Mayor Willie Weatherford agrees with those who believe the time of two workshops for property owners impacted by the proposed expansion of the Manteca Redevelopment Agency isn’t very accommodating for those who work for a living.
The mayor said he plans to ask at the upcoming April 4 council meeting if his colleagues will support having staff add a third meeting date that offers a later time or else possibly schedule one on a Saturday.
One meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, at 11 a.m. at the McFall Room of the Manteca Library, 320 Center St., and the other on Monday, April 11, at 5 p.m. at the council chambers at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St. The council is scheduled to consider the expansion on April 19.
“I think staff needs to remember public meetings should be at the citizens’ convenience and not the city’s convenience,” Weatherford said.
Weatherford’s comments come on the heels of several inquires - including a letter from Bob and Roberta Mathews - asking for a workshop time that people who work for a living can make. The Mathews suggested a Saturday session or one that starts later in the evening.
Many people who work outside of Manteca - especially in the Bay Area - rarely are home by 5 p.m. if then.
Weatherford stressed that inclusion in the RDA is not increasing property taxes but instead will simply redirect more money back into the city coffers for redevelopment projects.
The mayor noted RDA money has been put to use making repairs to senior citizens’ homes to prevent blight as well as other neighborhood infrastructure such as sidewalks.
The following areas are being considered for inclusion in the Manteca RDA:
•The neighborhoods on the southeast corner of the Airport Way and 120 Bypass interchange.
•The strip of land zoned for more than 400 apartments along Atherton Drive east of Van Ryn Avenue.
•El Rancho Mobile Home Park and a large swath of semi-rural land generally on the northeast quadrant of the 120 Bypass and Highway 99 interchange.
•The neighborhoods between South Main Street, Manteca High, Yosemite Avenue and Moffat Boulevard.
•The neighborhood consisting primarily of duplexes and four-plexes immediately east of Doctors Hospital of Manteca.
•The neighborhood and apartments - including the Cherry Lane condos and two other complexes east of Union Road, south of the railroad tracks, west of Walnut Avenue and north of Center excluding the office complexes and city hall.
•The 1970s neighborhoods south of Louise Avenue between the railroads tracks and North Main Street.
•Northeast Manteca neighborhoods east of the Tidewater Bike path and north of Joseph Road.
•Homes and property fronting the north side of Lathrop Road on both side of Union Road.
The mayor said he plans to ask at the upcoming April 4 council meeting if his colleagues will support having staff add a third meeting date that offers a later time or else possibly schedule one on a Saturday.
One meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, at 11 a.m. at the McFall Room of the Manteca Library, 320 Center St., and the other on Monday, April 11, at 5 p.m. at the council chambers at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St. The council is scheduled to consider the expansion on April 19.
“I think staff needs to remember public meetings should be at the citizens’ convenience and not the city’s convenience,” Weatherford said.
Weatherford’s comments come on the heels of several inquires - including a letter from Bob and Roberta Mathews - asking for a workshop time that people who work for a living can make. The Mathews suggested a Saturday session or one that starts later in the evening.
Many people who work outside of Manteca - especially in the Bay Area - rarely are home by 5 p.m. if then.
Weatherford stressed that inclusion in the RDA is not increasing property taxes but instead will simply redirect more money back into the city coffers for redevelopment projects.
The mayor noted RDA money has been put to use making repairs to senior citizens’ homes to prevent blight as well as other neighborhood infrastructure such as sidewalks.
The following areas are being considered for inclusion in the Manteca RDA:
•The neighborhoods on the southeast corner of the Airport Way and 120 Bypass interchange.
•The strip of land zoned for more than 400 apartments along Atherton Drive east of Van Ryn Avenue.
•El Rancho Mobile Home Park and a large swath of semi-rural land generally on the northeast quadrant of the 120 Bypass and Highway 99 interchange.
•The neighborhoods between South Main Street, Manteca High, Yosemite Avenue and Moffat Boulevard.
•The neighborhood consisting primarily of duplexes and four-plexes immediately east of Doctors Hospital of Manteca.
•The neighborhood and apartments - including the Cherry Lane condos and two other complexes east of Union Road, south of the railroad tracks, west of Walnut Avenue and north of Center excluding the office complexes and city hall.
•The 1970s neighborhoods south of Louise Avenue between the railroads tracks and North Main Street.
•Northeast Manteca neighborhoods east of the Tidewater Bike path and north of Joseph Road.
•Homes and property fronting the north side of Lathrop Road on both side of Union Road.
