Why did you move to American Canyon

AC Resident · Post by **AC Resident** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:58 am

My family moved to AC in 1985. Reason: affordability and rural atmosphere. Both seem to be disappearing overnight.

mindingcitybiz · Post by **mindingcitybiz** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 9:26 pm

American Canyon was the last placed I looked in the Bay Area when I was looking for housing and it offered what I wanted. Not to much traffic, family environment and semi-country setting. I grew-up in the farm lands as a small child, and later my family moved to the urban areas. My favorite times was when I was a young child and the world seemed big. American Canyon has a lot of good hardworking people here and I am glad to be a part of it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:45 am

I moved to American Canyon because it is a great place. The hills, new homes and wetlands all were great.
The city also seems to have alot of possibility. The Napa Jct project is going to have some restaurants, some stores. That's good for all residents.
The city manager, past and present council, planning depts are doing a great job. Am I happy about the traffic? No, but from what I'm told-it's more of a county problem.

American Canyon! Love it or leave it!

mindingcitybiz · Post by **mindingcitybiz** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:24 pm

The city manager, past and present council, planning depts are doing a great job. Am I happy about the traffic? No, but from what I'm told-it's more of a county problem.

If you just moved to the area how would you know about past present city council? And you definitely wouldn't know what kind of job Mark Joseph is doing unless reviewed the Minutes for the meetings of the last 3 years. You would then know that Mark Joseph has not done squat since he became the city manager except bilk the taxpayers with a big fatty compensation plan.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:34 pm

Just a bit paranoid?

The city has to have been run well in the past if it's in good shape now.
The city didn't pop up in one week, which means it has to have been carefully planned in the past. Make Sense?
If I raised my child with values and a good foundation (although he's two) in ten years he will emulate all the hard work, love and careful planning he was exposed to.

regarding the city mgr-unless he appointed himself "king" he answers to someone, doesn't he?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:47 am

mindingcitybiz, mark joseph has done alot for this city. its such a let down to hear your constant criticizing. you mind something else like manners cause your obviously not minding city biz.

mindingcitybiz · Post by **mindingcitybiz** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:17 am

Anonymous wrote:mindingcitybiz, mark joseph has done alot for this city. its such a let down to hear your constant criticizing. you mind something else like manners cause your obviously not minding city biz.

Okay guest here is your chance people list all the wonderful things Mark Joseph has accomplished since moving from interim city manager to City Manager? Being a nice guy doesn't count.

guest50 · Post by **guest50** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:38 pm

Mr. Joseph has balanced a city budget for almost a decade. The feat accomplished despite being primarily funded by property taxes.
He has overseen the almost doubling of the population of the town. During this expansion the city residents have continued to offer excellent service in almost all departments.
He worked with all the developers to contribute new homes, jobs and open and park space for the city.
He has worked with the school board and there are two new schools because of his efforts, ACMS and the new elementary opening in about 3 weeks.
New locations to shop, eat and conduct business were done under his watch.
New fire and police equipment were purchased under his watch.
He has also ensured all the citizens live in a safe, family oriented city.

Are there potholes- yes. Are there weeds- yes. Is the city perfect- No.

Give him some credit fow what he's done and what he plans to do.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:38 pm

I second that. well said.

ThingsthatmakeyousayHMM · Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:57 pm

Guest 50 thank you for enlightening everyone. First of all I would like to say sorry to all the council members for every negative thought or complaint I have ever had about the poor infrastructure American Canyon has since all the New Homes have come here.

Thank you Mark Joseph for letting these homes come in so I have constant broken water mains in front of my house. Now I get the pleasure of paying for larger water pipes while many of these new developers walked away with millions of dollars in their pockets.

Thank you Mark Joseph for ensuring my kid has a great baseball field to play at.

Thank you Mark Joseph for all the pot holes and caution signs on my street.

Thank you Mark Joseph for demanding the School Board take care of Napa Junction Elementary School. It is so beautiful to drive up to my child's school.

