Q&A for MVNA from our 2021 Election
September 2021
1) Are there foreseeable opportunities for undergrounding utilities in our neighborhood?
In the summer of 2018 MVNA established a subcommittee to research the mechanisms to underground utilities in our area. In the last three years many dedicated folks comprised of residents and neighborhood association board members from MVNA, Old Town and New Monterey have formed a group and meet via Zoom sessions (open to the public) once per month. Their goal is to research the feasibility and costs of undergrounding utility lines in Monterey for improved safety, security, reliability, and to restore the natural beauty of the area that utility poles and the now required over trimming our trees has compromised. This group has a website Montereyundergrounding.net that is dedicated to providing information on the subject and to encourage more public participation in this effort.
The Monterey Undergrounding group has discovered numerous existing, and some potentially new mechanisms to finance undergrounding that will place all power and telecommunication lines safely and securely underground. Guest speakers have been brought in, from leading engineering and consulting firms to other successful neighborhood groups, that have already undergrounded their streets in Monterey using various funding mechanisms. Meetings have been held with Monterey City Council Members and our Mayor Clyde Roberson, who has shown great interest and support.
Despite the economic troubles all cities are facing, this group has continued to organize and work on a solid plan that can then put in action as conditions change. Many elements of the problem of funding are very rapidly changing, as PGE in June announced it will be undergrounding 10,000 miles of power lines in high risk wildfire zones. Rules for allocating the funds we all pay for on our power bills for the purpose of undergrounding are being re-written now to include high risk wildfire zones. Please consider joining our Zoom Sessions and listen in and participate further in the discussion to underground our City. The meetings are the third Monday of each month at 6:15PM. Please check Montereyundergrounding.net for our latest schedule and email montereyundergrounding@gmail.com for a Zoom link.
2) Gas Leaf Blowers are Often used in my neighborhood by both gardeners and neighbors.
Ordinance #22-18, prohibits the use of gas blowers in residential neighborhoods. This became effective 1 Jan. 2021. If you see gas blowers being used you can remind the party of this ordinance.
3) Get MPUSD to talk with the neighborhood.
We’re working on this. PK has agreed to monthly meetings with the neighborhood (see 1st Q&A). These are currently being organized by Beth Wodecki (Assistant Superintendent) and Elizabeth Jannasch (MVNA resident). The goal is to increase communication, transparency and collaboration. If you have questions for MPUSD, please mail them to mvneighborhood@gmail.com and they’ll be added to the Q&A list.
4) How about some updates on the neighborhood Improvement program projects that many of us put in a few years ago and seemed to have gone nowhere so far.
I know we are all frustrated by the lack of NCIP (new name, Neighborhood Community Improvement Program) projects completed. During COVID all of the NCIP projects were stopped unless they were already under contract or were safety improvement projects. All of the money that was for past projects was also taken back by the City general fund to keep the City going during these hard times. The NCIP now has new procedures that we hope will ensure that the projects that are voted in/funded will be completed in a timely manner. The last we heard, the review and completion of past projects, has to be done. We hope that the NCIP representatives will be part of that process, who in turn will go back to the submitter for clarification on if the project is still needed. There are NCIP projects on file back to 2008. We feel your frustration.
5) I feel that the MVNA seems to imply that the whole neighborhood disapproves of the stadium lights. Our household is completely in favor and will be much more affected than the majority of residents in the neighborhood. I think that you need to be more transparent about this when responding to the media and gov agencies. I would like to urge the neighborhood to push for improved and safer pathways from Via Paraiso Park down to MHS. The path is in very poor condition and is not safe for strollers or disabled residents - or anyone! Thank you! On a positive note, I think our leadership is great and doing a great job with communications.
MVNA has made it very clear, from the very beginning, that our focus was on getting the EIR done so that all residents could be informed. The MVNA board did not do a survey of the residents on this issue. We know there are people on both sides of the issue and for that reason have not taken a position, either way, on the stadium. I hope you saw the letter in the Monterey Herald stating that.
The path through Via Paraiso Park to MHS. In the past Pat Venza submitted NCIP project requests to improve the walkway along the side of the park going down Via Gayuba/Martin St. Both times it did not make the cut. The Park Department did not support it and therefore rated low by NCIP members. If someone feels strongly about the path that goes through the park and exits on Herrmann Drive they should submit a NCIP project to the City. We hope that NCIP will be back in Spring of 2022.
6) My only feedback is that it would be nice if you would automatically send Zoom invites to all members of MVNA, prior to board meetings.
MVNA sends only limited and necessary emails to members. Thus, as stated on our website, we ask you to send us a quick email for a ZOOM link to mvneighborhood@gmail.com. We do check email regularly, and also just before any meetings. We do not post the link on nextdoor.com for safety reasons.
