Friends of Mill Valley

I am no longer a member of the Friends of Mill Valley Steering Committee (since 2008) and have no vote in its actions. So I am not speaking for them. But I would say without reservation that FoMV is the most open and forthright public information service in the City of Mill Valley. It is "unfortunate" that Marie Kerpan is unable to appreciate the years of tireless effort by dozens of concerned citizens, that has brought this about.

FoMV is not a newspaper or an arm of the City's public relations department. Shawn Marshall or anyone else is always free to post anything they'd like on the FoMV web site for everyone to read. But the opinion of any one individual, whether a member of FoMV, a city official or anyone else is not what FoMV emails have ever been about.

My observation is that FoMV has always wisely limited content of its emails to members to important background information and public notices about current topics that are of general public interest, not the opinions of single individuals (versus 11 former mayors) no matter who they are.

The rebuke of the present City Council's decision to join MEA, by 11 former mayors, is historically unprecedented. It is a "need to know" document for all residents. The City has all of our money (as taxpayers) and every conceivable opportunity and access to public media, newspapers and the "bully pulpit" to make its positions known. To insist on also commandeering a volunteer public service entity like FoMV seems a desperate attempt to clamp down on open and equal public discourse.

Bob Silvestri