Alan Tomiyama

Recreation Manager

City of Sacramento Department of Parks and recreation

915 I street, 5^th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814

Hello Alan,

Thank you for meeting Thursday September 18, 2008 to try to work out solutions to the problem of the disappearing geese in Wm. Land Park.

I was surprised at your anxiety and agitation with my columns about the poaching problem at Thursday’s meeting. At the August 8, LPCA Parks Committee meeting, neither you, nor Mr. Brima nor Carol Stiver expressed even a hint of dismay. And at that meeting, you did not ask us to provide “proof” and/or “documentation,” as you stated Thursday. Both Craig Powell and I have detailed notes of that meeting.

At Thursday’s meeting, you took us back to May 2008 to try and give some perspective, however, you still have never asked me for my information. Let me share all of my detail with you since we have never had direct communication outside of the August 8^th meeting, and at that meeting, you and I did not speak. As Thursday’s meeting was dominated by your defense of the parks department, we were unable to get out some crucial detail that I possess on the issue:

I wrote a letter on April 22, 2008 to the LPCA outlining the problems I have experienced and witnessed in the park. I was told, by a LPCA Board member that it was faxed to each of the city council members as well as Carol Stiver at the Parks Department.

I wrote the letter because my calls to Carol Stiver since December, largely went unanswered, nor was there follow up, and the geese just kept disappearing. I am attaching a copy of the April letter.

I do not doubt that Carol made the calls she said she made to other departments, but there was never follow up with me. No one called to ask me about what I reported. No one from the city ever even asked me if what I reported was true and/or if I had evidence. 

I sent the letter to the LPCA to elicit their help. My letter was discussed at a LPCA Board meeting. But still geese were disappearing and no action plan was in place, and no one at the city was talking to me about it.

Ironically, the article that your department had Edgar Sanchez write in The Sacramento Bee, appeared to be a defensive gesture rather than a “we are taking action” article. And Thursday at the meeting, you stated that someone was supposed to call me. Again, ironic that the campaign to save the geese started with my complaints, but no one called to talk to me for that article.

You and Mr. Brima can complain that I never called you to ask what you were doing about the problem before I wrote about it, “as other journalists do,” but I don’t think I should have to chase down City employees for a problem I had reported to the city numerous times during the course of several months. Mr. Fleming’s total denial of the problem even existing tells me that he received bad intelligence from his staff and was caught with his pants down – not a good position in which to put the boss. My columns were not “inflammatory” or “volatile;” I was candid and direct. The columns were designed to inform the public of the problem as well as get the attention of someone at the City authorized to take charge.

I am an employer as well as a journalist. If my staff reacted to a client’s complaint and treated the client with the disregard and disdain that you and your department displayed at Thursday’s meeting, they would be reprimanded and disciplinary measures taken. The City of Sacramento staff needs to remember that they work at the pleasure of the taxpayers and voting residents of Sacramento. Just as I must never forget whom my clients are. Thursday’s meeting was nothing more than an attempt to deflect attention away from the City’s inaction and ineffectiveness on a complaint by a resident.

At the end of Thursday’s meeting when you asked several times, “Is the LPCA Board behind this?,” it was apparent that someone from the LPCA has indicated otherwise to you. Board Members Scott Rose and Craig Powell both stated emphatically, “Yes, the LPCA is behind this.” There were three LPCA board members present at Thursday’s meeting, which should have been a strong signal that there was Board support for solving the poaching problem.

You may not agree with my tactics however I was able to finally get everyone’s attention through my columns, when my voice as a resident did not. And both of my publishers would not have printed the columns if this were not newsworthy. Again, contacting the Editor of Inside The City about my column was insincere and in poor taste.

Alan, my only concern is to get the killing of the geese stopped. I am a witness to the “poaching” in addition to Land Park residents and neighbors. If you need, I can fill a room with Land Park residents as well as regular park goers, who can testify as to what is occurring in Land Park – from the illegal fishing with nets and multiple poles, to people sending their kids into the ponds to catch turtles and crawfish while fishing with nets and climbing on the island for eggs and birds. I have seen all of this. I have witnessed unspeakable cruelty to the geese and ducks by children while their parents watched and even egged them on.

Land Park residents are fearful of confronting visitors about these violations. We are told by the police not to confront people on our own and instead ask for support from police and/or park rangers. But then we hear and are told by the city that there is one park ranger patrolling 8 parks at a time and the police have violent crime priorities. So Land Park continues to be destroyed by a group of people who either don’t know any better or don’t care while “understaffing” remains the excuse.

We are looking for creative solutions – thinking outside the box. We have asked for enforcement but I understand that without 9-1-1 documented calls, more enforcement is not possible. I understand the conundrum. We came to the Parks Department not to start something, but for help with solutions, that the LPCA Parks Committee can participate in as well.

I apologize if employees at the Parks Department felt attacked by my columns. My intention was only to get someone to pay attention to the problem. It appears I did that. I hope that we can continue our dialogue. Again, I appreciate you taking the time for the meeting Thursday and for the anticipated time you will spend working on trying to get the city code changed.

Sincerely,