Due to the 2010 publishing schedule for the Mission Times Courier, the February 3rd meeting of the San Carlos Area Council (SCAC) will have already taken place by the time you read this article. Our guest speaker was District 5 City Councilmember Carl DeMaio. He conducted a Town Hall discussion of City Finances, with a basic premise of confronting Wasteful Spending at City Hall. Mr. DeMaio opined that the liability outlook is not good, based on a number of factors, including Retiree Health Care, Labor Contracts and Deferred Maintenance of the City's Infrastructure. It becomes worse when the new City Hall, new Downtown Library and the Convention Center expansion are added to the list. The audience participated in the discussion of the problems and possible solutions, including new sources of revenue. It was a most interesting meeting and we thank Council Member DeMaio for the presentation and for taking the time from his busy schedule to meet with us.

The next meeting of the San Carlos Area Council is scheduled for Wednesday, March 3, 2010, with Professor Pat Abbott as our guest speaker. Dr. Abbott is the person sought out by the local media whenever a major earthquake occurs, locally or elsewhere. He is an expert on natural disasters, a Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University, an author and a resident of San Carlos. He is currently on a trip to Antarctica and will discuss these topics and respond to questions from the audience. Please mark this date on your calendar and plan to attend for what promises to be an educational and entertaining evening.

At the SCAC meeting on January 6th, we heard a presentation by Darrell Daugherty, Plancom consultant for AT&T, and Shelly Kilbourn, Plancom consultant for Verizon, regarding permits to keep the 50' telecom site in place behind Keil's and immediately adjacent to the Canyon View Apartment complex. AT&T plans to co-locate on the site with Verizon and will move its antennas from the Crown Castle monopole, if the City approves this site. Given the lack of opposition from the community and the cloaking of the new monopole with a faux pine tree, SCAC Directors unanimously recommended approval of the site and the permits. Cell coverage is needed in San Carlos and we felt this was a good compromise, especially with the additional landscaping to be installed at and near the site and the co-location of the antennas from the Crown Castle site. The project was also approved by the Navajo Community Planners, Inc. Board at its meeting on January 25th and moves on to the Planning Commission for a hearing, probably in March. With respect to the Crown Castle monopole, that site is in litigation, along with seven (7) others, based on City Regulations that the industry feels are unfair and unworkable. Stay tuned for more on that as the Wireless Communication Facilities Policy Stakeholders Review Committee continues its twice-a-month meetings. In the interim, the monopole will remain in place.

The Lake Murray Playground Project is moving forward and needs help from the community to raise the funds needed to build a new playground for the children in our community. You can get more information at the LMPP website which is www.lakemurrayplaygroundproject.org. The San Carlos Area Council supports the project and asks you to do so also.

Please consider signing up for the Area Council "Interested Party" e-mail list. If you would like to receive information about speakers, meeting reminders and agendas and other local news, please send an e-mail message to jfpilch@hotmail.com and you will be added to the list. Rest assured that your privacy will be respected and neither your name nor your e-mail address will be shared with anyone. Messages are sent "Bcc" to prevent you from being spammed.

Finally, if you'd like to become a member of the Area Council, have an issue you wish us to consider, or a question about the community, please contact me at (619) 462-1408 or by e-mail at jfpilch@hotmail.com.