Esparto Tonight > Rexroad.com

Tonight I spent a lovely two hours discussing the proposed re-entry facility in the theater at Esparto High School.

Saw Jim Nielsen, Yolo Cowboy, Charlie-san, Fire Chief, and a number of others there.

Supervisor Helen Thomson, Sheriff Ed Prieto, and I joined three people from CDCR on the stage to answer questions.

A couple observations ---

I have been to dozens and dozens of public meetings in my career. I've never been to one where a few people in the audience were as rude as they were tonight. They did not wait their turn to speak at all. These few people made everyone else look bad.

It seemed to be near unanimous opposition to the facility being sited in Esparto.

Some people, some that were community leaders, argued that traffic and water issues alone made them oppose the project. I expect to see those people oppose industrial zoning for Esparto in the General Plan this year. Will they be attending the meetings to voice their opposition to their proposals? I doubt it.

Again, A re-entry facility is a good thing for Yolo County. I am convinced of that. It will make our community safer and provide a more cost effective government.

Comments

By Charlie in Esparto @ Wednesday, September 03, 2008 12:55 AM

Matt,

What you saw was the tip of the ice berg. I have never in my life seen this community so absolutely opposed to something. It makes absolutely no sense to put this thing in Zamora, Dunnigan, Esparto or Madison. In fact every location that has been proposed is in Dwayne Chamberlin’s 5th Supervisorial District (even the Yolo Airport location). Yet, as you heard…the vast majority of the users of this proposed facility are from the other Districts if they are being sent back to Yolo County. Not even one proposal to put it anywhere south of Road 27 and east of Highway 113! (or anywhere near Davis, and for that matter. Helen Thompson had a lot of nerve to try to lecturer us on how good for our county and mental health…’Helen put in your own damn District then’)

And “Rude”? …What you saw and heard was mild compared to what was being said under their breaths in the audience. Putting that facility out here (in any of the Western Yolo communities) is about the dumbest idea I have every see our county government attempt…This is even dumber than when they tried to by the Conway Ranch!

Worse of all I tried to talk to Sheriff Perto after the meeting. I asked him to think ‘outside of the box… show some leadership… look for win-win solutions. All he could respond with as a “60 day rule”, why other solutions will not work and other bureaucratic nonsense or roadblocks. I learn a great deal about the leadership ability of our Sheriff in that short conservation.

It was an interesting night, I even got ambushed by Brenda Cedarblade as I was about to walk home. She tired to point out to how ever would listen that I was a “Friend of Rexroad”.

This battle is going to be ugly. I only hope that county leaders have the good sense to listen to what was unanimously being said.

Matt, I think your dead-wrong on this issue!
Charlie-san

By Matt Rexroad @ Wednesday, September 03, 2008 7:04 AM

So Charlie -- where should it go?

Your comments are very Cedarblade like. No. No. No.

Where in Yolo County would you say yes? It is easy to say no.

By mozzy @ Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2:09 PM

I have to agree with Matt.....it is easy to say "no" but difficult to come up with solutions that are in the best interest of everybody but unpopular.

By yolocowboy @ Wednesday, September 03, 2008 10:15 PM

I just posted a piece about this issue on my blog. The county once again wants to take the money and we in the rural communities have to live the burden of some unwanted, and out of place development. An AM/PM gas station and mini market and maybe a a few community based businesses? You bet. A 500 bed prison next to a school, no thanks.

We already have a Casino about four times larger than the infrastructure leading to it can handle, and what did we get inr the County's deal? Two squad cars and the promise of a Sheriff's sub station?

I have heard enough from Supervisors McGowan, Thomson and Yamada about what's good for the county. Show some leadership, and find a way to put this facility closer to the urban centers where it stands a much better chance of succeeding. Take some of the 30 million dollars and offer it to Davis, Woodland or West Sacramento and see if they will reconsider putting this facility where the overwhelming majority of these criminals come from.

I'm tired of the urban parts of the county taking the money, and dumping their problems on us.

Walt.

By Matt Rexroad @ Wednesday, September 03, 2008 10:32 PM

So YoloCowboy, you believe that County government decided the zoning for the casino? Is that right?

Those are the two examples in your post of what has been done to Esparto.

By JRH @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:05 AM

Regarding people not waiting their turn to speak, it is interesting how people will act when they are totally fed-up. They just won't wait their turn like good little girls and boys. I think that you are out of touch with the situation and sentiment out here in the hinterlands. Traffic is bad, the streets are full of pot holes, there aren't places for the kids to play, flooding is a problem and the developers and the county keep shoving people out here.

The site in question has been shown as light industrial in the Esparto General Plan since at least 1996. The community supports the light industrial zoning. It was hoped to be a place for agricultural equipment manufacturers, warehouse/distribution centers and such where the people that live here and their offspring might find employment. Very few people out here will have the qualifications to work at the re-entry facility. The 350 or how-many-ever staff will likely commute from Vacaville, Davis or Woodland. The traffic due to the casino is very heavy at times and likely to get heavier with the casino expansion. The commuters to the re-entry facility will only make the situation worse. Service level F comes to mind.

