My Comments to the Grapevine City Council, July 2010

I am speaking on behalf of myself, my family and the hundreds of people represented by petitions we submitted in April, consisting of young families, retirees, environmental experts and Grapevine business owners.

I am here again tonight to ask for a better waste contract, increasing recycling, and reducing landfill waste – ultimately saving taxpayer dollars.

We’ve been in this discussion for months and months. Just last week, I wrote to each of you, at your official City of Grapevine e-mail addresses, restating my position and asking how you planned to vote tonight and why. Only two of you responded and one response came late this afternoon. You are accountable to me as one of Grapevine’s 50,000 residents. It’s fine for us to disagree, but it’s not fine for you to dismiss ANY of your constituents. 

As you know, a pay as you throw system would reduce landfill waste and harmful emissions here in Grapevine - right outside my door Grapevine. This approach is a step away from “orange” ozone alert days, when I shouldn’t walk my baby and his older brother to Dove Park to play in the water-spraying dolphins.

The Courier newspaper followed shortly after our last appearance before you, with a headline story of a citizen survey on this new contract. I want and need an open, transparent government. Our citizens’ group was excluded from input on the wording of the survey and I think we all know you can shape a survey to get the answers you already want. 

In April, we turned into City Council a petition representing more than 300 citizens calling for change BUT you spent close to $10,000 on a survey of 400, and then tell us that Grapevine residents overwhelming like the status quo? That doesn’t add up.

Please use your vote tonight and in the future to make Grapevine a better place for my family and me. 

Vote for a contract to increase recycling, reduce landfill waste and harmful emissions. 

Thank you.