The Committee meets at Dougherty Valley Station the third Wednesday of each month at 7:15 pm, now moved to 7:30 to make it easier for everyone to get there on time. Kathi Heimann is the Staff liaison for the Committee. When Kathi asked if I received the notice with the form to reapply, I said I had but that I wasn't going to. She was disappointed and asked me why?
I said I hated driving to Dougherty Valley. She said she's planning to move her office to City Hall and would that make a difference. I said it would be easier for me to get there, especially driving after dark, but I still wasn't sure I wanted to reapply. I didn't feel I was much use to the Committee. I tended to forget (I always forget) to put my hearing aids on and so I don't hear most of what anyone is saying.
We were supposed to recommend two locations for public art at the February meeting from the list of seven sites decided on at the November Meeting. We were missing one member in February, and the decision was split with between the guys and the gals. Ron LaRussa, Will Doerlich, and Pat Tuohy chose the Senior Center and the San Ramon Sports Park. Margie Ryan, JoAn English, and I wanted the Performing Arts Center and the San Ramon Sports Park. We all agreed on the Sports Park, but we couldn't break the tie between the Senior Center and the Performing Arts Center.
Finally I asked Saundarya Mehra, who was attending as the non-voting Student Commissioner, what she thought about putting an art piece at the Performing Arts Center, since that is located at Dougherty Valley High School and she is a student there. She said the students probably wouldn't appreciate it, and it would require approval of the School District. So I voted for the Senior Center and the Sports Park with the guys and broke the tie.
I believe in picking my battles and this one wasn't worth fighting over, but I did ask that the Performing Arts Center be the next one considered after these two, and that will go in the minutes of the Committee's meeting.
Friday afternoon I received a phone call from the City's Parks Department that my application to reapply for the Arts Advisory Committee was due. I told the caller that I haven't made a decision yet. I asked if I could fax it or get an extension. The answer was "No. It had to be turned in in person at City Hall by 5 pm that afternoon." I asked if the meetings would be moved, and she said they could be moved to City Hall.
I made a hasty decision to reapply and scribbled my answers in the application. They are all illegible to be safe. I turned it in to the City Clerk's office at 4:45 pm that afternoon. For Question 7, "What do you feel is the most important contribution you can make as a member of the committee?" I answered, "Tie breaker."
The City Council will vote on the appointment from the pool of applicants, so if someone better applies that's OK with me.
