 "Photo: Andrew Huse / Contributing Photographer")
The College Area Community Council met Jan. 10 during its monthly meeting to discuss neighborhood issues. Members of the CACC executive board include two appointed members from San Diego State - Mike Matthews from Associated Students and Sally Roush, who was appointed by University President Stephen Weber - and 18 other elected community members. Anyone who lives in the College Area can be a member of the CACC and can fill out a form from the CACC Web site, www.cacc-sd.org, to join.
CACC elections set for March
Joining the CACC may be in the best interest of hundreds of College Area residents because the CACC elections are fast approaching. Come March 14, elections will be held for seven of the 20 board positions, including the presidential slot. There are elections for about one-third of the positions that are up for re-appointment each year, and no CACC member can serve on the board for more than nine years in a row without taking a one-year break before running for an executive position again.
CACC Board President Doug Case said that if College Area residents wish to participate in this year's vote, they must join the CACC by filling out the membership form by Feb. 14. But, if a resident wishes to run for a position on the board, he or she must have been a CACC member since Dec. 31, 2006.
Police relay program changes
Community Relations Officer Pat Norris from the Midcity division of the San Diego Police Department gave a speech during the meeting regarding the changes that have been made to the Community Assisted Party Plan program. The CAPP used to stand for the College Area Party Plan, but the program is now citywide, hence the name change.
Norris said more education describing the CAPP program is planned to take place because of its effectiveness in preventing houses from getting CAPPed.
The SDPD and University Police have been working with the Good Neighbor Program, headed by A.S. Vice President of University Affairs John Ly, to educate College Area residents about the CAPP program and the rules of the neighborhood in general. The SDPD responds to a call about a nuisance property where, for example, a party may be happening, then forwards that address to The Good Neighbor Program volunteers so they can educate the residents. The Good Neighbor Program was started in September 2006, and since its creation, University Police Community Service Officers were accompanying Ly or other volunteers when they went door to door to educate residents.
Case also said nuisance parties that keep neighbors up at night have dwindled because University Police can now respond to College Area police calls rather than just on-campus calls. SDPD has had a hard time responding to noise complaints in the past because the it's one of the most understaffed major cities in the country, Case said.
However, during Ly's presentation at the CACC meeting last Wednesday, he said the officers will no longer accompany volunteers to the homes but will be on call if a resident responds to the house call in a threatening or violent way. Ly said the residents respond better and are more willing to listen when holding a student-to-student or neighbor-to-neighbor conversation rather than being approached by officers.
Neighbors might take legal action
Members of the CACC spoke up after Norris' speech and said they are still experiencing problems with nuisance rental properties where loud and rude tenants, who they say are usually college students, live. One solution for this other than calling in noise complaints could be to sue the out-of-line neighbors.
There is a workshop being held to teach the Civil Action Process on Monday, Jan. 29 at the Pacific Beach Recreation Center. The workshop is open to all San Diego residents and Case said that College Area residents have won legal cases against nuisance tenants in the past.
-CACC meetings are open to the public and are held every second Wednesday of each month at the College/Rolando Library Community Room at 6600 Montezuma Rd.
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