Last night during the public comments portion of our first City Council meeting since their return from summer break, Julian asked council if they could comment on the nature of the closed door session prior to the meeting. After some wrangling (he is a horseman after all) our city attorney said the possible pending litigation the City Council was discussing had to do with the beavers in Alhambra Creek.
So here’s the situation as I understand it to be and why the rushed decision to lower the water level in the pond: the block wall below Bertola’s might be compromised due to beaver burrowing and the City is looking at the threat of a lawsuit. Never-mind that we’re talking about a block wall that is sunk well below the creek-bed’s surface, never-mind that the only time beavers tunnel underwater is to open up a safe entrance into their lodge or that they only hold their breath for up to fifteen minutes at a time (I’m guessing it would take a whole lot longer than that for our beavers to go submariner and dig down below the wall’s footing); Julian reassured the City Council and staff that the beavers weren’t cooking up pasta in Bertola’s kitchen after hours; after all, they’re strict vegetarians and only eat greens.
The continued harrassment by one group of people is becoming an embarassment. As I explained to a young woman at Carrows last night, this venom truly is disproportionate to the issue at hand. But up till now when these folks flexed their muscles people paid attention. The only response expected when they tell our City Council to jump, is a deferential “certainly sir – how high?”.
I don’t know about anyone else but I thought our city fathers were supposed to watch over us all – equally. Apparently the majority of Martinez can be viewed as the red-headed step children to the three “golden” children.
Oh I almost forgot, our city attorney did say that council was “reviewing many options”. After seeing the way in which the agreed upon compromise of a six-foot set back of vegetation along the creek bank was adhered to, I can’t wait to see what those options might be.
