I write in response to the letter of Michele Loomis in the June 22 edition of the Tracy Press, “Thanks for nothing.”
Ms. Loomis laments the lengthy delays in constructing Tracy’s proposed aquatics park because of a lawsuit by attorney Mark Connolly challenging the legality of the city of Tracy’s developer agreement authorizing the park. She implies Connolly’s action is frivolous and filed merely for the purpose of “having fun and making money by filing lawsuits.”
But frivolous or not, his suit appears to have merit. The trial court has ruled in his favor and held the city’s authorization of the park was illegal. Also, although the case is on appeal, it seems the city is so fearful Connolly’s position will be upheld by the appellate court that the council and staff are now scrambling to rewrite the park contract to remove the illegal provisions in the hope it will pass judicial muster the second time around, should Connolly challenge the revised version.
In any case, it appears this litigation is far from over, and completion of the aquatics park lies far in the future.
In view of this, if Ms. Loomis and her friends want a swimming pool anytime soon, they should seriously consider raising the money and building their own. I’m sure they could obtain much helpful advice and assistance from the many individuals and civic organizations that helped raise the funds to build the Tracy Boys and Girls Club.
A wonderful pool/aquatics facility can be built that everyone can use....if they get their heads together to do it right. The Ellis project will always be at risk for failure due to lawsuits. If the city wants to do it themselves we will all just have to wait and wait.
If run correctly a new pool facility will provide jobs and activities for our citizens. It can also make money for the city....yep. My mom ran the best aquatics program in Pleasanton back in the day. She had vision and offered many different programs that kept the pool busy at all times. She also worked well with the schools and swim teams that often used the facility. The Pleasanton Aquatic Center was a great place to hang out, to work, to take lessons and it made money for the city.
It can be done fellas. A new facility would be fantastic. But it will never happen. It will never be done right here in Tracy....unless we atrt voting in the right people to office:)
You really should build it yourselves and restrict use to only those you want in. Then you would be solely responsible for maintaining it, staffing it and ensuring its profitability.
Besides, two frivolous lawsuits are better than one. So, soon it wont even matter that the newspaper does not say anything.
They can just leave the comment sections and we will get our news there.
Additionally, I believe that when the opposition group files another lawsuit it will become apparent which of the lawsuits are frivolous.
behonestguys,
Opposition has been going on for over twenty years and I doubt very much it will stop anytime soon. Meaning you may choose to look at a single instance in time and draw your own conclusions before the appeals process is completed.
I am not trying to convince you otherwise. Your mind is already made up and there is nothing I could say to change that.
Fact is, these delays are innevitable and nothing you or I could say would change any of that.
Then they can own and operate and maintain it and charge whatever admission is required to pay for those needs?