Dear Friends:After four years of hard work, the Trail System Master Plan (TSMP) is up for final adoption at next week’s Town Council meeting! We’ll wager our congratulations in advance: a hearty pat on the back to each and every member of the Mammoth Lakes community who dedicated time, effort, and insight into the plan’s development, public review, and, now, its adoption. We hope you can join us in the Town Council Chambers(Suite Z, on the top floor of the Vons shopping plaza) on Wednesday, October 19, at 6 p.m. to witness the final action in this plan’s long journey.
But we wouldn’t let this momentous occasion pass without a party, now would we? Indeed,we are throwing the community a celebration event on Saturday, October 22, not only to honor the TSMP’s adoption, but also to reveal how this plan can now be fully realized and implemented as the Mammoth Lakes Trail System. (In fact, just about half of the plan that doesn’t require environmental analysis is already being implemented, so we’re already several big steps ahead!) We’ll begin greeting guests at 7:00 p.m. at the Westin Monache Resort—with whom MLTPA has just cemented a year-long partnership on behalf of the Mammoth Lakes Trail System—and then give a keynote speech of appreciation at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Light refreshments will be served until 9:00 p.m., and no RSVP is needed.
It’s hard to believe that our four-year journey will end in one week, but really it’s just the beginning. We welcome your curiosity, creativity, and glass-raising on October 22!
Simply mad with anticipation,
Kim Stravers
Community Engagement Director
MLTPA Foundation
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Good questions have been raised on this blog and at least Ms. Hogan had the courage to bring the issue to the forefront notwithstanding personal attacks. Did’nt MLTPA start off as an advocacy group led by one or two people? Regardless of billabill rate discussions, which are not really relevant, how did we get to 20 “staff” members of MLTPA when we have a fully staffed planning department? Is there no confidence in our Community Development Director or are the MLTPA folks that skillful in politically imbedding themselves into the measure R funds and the measure R process? Why are our politicians allowing this to happen or at least attempt to explain to the community what is going on? It seems so intertwined that it gives the impression there is a quid pro benefit of MLTPA’s organizational support for future Council Member re-election bids in exchange for continued use and support of measure R funds for administrative salaries? The problem is that no one has explained any of this and are these perceptions reality or mistruths? I for one appreciate the prior posts for at least bringing this issue to light.
The controversy at the last Council meeting regarding salaries paid to over 20 MLTPA employees was never covered on this website. Are people aware that the majority of measure R monies have gone to this organization rather than shovel ready projects? If I would of known the executive director was making roughly $170,000 per year or $83 per hour as reported in the Mammoth Times, I’m not sure I would of voted in favor of Measure R. What is more shameful is our Town Council knowingly approving of this without much disclosure to the community (I think it is a conflict of interest for our political representatives to also be on the board of MLTPA). It would be nice to see the salaries of each employee and what percentage of total measure R monies have been paid to this organization. I’m sure there will be explanations and justifications for these expenditures as the MLTPA folks are very skillful protecting themselves – but what has happened really smells bad. In today’s local economy and what the Town if facing with the airport debt,it is truly shameful that this has happened to this extent. This community deserves full, complete, and total transparency on this issue. Once this happens, only then the community can decide if this is how these funds are to be spent.
It’s all about spending money they will NEVER have…
The controversy at the last Town Council meeting is predicated on a pack of mistruths and grossly errant figures. Sandy Hogan has successfully sown the seeds of discontent and toxic lies once again, this coming from the head of a Community Commission (Mobility Commisssion). Using MLTPA’s billable rates as data for yearly salaries in an attempt to gain community support against MLTPA is pitiful and disgusting. Shame on you Sandy Hogan! Has anyone seen the billable rates that Mammoth Lakes housing charges? $160 per hour or roughly for the director, but this is no where near the amount that is paid hourly. For all the community that believes the pack of lies that Hogan has brought forth you need to educate yourself on a billable rate. The hourly that John Wentworth actually makes is closer to about half his billable, and it is up to the Town of Mammoth Lakes to come forth and correct these viscious lies and provide “transparency” on the matter, as anything that MLTPA says will be seen as biased. Lastly, how do you get a shovel ready project without any planning? Have you any idea the amount of time, energy and nonsense that is involved in getting anything “shovel ready” when one has to go through both the town and the USFS? Without planning, you end up with the hodgepodge that is currently our town–poor or zero signage, weird buildings,incongruent developments, some with no parking, etc. What MLTPA is bringing to this community is opportunity. A comprehensive and cohesive trail system that right now doesn’t exist. And if you think that the trails we have now are going to be magically maintained in the future just because they exist now, think again! The federal and state governments are continuing to continue to cut budgets and slash funding and the Town still has to ante up roughly 30-40 million dollars for a lawsuit it lost. Where’s the outrage at that? We, the citizens are being forced to pay this bill. Has anyone questioned the salaries the town manager, finance officer, lawyers were/are making? What are MLTPA- naysayers visions for Mammoth? What plan for a viable economic future are they bringing forth? I’ve not heard of one yet. Oh wait, I think i did hear some whining to get the tennis courts refurbished. Right. Tennis….a real money maker for the town. Lots of people come to our area to play “tennis”…I suggest Sandy Hogan get her facts straight and spend a little more time directing the Mobility Commission, which in my opinion, continues to be “immobile.”