By Robert Haugh
Santa Clara residents told the city they want Fourth of July fireworks back at Central Park. The City Council ignored them.
In a 4-2 vote, the Council decided to keep the 250th Anniversary July 4 celebration at Mission College.
Councilmembers Albert Gonzalez, Suds Jain, Karen Hardy, and Kevin Park voted for the Mission College location.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilmember Kelly Cox supported the Central Park option.
Councilmember Raj Chahal was absent from the meeting.
The City Council majority ignored the city’s own survey results.
According to the community survey conducted Jan. 12–21, 70.9 percent of respondents preferred an evening event with entertainment and fireworks.
That’s the model residents have enjoyed at Central Park for decades.
When asked what matters most, respondents were overwhelmingly in favor of Central Park.
55.9 percent said Central Park’s location was the top factor in deciding whether to attend. Only 2.4 percent said the same about Mission College.
The survey collected 424 responses over nine days. The city promoted it through social media and city channels and distributed flyers to neighbors near Central Park.
Still, the Council went with the site residents rated as least important.
Staff told the Council that returning to Central Park would take heavy coordination with the current construction. The City Staff said the effort would come with headaches and some additional costs.
Mission College, meanwhile, was considered an easier option by City staff.
Gillmor was critical of the City staff in her comments.
“I need to be direct. Staff conducted this survey, received overwhelming results in favor of Central Park with fireworks, and then presented options designed to make the less popular choice seem more practical,” said Gillmor
“That’s not serving the public. That’s managing the Council. Our job is to listen to residents and direct staff to make it happen, not to accept barriers as immovable obstacles.”
The poor excuses for holding 4th of July at Mission College are laughable.
The construction around ISC. Last time it was the construction of
the magical bridge playground.
Gee, the A&W festival hasn’t been moved and it was held during the same
construction issues. Do better, Hardy and Gonzalez. Who do you represent?
Don’t answer. We know.
I sometimes wonder why I bother voting
Throughout the South Bay I have seen evidence that city staffs have their own agendas. They control the information that reaches the council and how it is presented and the councils typically just go along. I don’t know if there is corruption, but if it exists it will never be detected in the current state of affairs.
What a poorly conducted survey. Why on earth would you lump locations and activities as answers on the same question? What if I cared about safety, does that mean I cant weigh in on the location? The incompetence that some of our staff have is astounding. You’d think with such high salaries they’d employ competent people. Please please please have people who know how to craft a survey make these.
What they should have done was split up multiple questions:
1) What activities would you like to see? (Vendors, carnival, games, food, etc)
2) What location do you prefer? (Mission College, Central Park, etc)
3) What are your biggest concerns? (Parking, security, accessibility, etc)
4) What times would you prefer the activities/event start? (Morning, afternoon, just pre-sunset/evening)
Also, for a City of 130 THOUSAND people, less than 400 responses is not statistically significant by ANY stretch of the imagination.
These survey results are pretty useless, both on account of poorly designed questions, and such a low response rate.
So it’s either incompetence. OR it’s deliberate self-sabotage so the results can be used as air cover if it coincides with what you want to do anyways, and if the results oppose what you want to do anyways you can question the validity of the survey. THEY’VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND THEY WILL KEEP DOING IT AGAIN.
Wake up people. Toss both the entire council AND management out and start fresh with new faces, no baggage, no personal benefits.
Hard agree!
Well at least 2 people read the survey.
Thanks to Mayor Gillmor and Vice Mayor Cox
One more reason to recall Suds Jain. Another example of being tone deaf to the residents.
10 people wanted 4th of July at Mission College! And the usual suspects disses majority of residents who voted for Central Park! WTH? How many times has this happened? Remember El Camino specific plan and elected police chief/clerk – the residents spoke but 49er 5 led by Suds Jain voted opposite of resident surveys. Suds seconded motion to have 4th at Mission College.
Throw da bums out.
Last night, convicted felon Anthony Becker came after taking up all the free cheese samples at Costco and launched a ten minute diatribe.blaiming Evan Low for his troubles.
Yes, free food Becker, Evan got the tape.
I think my dog voted for Mission College, we are close enough the noise bothers him. Aside from that it makes no sense. The name says it all, “Central Park”. I understand what happened but can’t for the life of me understand why Jed York prefers Mission College.
I don’t think they understand that residents that don’t live on the North Side want nothing to do with that part of town. It’s not traditional Santa Clara and never will be. Most of the residents of the north are not even citizens. This city council lacks common sense and the correct vision for Santa Clara. The Super Bowl once again exposed Santa Clara as a place to watch the game and nothing else, while surrounding cities provide the restaurants and entertainment. I’ve asked the city manager and the council to look into getting a Sphere built on the Great America site. I have not heard back from anyone. Just like rebuilding the downtown falls on deaf ears. Adding a Sphere, which they a looking to build more, for those of you that even know what I’m talking about, and a downtown would transform Santa Clara into a destination.
This is exactly why it’s pointless to participate in Santa Clara politics as a resident. Because the leaders don’t listen to what the people want. Idiots.