Caspar West Neighborhood Meeting
July 9, 2014

Beginning July 2, 2014, Caspar Community sponsored a series of four neighborhood meetings followed by a community meeting on July 13. John Anderson and Judy Tarbell organized and led these meetings.

Ruth and Mike Dell’Ara hosted the third meeting on July 9, 2014. It was attended by:

Ruth and Mike Dell’Ara
John Anderson
Judy and Jim Tarbell
Merideth and Bob Frey
Francie Nolan
Ray Duff
Walt and Wyatt Dooley
Catherine and Terry Booth
Sienna & Michael Potts, Rochelle Elkan
Richard Hambright
Star Decker and Gene Parsons
Marilyn and Jim Katzel
Becky Bowen

This meeting we asked people to introduce themselves and state their areas of concern which we wrote on a large pad on the floor. The issues include: Disaster Preparation, Lighting, Traffic, Youth, Jobs, Gorse, Aging, Involvement

Involvement: in Ray Duff’s area, only 20% of the people are engaged. How to get their ideas of what they want to have happen. Community came together in opposition to oil and in 1991 at Michael Potts’ house. Diversity leads to strength. Consensus. Inclusiveness. Kindness. Resilience. Jim Katzel to Wyatt: come back and we’ll elect you mayor. Use email, notices at postal pavilion and mcn listserve to reach people.

Traffic: remove the North Caspar sign. Put up a highway sign which reads “Beach Access __ miles Turn Right”

Recycling: At postal pavilion have plastic tote for unwanted paper in boxes. Michael Potts will buy the can and ask the postal folks if they will pay for waste management to pick up. John Anderson will take the can to the street on Tuesdays.

Caspar Inn: Brings qualities we’d rather not have – drunken people; trouble into the community; drunken driving.
Should repurpose the Caspar Inn: make it a Center for Restorative Ag. “Farm to Table”.
Mike Dell’Ara says CalTrans attributes one death and nine accidents to Caspar Inn. ABC doesn’t care about accidents but does care about complaints.
Could lease the Inn from Susan.
Bands can’t stay upstairs so doesn’t draw big names.
Bobby will find his demise.

Highway One Crossing
Can’t walk across to get mail.
Need flashing light which activated by a button
Need “Slow Down – 30 mph”
Need trail under highway, either to south under bridge or to north through tunnel.
Need post office boxes on east side
Do what Jim Larsen did at Laurel St., Fort Bragg – sprayed cross walk.
Bette Goldfarb’s work noted
Write article on intersection for local papers, including Caspar newsletter. CalTrans doesn’t record accidents. Someone needs to do research.
Round-about, like Simpson Lane.

Water:
Need to collect information on state of wells and Caspar aquifer.
Be conservative
Share.
Need angel with money. People content with how done when heroes step up.
Caspar Community biggest stake holder.
PUC says must continue to supply water to those already hooked up. May run out. Then what?
What is required to meet community water needs.
Seek grant to buy the property and the existing water system in the name of Disaster Prep – Fire District – Sanitation.
Become a water district. If we don’t, the water will be trucked out again by Wayne Jones or someone else.
Ed Powers: has a 1” pipe from deep well pumping into two ponds with two-acre surface

Fire Substation:
Need youth and youth are working hard to cover their bills. Possibly provide a stipend for them. Many youth see being a volunteer fireperson a fun thing to do, so a fire sub station would draw in young people. Jim K will get numbers of people needed.
Comptche has 60 and 70-year olds on the firing line.
Is a major expense.

Disaster Prep:
Need a catalog of where water is stored on private property which fire trucks can access. Add this question to the survey.
Caspar Community Center is putting in solar and back-up generator and back–up batteries.
Center is Red Cross Mass Care Facility. It provides storage space and cots and food. We need to pressure them to provide this.
Need CERT (medical) training through Sheriff’s Department
Need to care for pets.
Annie Lee with advice from Ray Duff will coordinate.

Planning Issues:
Need to specify in building code that can’t build in someone’s solar easement or ocean view.
Community was hot on planning issues (county deferred to Caspar Community) but purchasing and creating the community center captured our energy. Now we can focus on planning issues again, starting with broader community planning.