Dear Councilman Friend,
I am writing to ask you to reconsider your vote to develop the 400 block of downtown Hollister.
I know that serving on the council is an act of service to the community, and I thank you for your involvement and desire to make our town the best it can be. In our society, we often forget to thank our elected representatives, because unlike the national stage where elected offices seem more like circus than service, at the local level the vast majority of elected officials are dedicated community members. So thank you for your service.
With that said, I ask that you take a step back and listen to alternate voices, because just as local elected officials are often not given credit for their service, local community members are often painted as apathetic. I would count myself an active community member who volunteers, supports local fundraisers, and try to keep up on issues of local importance. I read the local paper, the newsletters from the water district, and do research before I vote. But in an age of information overload, none of us can keep up with everything. So please excuse me, and so many other community members, who were unaware of the pending plans for the open space in downtown.
Speaking honestly, I do not know if the council’s vote was right or wrong. I have tried to find information on the design plans, but have found only the broad descriptions on the council minutes and newspaper reports.
Since people are clearly engaged in the issue, it would be good to build on that engagement and have a well-publicized forum with supporting documents (architectural drawing for the plans would be really great).
Enrique Luna, Hollister
Note: The reader requested that this run as a letter to the editor.