7) Please continue progress toward adding a sidewalk through lower San Bernabe steep curve where creek passes under the road. Dangerous walking there.
I believe this relates to #4 above. NCIP projects were stopped due to COVID. We hope that with new procedures previously funded projects will be completed in a more timely manner.
8) Please post agendas and minutes from the Board meetings where we can read them
The agendas and minutes are posted at MontereyVistaNeighborhood.org/events. Each month we try to post the agenda on Next-door the day before our monthly meetings. If Agendas and Minutes are available, links will appear to the right of each meeting listed. The meetings are the first Monday of each month at 6 pm, currently on Zoom. For a Zoom invite link, please send an email to: mvneighborhood@gmail.com.
9) Appreciate your support for the Soledad Drive flood abatement issue. Bit of an overkill.
MVNA appreciated the project being done, but was not involved in its design. It was done by the City with general construction funds.
10) Banning of gas blowers in residential neighborhoods was not necessary and placed a burden on landscaping and property owners. Also believe it's not fair that City and commercial properties are still authorized to operate gas blowers.
Gas blowers is an issue that was strongly supported by many in the neighborhood (via a survey) and also by the City Council who passed the ordinance. The Board of MVNA supported the ban on all properties within the City, and is unsure why the ordinance only covers residential neighborhoods. Many of our residents are adjacent to commercial properties that are still allowed to use the gas blowers.
11) Noticed Sky Line Neighborhood Association has a more robust maintenance of urban forests. Some insurance companies are imposing fees (might be an interesting survey) for MV properties in potential fire danger zones. There is a lot of fuel and dead trees that need to be removed in the MVN.
In past years MVNA always put in a NCIP project, of at least $25,000, for forest cleanup. Skyline is a much smaller neighborhood and usually only had one NCIP project which would be $50,000 for forest cleanup. With the new NCIP procedures the amounts are not going to be broken out by neighborhood, but rather a City-wide amount for forest cleanup.
12) Request a greater emphasis on transitioning to underground utilities from traditional, above ground utility lines.
Our MVNA could not agree more with your request to put an emphasis on undergrounding! In the last three years many dedicated folks comprised of residents and neighborhood association board members from MVNA, Old Town and New Monterey have formed a group and meet viaZoom sessions (open to the public) once per month. Their goal is to research the feasibility and costs of undergrounding utility lines in Monterey for improved safety, security, reliability, and to restore the natural beauty of the area that utility poles and the now required over trimming our trees has compromised. This group has a website Montereyundergrounding.net that is dedicated to providing information on the subject and to encourage more public participation in this effort.
Global climate change bringing about droughts, extreme weather events, and the constant threat of wildfires are just a part of what we now have to deal with. The status quo is no longer sustainable. There are no easy, quick solutions, and reversing these changes are very difficult tasks. Much of Monterey Vista and Skyline forest, as well as many other parts of Monterey are listed by Cal Fire as Very High Fire SeverityZone. See the map locate here: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/media/5870/monterey.pdf
MVNA Board Members all agree -- First and foremost, we must secure our safety from the treat of devastating wildfires, and the economic losses and instability from frequent blackouts. We need to get our electrical power lines underground, and the same time, install the necessary conduit and fiber optic cables to bring high speed Internet and communications for everyone, and not just those who can afford it. Unlike our dangerous over-head utilities on poles, underground utilities do not cause wildfires.
13) Many CalAm meter shut off valves can not be readily accessed...emergency securing of meter (water) would require digging out several inches dirt. CALAM use to clean out box before they switched from visual to electronic meter readings. Meter shut off is required when home water system valve is not working or there is a problem between meter and house.
CalAM water meters are normally just on your side of the property line, and thus often an indication of where the property line actually is. Although CalAM will repair or replace water meters as needed, they say that regular maintenance is the homeowner’s responsibility, similar to the pipe between the meter and your home.
14) Traffic continues to speed through the MVN; many use our neighborhood streets to be bypass the highway one/68 exchange.
There is a plan for Mar Vista from Dry Creek on down to Soledad Dr. Of course it will all take funding by the City or NCIP when they start back. That is the only street that I know of that there is a calming plan designed.
15) City contracted street sweeper doesn't clean derbies from berms or gutters; just the middle of the road.
I have had this problem too. One day I was outside when the sweeper came by. I talked to him and it has been a lot better since. You can call the City Streets Department and report the problem. 646-3927
16) Noticed an increase in litter along Soledad Drive...there might be a similar issue along other streets. I can easily fill a five gallon bucket 2-3 times a month.
Busy streets and streets where the houses are way up, or way down, off the road seem to have the most litter. In a couple of our newsletters we have asked that people do “pickup” on at least one of their walks a month. We are also in the process of forming a group like “Carmel Cares”. We are just getting started, but it would be for beautification of the City….litter pickup and/or small projects that residents want to see done.