Next Thursday the city is holding a public meeting at the community center by Harvey Dunn elementary (still need to get deets on time and locale) about project TRIM, so the public can ‘Ask Questions’. Word on the street is that not too many questions will be asked, in fact it will be a gigantic bitch session. People in my district who were targeted by the ‘blanket’ code enforcement are not happy. Several called SF Parks and Rec and asked what trees were in violation, and the response was, “We don’t have the manpower to determine that.” I guess $31 million a year funding their department isn’t enough money to staff enough people to provide proper customer service.

This is total crap! It is an attempt to go after creating problems and fines where they don’t exist, I also heard this blanket enforcement was lobbied by tree trimming companies in town. Apparently they were driving around town and telling the city about ‘problem neighborhoods’. I can’t prove this, but that is the rumor and would not surprise me. The economy is down and contractors are looking for work. In fact the Parks director said at the info meeting the other day that he did not want to delay bids at McKennan Park for the new John because contractors are ‘hungry’ for work.

I hope to make it to next week’s meeting – should be fun.

By l3wis