Kudos to those who attended the 55-Acre Park gathering at Oakley City Hall. The event took place on Wednesday evening, July 19. The purpose of the meeting was to ascertain public sentiments as to their desires and needs regarding the layout of the design of the Park. The thoughts of many attendees were recorded—many thanks for the public information. I was distraught, dismayed, and distressed that Councilmember Anissa Williams and Councilmember Shannon Shaw, along with resident Kevin Romick, accosted attendees to persuade them to accept their concept for the design of the Park. All three spent a considerable amount of time explaining their druthers. All three badgered attendees to accept their wishes for the Park, which, in many ways, was entirely different from what many of the residents preferred.
The meeting intended to listen to the people of Oakley. I am not sure all the Oakley City Government members in the council chamber were listening to the residents’ wants. Fortunately, the consulting firm presenting the meeting and taking notes could discern what the residents desired and respond accordingly.
Below is a link to a survey the City conducts regarding the 55-Acre Park. Please respond to it by August 11. The survey aims to learn more from residents concerning the design concepts. All possibilities are still open. If a format is not satisfactory to you, please make a notation on the survey. For example, many people were the playing fields moved into the community with greater access for all residents. Below is also a link to a video of the meeting.
https://engage.oakleyca.gov/en/projects/oakley-community-regional-park1
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OakleyRegionalPark2.
George Fuller, Ed.D.
City Councilmember, City of Oakley, CA
