Fellow LPCA members,
My name is Jon Jensen and I am writing this letter to encourage you to vote for the reforms proposed by LPCA Renaissance.
I served as president of the Land Park Community Association from March 2007 until March 2008. I can tell you that all of the changes proposed are absolutely necessary if LPCA is to endure as a neighborhood organization.
Sadly, during my tenure as president I came to realize that LPCA has slipped into the control of a few long-time members who seem more interested in control than in furthering the interests of the neighborhood as a whole. Several neighbors have told me they thought these persons had represented the interests of our neighborhood well in the past, but I can assure you that simply is no longer the case. What these members do now is to act in secret to set policy, refuse to include anyone outside their inner circle in the policy setting, and censure and distort information disseminated to the public.
When I joined LPCA, my particular interest was, and still is, land use planning. I have become interested in architecture as well as urban planning and thought involvement in this part of LPCA would be a wonderful way to combine my interest with community service. Because of this interest, I got a view of the LPCA Land Use Committee in operation at the ground level. What I experienced was alarming: a lack of overall objectives other than harassment and rude, unfair negotiating tactics. I was regarded as an irritant simply for asking questions and ultimately “forgotten” in all LPCA correspondence concerning land use issues.
Additionally, I attended the city’s Planning Academy and learned what the outside community really thought about LPCA. Not much. At the same time, and before I realized just how fruitless discussions of internal reform really were, I also attempted to introduce transparency and increased neighborhood participation into LPCA.
Everyone on the board of directors said they were in favor of such reform, but when it came to putting these principles into practice, it was back to the same old control by the long-time members. An illustration of this is the current Land Use Policy. The long-time members formally adopted and published this exclusionary policy last January 16th after I forced them to do so.
Inclusiveness and openness are such obvious requirements of a neighborhood organization that I do not think anyone can dispute their necessity. It is just that when the long-time members say they are also in favor of these principles you cannot believe them. They have had many chances to practice these principles and have chosen to not do so. If not my experience, then the resignation of four other directors in the last year should tell you that.
Vote for the reforms, preferably in person on February 11th or by sending your proxy to LPCA Renaissance before then. We have a wonderful neighborhood with lots of residents who have much to contribute. Lets give everyone, not just the few, a chance to participate.
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Launching the LPCA Renaissance
"Renaissance" - To be born anew.
Websters New World Dictionary, 4th Edition
Land Park is considered one of Sacramento's finest neighborhoods, long known for its quiet leafy streets, lovely homes and friendly easy-going ambiance. It is home to young families, savvy urbanites, busy middle-aged homeowners and a goodly number of senior residents, many of whom have raised their families here.
Since it was formed almost 20 years ago, the Land Park Community Association has been the principal neighborhood organization for Land Park. Since then, the LPCA has performed some functions well, such its annual "Taste of Land Park" wine-tasting fundraiser. The LPCA, however, has not realized its full potential to be an effective community organization. Instead, it has become a largely insular group with a narrow view of its mission and little ambition to energetically serve Land Park. It is an organization sorely in need of new energetic leadership.
During this past year, the LPCA has struggled. The new contingent of directors elected in a board shake-up last Spring has been championing new initiatives and seeking to implement organizational reforms, such as a Transparency Proposal to open up the LPCA to broader participation by its members . These proposals have been frequently stymied by deadlocked tie votes.
Land Park is facing new challenges: growing concern over crime, increased traffic congestion and a controversial proposal to move the Zoo out of Land Park. We are also facing the specter of economically challenged commercial corridors, such as Freeport Boulevard and Broadway. There is also a desire among many residents for more opportunities for social interaction- for our children, our families, our seniors, for everyone.
With the LPCA often preoccupied with internal discord, opportunities are being missed and challenges are not being adequetly met. We seek to bring fundamental change and reforms to the LPCA, to make it stronger, more cohesive and more effective in serving our neighborhood. What we propose is a new beginning for the LPCA: an LPCA Renaissance.
We ask you to join us in this effort to give Land Park the community organization it richly deserves. In this blog, you can view the first round of reform proposals that we are championing. Please feel free to post your comments and join this dialogue on the future course of the LPCA and Land Park. If you would like to lend your support to these efforts or wish to discuss them, please e-mail us at ckpinsacto@aol.com
Websters New World Dictionary, 4th Edition
Land Park is considered one of Sacramento's finest neighborhoods, long known for its quiet leafy streets, lovely homes and friendly easy-going ambiance. It is home to young families, savvy urbanites, busy middle-aged homeowners and a goodly number of senior residents, many of whom have raised their families here.
Since it was formed almost 20 years ago, the Land Park Community Association has been the principal neighborhood organization for Land Park. Since then, the LPCA has performed some functions well, such its annual "Taste of Land Park" wine-tasting fundraiser. The LPCA, however, has not realized its full potential to be an effective community organization. Instead, it has become a largely insular group with a narrow view of its mission and little ambition to energetically serve Land Park. It is an organization sorely in need of new energetic leadership.
During this past year, the LPCA has struggled. The new contingent of directors elected in a board shake-up last Spring has been championing new initiatives and seeking to implement organizational reforms, such as a Transparency Proposal to open up the LPCA to broader participation by its members . These proposals have been frequently stymied by deadlocked tie votes.
Land Park is facing new challenges: growing concern over crime, increased traffic congestion and a controversial proposal to move the Zoo out of Land Park. We are also facing the specter of economically challenged commercial corridors, such as Freeport Boulevard and Broadway. There is also a desire among many residents for more opportunities for social interaction- for our children, our families, our seniors, for everyone.
With the LPCA often preoccupied with internal discord, opportunities are being missed and challenges are not being adequetly met. We seek to bring fundamental change and reforms to the LPCA, to make it stronger, more cohesive and more effective in serving our neighborhood. What we propose is a new beginning for the LPCA: an LPCA Renaissance.
We ask you to join us in this effort to give Land Park the community organization it richly deserves. In this blog, you can view the first round of reform proposals that we are championing. Please feel free to post your comments and join this dialogue on the future course of the LPCA and Land Park. If you would like to lend your support to these efforts or wish to discuss them, please e-mail us at ckpinsacto@aol.com