Thank you Mark Joseph for approving a blank map for Napa Junction phase 2.

Thank you Mark Joseph for spending so much money to bring us the waste water treatment plant. Ensuring that all the water tanks were built to hold the water and it was opened to do business for all of american canyon on schedule.

Thank you Mark Joseph for negotating my tax dollars to market Am Can to an agency who hasn't done one lick of advertisement for us in ten years.

But most of all Mark I want to thank you for all the beautiful parks you have maintained so well. Bravo!

P.S. Don't let Lori Luporini know about the middle school, because she used it as her platform for this past election.

calllikeiseeit · Post by **calllikeiseeit** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 2:22 pm

"Mark Joseph has overseen..."

Correct. Mark Joseph has "overseen" which means he is directly responsible for the complete lack of forthought in developing infrastructure timely in order to accommodate the large increase in usage.

stop complaining · Post by **stop complaining** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:52 pm

American Canyon is what you bought into when you purchased your home here. Whether last year or ten years ago. Influenced by the vision of this man and the city council.

The city is definitely going through growing pains. Please don't tell me you think Coffey and Luprini offer a better solution!?? What have they proposed in viable solutions to address these issues? All they do is to point put what is wrong with EVEYONE's plans or solutions.

What are their proposed SOLUTIONS??

Paul Maguire · Post by **Paul Maguire** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:51 am

A good number of workable solutions have been presented and never done.

The problem is not ideas, but rather implementation.

Until it is DONE, it is meaningless.

" We hope someday to have a highschool". Ya, so what? When can you deliver one, on time, when needed(yesterday).

" we hope someday to fix the parks". Ya, so what. What causes or prevents you from handling that sooner? Answer, money- why, no creative solution.

Creative solution= Standard Pacific delivering a new grammar school and park.

Creative Solution= raising funds for park development through private donations, through bond issues for infrastructure. Allowing a company to use the park as a "model" for what they sell and letting them use the land to create an idea park they can promote. Creating a volunteer task force.

How about this one- DO IT OURSELVES and save money? Organize a community event to fix it .

Creative solution- use the existing talent in your own community to create what you want to do, use their contacts to save on materials and other such things.

In my view, this city government has two speeds.

Slow

and

Stop.

guest · Post by **guest** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:04 am

Mr. Joseph is from my experience, a very polite and nice man. He is funny and charismatic. He is an accountant by trade and education. If the city budget didn't balance then we would certainly have an issue.

I think what people are saying is that the city manager is involved in too much. He is unable to take direction from the city council and accomplish the tasks he is delegated either through assignment or performance.

I have had to deal with city staff in his office and often find them to be unhelpful and incompetent. These are my tax dollars. As I watch the council meetings I see him giving excuses for any problems that he encounters from wrong size copies- to missed deadlines- to overcharging water customers.

There has been no resolution on several items asked by council. He openly admitted that departments are a mess. Departments that he is in charge of. He tries to "handle and supervise" his director's meetings and projects without the necessary experience or training and if you follow the agendas online some appear to result in lawsuits.

I don't think this is a personality contest but it is a qualification situation. When the city was small he was sufficient and although he made several costly mistakes it wasn't really noticed. Now mistakes cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars. And Consultants hired to make the most fundamental of decisions are costing even more.

An experienced City Manager is needed to take the city to the next level of the expected build out of 25k people. If the change is not done soon there will be dire consequences placed upon the taxpayers.

I think he should finish out his tenure as he began serving as the finance director until retirement. Then we can hang up his jersey in the hall.

The future success of the city relies upon it. CEO's of companies are replaced all the time recognizing there is always somebody better for the job who can take the company (city) to the next level. Now is that time. The city has outgrown Mr. Joseph and the council needs to set personal feelings aside and make a resposible decision for the betterment of the community that is what they were elected to do.

mindingcitybiz · Post by **mindingcitybiz** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:49 am

In church we have a saying there is a season for everything, friends, life, work. So maybe the season for our "City Manager" has passed and it is time to find a new one.

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