Letter: A lesson in community participation

EDITOR,
I live in Boulder Creek, and have been carefully following the 5th District supervisors campaign. Some time ago, my neighbors and I were shocked to learn that the Boulder Creek Recreation District led by board member Eric Hammer, who is running for 5th District supervisor, was trying to force a new recreation building into our residential neighborhood. Most offensive is the fact that he led the rec board into spending $30,000 to hire a consultant to get a state grant for the building without having any kind of dialogue with the neighbors beforehand. No state money is forthcoming or on the horizon, so $30,000 of taxpayer money was wasted on an ill-planned project.
We would love to come together as a unified community to build a new rec center in Boulder Creek. We just don’t want a boondoggle, or to be deceived by those with a heavy-handed agenda. I hope Mr. Hammer has learned a lesson about leadership, integrity and real community participation
Tom Rollins, Boulder Creek