2001-07-09 Regular Meeting and Special Called Workshop Meeting

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~~ • • July 9, 2001 Mayor, City Council Members and fellow Citizens of La Porte, Thank You for the opportunity to talk to you. I have learned that there are certain things that a person just shouldn't do, things that may seem too simple to dwell upon but none the less are important lessons in life. Example; Don't put your socks on after your shoes. Don't raise livestock in the middle of the highway. Don't plant water lilies in your xeriscape garden. These are silly and simple illustrations of practices that do not work and are a perfect preface to my discussion today. l .) The city has provided a park and playground at North 4~' Street and Tyler and, I might add, is used continually by the youth and adults of the community. THANK YOU! The concern that I have is the ability of cars to drive in and park within the play area of the park. Originally there was a house and driveway at this site and culvert pipe was used to access the private yard past the storm ditches. When the park was developed, new culvert pipe replaced the old and thus created a `new driveway' into the park. I have personally witnessed cars parked on the playground. That entails driving the entire width of the play area and then parking the vehicle. These cars have no place in the playground with people and these culverts have no place or practical use in the park. The maintenance crews, with their tractors/mowers, have no trouble negotiating the storm ditches to access the grass and trees. We need to put the sock back where it belongs. 2.) With the onset of The Tour de France, bicycling is on my mind. I do have a bicycle and I do have a helmet and I do enjoy riding my bike in my neighborhood. Sometimes, I ride further to the La Porte Feed Store or to Kroger but my helmet does not ease my apprehensions of contending with cars and trucks on the roads. A bicyclist or pedestrian may have the legal right of way but one minor indecision by either party is always more detrimental to the person not in the vehicle. At one point there was discussion and approval of bike paths within the city. I would like to see something being done that would be more bicycle friendly so that we don't have `livestock' on the freeways.