Dear Editor,

The Milpitas Community Advisory Commission meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Community Room at Milpitas City Hall. The community advisory commissioners are all volunteer community members who have been appointed by the Milpitas mayor and city council members. As with a majority of the commissions in the city, we are an advisory body to the city council.

A work plan is developed each year and sent to the city council for approval. The advisory commission makes recommendations on CDBG grants, Neighborhood Beautification awards and is currently planning a joint town hall meeting with the Emergency Preparedness Commission for Feb. 5 at the Milpitas Community Center. The community advisory commission, as an appointed commission, is governed by the Brown Act and open government rules and regulations.

As the current chairperson of the community advisory commission, I felt it was important to respond to recent letters in the Milpitas Post relative to a lack of recreational services offered by the city for those who are disabled. As a commission, we encourage community involvement and input at the meetings. When Pat Montoya attended the meeting on Sept. 6, 2006, the community advisory commission asked staff to prepare a report including past practices, services available in surrounding communities, associated costs and the number served and asked to have the item brought back for discussion and review as an item on the

Staff prepared an extensive report for the community advisory commission to review as well as doing outreach within the community to consider establishing a program for the disabled. A survey was included in the January 2007 Milpitas Recreation Activity Guide, announced on public access television (Channel 15), in the Milpitas Post and on the city's Web site. For the city to consider a new recreational class, a minimum of 10 community members need to express a need. Ms. Montoya received this information as well as information from community advisory commissioners on resources available in the surrounding communities. Staff was asked to bring back a report to the March 2007 community advisory commission meeting.

Unfortunately, no requests or inquiries were received by either the community advisory commission or the city. The community advisory commission did ask staff to keep them updated and were open to bringing the item back for discussion at a later date. To date, the city has not received any requests or inquiries.

The community advisory commission encourages community members to take the opportunity to attend Milpitas City Council meetings (first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.) and address us and their elected officials during the open forum section on the agendas. The quality of life for all of us is valued by the community advisory commission and your opportunity to communicate with us is vital to our direction to provide sound recommendations to the city council.

Mike Queenan, chair, Milpitas Community Advisory Commission