The city proposal is posted so that everyone can know what the Albany Lions club leadership knows already - namely, what Albany has proposed as a solution.
This letter should be read in conjunction with the letter to the Lions Club International that I have already posted under the heading "Public plea from the City of Albany to the Lions Club International". That public letter was sent before the city council subcommittee (myself and Mayor Maass) attended the Albany Lions club meeting on February 4, 2016. This letter was sent after the meeting as a follow up.
The city never received a response to this offer - not even a rejection of the proposal - from the Albany Lions club. In July, I inquired of the club's lawyer Robert Nichols whether Mayor Maass and I might come to another meeting to hear the club's feedback on the letter, and he responded that "Once the Club has considered all of its options, I am sure it will communicate its decisions to you."
A long silence followed, and then last week (on November 17, 2016) we received the pre-litigation claim that I posted here - a claim that singles out myself, Mayor Maass, the fire chief, and two members of the city staff for the accusation that we violated their rights.
I would be pleased to hear comments on the Volunteers Memorial idea expressed in the letter. I would also be very pleased if people would share this with members of the Berkeley Lions Club or any other Lions they might know (including members of the Albany Lions club - while the lawyer and leadership surely saw the letter, the 'rank and file' may have been kept in the dark).
Right now, we are still hoping that the Lions Club itself will reconsider its belligerent position and do the right thing . . . that it would sit down with city representatives to try to resolve the matter in a way that serves everyone's interests, including the interests of all of the people of Albany and the affected general public of the East Bay.