URGENT ALERT! Call Dallas City Council & Attend Parks Board 3/31/09. Cross Post Please

[Guest guest]

Dallas City Council runs for election on May 9, 2009. As such, I have been speaking with Dallas City Council candidates for about a week about Jenny's situation. I think it is their right as a candidate and my duty as a citizen to inform them of the facts. Tonight, I attended a Dallas City Council candidate forum and I approached one of the candidates (a former park board member) to discuss Jenny. She told me that she had spoken with Parks and Recreation director Paul Dyer, who told her that it was not important to speak to me about Jenny. She said that Mr. Dyer had learned that I was explaining Jenny's situation to the non-incumbent candidates running for City Council and as such, he decided to hold a special, unplanned meeting to "finish the elephant exhibit"

before new council persons were seated (and could object). So, I looked up the Dallas Parks Board meetings on-line and she was correct. Apparently, Mr. Dyer and Mr. Hudson (Director of the Dallas Zoo) plan to ram through the funding for the slightly expanded but still woefully inadequate elephant exhibit the zoo is planning to build. Click on this link to see that this is indeed the case. A "Special Meeting" is being held on March 31: http://www.dallascityhall.com/meetings/park_recreation.htmlOn March 31, 2009, the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board will vote to spend many millions of tax dollars on the new elephant exhibit. Here is an excerpt from the March 31 Special Meeting of Parks and Recreation, as follows:9. Dallas Zoo (4) – Authorize Supplemental Agreement No. 1 to the design-build contract with Sedalco/MetalMan Design/Build

Corporation, A Joint Venture, to establish Guaranteed Maximum Price No. 1 for the construction of earthwork, site utilities, limited concrete work, structure and building shells for Elephant, Giraffe and Hoof Stock Holding Buildings, electrical service, filtration system, landscaping, irrigation, artificial rock-work, pools and exhibit features for three exhibit areas; and fencing for the African Savanna Development in the amount of $13,526,611, from $3,181,869 to $16,708,480 - Financing: 2006 Bond Funds ACTIONS TO TAKE:1. If you can go to the Parks Board Meeting at 10 AM to object to this specious use of tax dollars, please do. DALLAS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AGENDA – PAGE

3 DALLAS CITY HALL 1500 MARILLA STREET, ROOM 6FN DALLAS, TEXAS 75201 TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009 (10:00 A.M.) 2. If you can not go to the Parks Board Meeting, please telephone and email the Dallas Mayor and each City Council Person and strongly object to this waste of tax dollar dollars. Please do this whether or not you live in Dallas as each phone call and email is important. A $30 million dollar elephant exhibit that will NEVER meet the needs of elephants is a waste, especially when we have a $100 million dollar budget deficit. This slightly expanded exhibit will not meet Jenny's needs. To be healthy, elephants need to walk many miles a day, not many feet, which is all she (and the five other elephants they intend to cram into the exhibit with her) will have in the new, only modestly expanded

exhibit. Link to City Council Email/Telephone: http://www.dallascityhall.com/government/government.htmlThe City of Dallas elected and appointed officials are once again trying to subvert the will of the citizens of Dallas. Please do not let this happen without objection. Thank you. Margaret MorinConcerned Citizens for Jenny