DID YOU KNOW That the City of Redwood City is Essentially Blackmailing Docktown Residents Into Signing A One-Sided Lease Agreement?

     Last year in May, the City of Redwood City sent residents of Docktown live aboard berth license agreements they wanted residents to sign.  The contract was and still is extremely one sided and onerous for the residents.  Most of the residents refused to sign.  When I did a Public Records Act Request (PRAR) soon after the contract was due; I received copies of eight contracts.   Then September 27th,  2013, I put in a new PRAR.  On October 11th, 2013, the City Clerk’s response was that there were no additional contracts.  Just recently I again submitted a PRAR to find out if there were any additional contracts and this past week, I received 15 additional contracts.  Interestingly however at least eight contracts appear to have been backdated as they have dates prior to my earlier PRAR in September  and in two cases original dates were clearly crossed out and new dates were superimposed. (See photo above.) Is this ethical?

    Now again the City of Redwood City has sent out a cover letter with a contract that is extremely one sided.  Just a couple of highlights from the cover letter:

“For those who choose not to sign an agreement and/or fail to pay the required fees, the City will avail itself of the remedies available to it.”

Are they threatening eviction?

“Utilities: Available until June 30, 2014…..To the extent that you would not choose to remain in the Marina without those utilities, services and access, you may want to consider making arrangements with the Marina Manager to leave Docktown prior to June 30, 2014.”

What happened to utility easements?

     The City is essentially making it clear it wants Docktown residents out and it is pressuring should I say blackmailing residents into signing one-sided contracts.  It seems to be incapable more likely unwilling  of creating  a win-win situation with live aboards.   Marina live aboards  take up very little space, are stewards of the environment, use very few city resources, and may eventually be the only Redwood City residents able to adapt to sea-level rise.  

Where there is NO will there is NO way. 

Why is there no will? 

Is this lack of willingness a staff level lack of willingness or is this lack of willingness a City Council lack of willingness?