Further, we have heard that the developer (Deterding) wants the remainder of the parcel rezoned to residential in exchange for making the land available for the re-entry facility. He has tried to get this parcel rezoned before, and has failed. His earlier plan addressed SR-16 traffic by routing the traffic from his development south on CR-86A to CR-23. CR-23 is the main east/west route for the movement of farm equipment out here now that the traffic on SR-16 makes that all but impossible. Routing the traffic down CR-23 will strangle the movement of farm equipment in this area and farming with it. Of course that will appeal to the developers and probably the county staff that is salivating over the thought of more tax dollars - that don't get spent porportionally out here.

Will the tribe like a "prison" on the entrance road to their "world class destination resort"? I think that you should ask them, considering how dependant we are becoming on their largess. Further, the re-entry facility wouldn't seem to be the kind of welcome to put out to the agri-tourists that the farmers in the Capay Valley seem to be trying to cultivate.

Regarding a potential location for the re-entry facility, I recommend something near the county landfill. The symbolism isn't very good, but it is a location central to the three cities responsible for most of the inmates. A couple of Yolobus routes could be modified to provide service to the facility. If I recall correctly, some of the people out there were objecting to the landfill plans and this would provide an opportunity to buy them out.

I think that you should plan for a heavy turn-out at the meetings addressing the re-entry facility and the updated county general plan. I think that you will need a much bigger room than the supervisor's chambers.

Regards,
JRH

By Katybee @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 7:18 AM

Why is it not going next to the jail. Isn't that originally where it was going?

By Charlie in Esparto @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:13 PM

Matt,

1. To answer your first question...I am not sure this thing should be built at all...I don’t believe for one min the hardcore lockup types will change…. BUT if you must built it...put it close to a major city and infrastructure!

2. You can compare me to Cedarblade if you want...it just shows you being closed minded and not listening to the people! The point was the crowd hated you and your remarks so much at she was trying to capitalize on it by saying to anyone that would listen "Hey...blame him…He’s Matt’s friend!" (So to speak)

3. I did find out that our Sheriff is a bureaucrat and not a leader (explains the contempt I have sensed and observed in the Deputy Sheriff Corps…explains the many comments officers made to me at the fair)... But that is another issue

Matt, this facility should not (and will not) be built in Esparto, Dunnigan, Zamora, Yolo, Madison or Winters..... or anywhere in the rural western county… This one tops the Conway Ranch for stupidity!!!!

Charlie-san

By Charlie in Esparto @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:13 PM

By Matt Rexroad @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:26 PM

So once again....what is your standard? You don't seem to be willing to answer the question.

By Charlie in Esparto @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:23 PM

Matt, are you getting 'Dense' in your old age? You build it in or near a urban area with easy access to all communites and not in a rual western setting...when the folks are 100% agianst it! I am not sure the damn thing needs to be built at all....save the tax money and build some schools. I am not a 'bleeding heart' for these convicts.

Charlie

By Matt Rexroad @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:56 PM

So your standard would be that if people near a project are opposed then it can't be built. Is that right?

By Cynthia M @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 2:50 PM

Reading your blog, I cannot believe the arrogance that you and Helen Thomson displayed at the meeting and in your blog.

You talk about rude….what is rude, sneaky and deceitful is that the BOS tried sweeping this by the community quietly by not letting the community know in advance about your proposal to put the Prison in Esparto/Madison. No where did you tell the community about this meeting. There was a small article in the woodland paper the week before your meeting but did not say anything about the meeting and location. The majority of the community found out Friday, August 29th when they received a mailer that was sent out by a local group that had heard about the proposal on Thursday, August 28th when you went public with your press release.

It is unbelievable that no where in the press release you mention PRISON re-entry facility. Aren’t these inmates still serving “PRISON” time? Again, trying to mislead/misinform the community that helped elect you; I can guarantee you will not get our votes again.

The fact that this type of facility is still quite new and in “testing stages” leaves many community members concerned that when they are released and walk out the front door the effectiveness of their “rehabilitation” will be tested on our children whom attend schools that are well within walking distance of the proposed sites of Esparto/Madison. Helen Thomson having stated that many of the “inmates” are homeless leaves us more distraught that they will seek refuge in our community and prey on our children. One of many issues that you do not seem concerned with as you do not live here, nor did you personally display any sort of sympathy for our thoughts and opinions on this matter. A true politician!!!

-- Your arrogance and rudeness as a leader of this Community is appalling.

-- Your definition of “Rude” about the citizens of Esparto/Madison is our definition of “Passionate” and “Concerned”.

By Jody Dutton @ Thursday, September 04, 2008 2:55 PM

Matt, The fact that this type of facility is still quite new and the actual success rate has yet to be determined leaves many community members concerned that when they are released and walk out the front door the effectiveness of their “rehabilitation” will be tested on our children whom attend schools that are well within walking distance of the proposed sites of Esparto/Madison. Helen Thomson having stated that many of the “inmates” are homeless leaves us more distraught that they will seek refuge in our community and prey on our children. One of many issues that you do not seem concerned with as you do not live here, nor did you personally display any sort of sympathy for our thoughts and opinions on this matter. A true politician.

Yes, there are schools near Monroe Detention Center, keep in mind that those were built after Monroe, bad choice, but not ours. The repeated comments made by the BOS and CDCR about us not being "Incorporated" (mostly from you specifically) indicated to many in the "rude" audience that you are set on this being HERE, with US having little or no alternative.

We are fully aware that the decisions made will have little if anything to do with our opinions about this. Your blatant disregard for what we DO have to say is disrespectful, unnecessary and down right rude, at best!

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