succinct as possible, while still
communicating relevant information.
Segment 4: With Segments 1 through 3 using up 105 minutes, we
are left with 15 minutes, which will be allocated to brief
closing remarks by each of the panelists (2 min each).
After the (9 pm) close of the (2-hour) taped forum there will be
time for socializing and informal discussion. We have to be out
of the room, with everything cleaned up, by 10 pm.
There will be 6 panelists:
&Mac183; 1st District Supervisor and Transit District Chair Jan Beautz,
&Mac183; Architect Mark Primack,
&Mac183; Bus operator Wally Brondstatter,
&Mac183; Bicycle activist and close neighbor Ron Goodman,
&Mac183; Transportation activist Jeff Le Blanc, and
&Mac183; Citizens for Better Planning representative Fiona Cogan.
Les White, the General Manager of the Transit District, will be
making presentations on behalf of the Transit District.
It is our intention that panelists will have first crack at
asking questions or making comments in each of the segments.
Tables will be available for distribution of any literature,
petitions, etc., that people may wish to bring.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the Transportation Think
Tank: This is an informal no-budget (so far) group, open to
anyone who wishes to participate, that has been meeting on the
first and third Wednesdays of each month since January 1999.
Primarily a deliberative (rather than a political advocacy)
group, its mission statement reads:
===================================================================
** To improve the quality of life by reducing the use of automobiles:
-- by educating ourselves and the public;
-- by generating ideas for more effective transportation;
-- by crossing traditional political, geographical and
psychological boundaries.
===================================================================
For further information relating to either this Forum or the
Transportation Think Tank, feel free to call Emily Reilly at
426-9704 or Peter Scott at 423-0796. (These notes prepared
April 5, 2000)
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[1] Earlier versions of our planned program allowed time
for presentation of issues by Transit District staff at the
start of each segment. The modified version described here
is designed to keep such presentations to not more than a
minute or two. This will be in keeping with our desire to
allow as much time as possible for questions and comments by
panelists and the public. The content and relative length
of each segment is intended as a guide for this forum, and
could be adjusted by moderator Geoffrey Dunn.