EL CAJON DISPUTES HARRY GRIFFEN PARK CONTRIBUTION

Saying that Harry Griffen Regional Park is on land in La Mesa and not in their city, El Cajon City Council members have again rejected a request to contribute more to the park’s maintenance and operations.

Harry Griffen Park is maintained and operated as part of a joint powers authority consisting of the Helix Water District, Grossmont Union High School District, the county and the cities of El Cajon and La Mesa.

The park is 53 acres with a 360-seat amphitheater, jogging path, playground equipment, dog park and picnic sites. It sits adjacent to Grossmont High School, which is in El Cajon. Helix Water District owns the land and the reservoir that is underneath it.

El Cajon now contributes 15 percent of the park’s costs, La Mesa contributes 40 percent of the costs, the Helix Water District provides 35 percent and the county contributes 10 percent. El Cajon has budgeted $81,000 in its 2021-22 budget for the park.

The JPA was formed in 1979 as a group venture, with La Mesa initially providing all the support for the park, financial and otherwise. But over the years, that has changed. In 1981, La Mesa and El Cajon split contributions to 35 percent apiece, with the county contributing 20 percent and Helix 10 percent. La Mesa’s police department is in charge of public safety.

Amendments to cost contributions have been made over the years — including an eight-year period from 1996 to 2004 when El Cajon’s payments were carried by La Mesa. But since 2004, entities have remained at current contribution rates.

Over the years, El Cajon has been asked to up its ante. Former El Cajon City Council member Bob Mcclellan, who served on the park’s JPA board from 1996 through 2020, was regularly asked to have the city put more into the collective till.

“I told them as far as I was concerned, the city might just back off altogether and not contribute to this anymore, not be a part of the group,” Mcclellan said. “That put the scare in them, and for a while they wouldn’t bother me about it.”

The issue came to the forefront again at the Aug. 31 JPA meeting when El Cajon City Council member Michelle Metschel, the city’s representative, said she felt pressured by the other jurisdictions to contribute more toward park care.

She said she was told by JPA representative Joel Scalzitti of the Helix Water District governing board that he and another Helix elected official had surveyed parkgoers over the years, and had discovered that El Cajon residents use the park in great numbers. Scalzitti also said he believed that some of the park is in El Cajon’s boundaries.

After checking the county’s parcel map, Jeff Olson, chief deputy assessor with the office of the San Diego County Assessor/recorder/ Clerk, said that the park is entirely in La Mesa.

“I felt kind of bullied,” Metschel recounted at the El Cajon City Council meeting last week. “I thought it was unfair asking for more money, knowing I couldn’t give an answer, and putting me on the spot. If this type of behavior is ongoing, I would say we should withdraw. We don’t charge other people to use our parks. We should pull our logo from the (park) sign, pull out of the JPA and be done with this. Why continue to address this year after year?”

After City Manager Graham Mitchell reiterated that the park is entirely in the city of La Mesa, El Cajon City Councilman Phil Ortiz said, “15 percent is being a good neighbor,” and the rest of the City Council unanimously directed Metschel to tell the JPA board that El Cajon would keep its 15 percent contribution.

“We don’t own any of the land, we don’t benefit financially or get any fees,” Ortiz said, “but we do recognize our residents use Harry Griffen Park on occasion.”

Told of the City Council’s backlash, Scalzitti said the JPA members, including Metschel, knew she would have to bring the request back to the rest of the City Council before making a decision. Scalzitti said Metschel misunderstood the direction of the group, and also that it was time for El Cajon to start contributing more of its share.

“El Cajon has been back on its feet for a while now, and it’s time for them to become a full member again,” he said. “I think it’s weird that they are part of a JPA that made all these agreements and now they’re kind of weaseling out of this. It’s really sad to me that there is this nice park and you just walk away because you don’t want to take any ownership of it. It’s really upsetting to me as an El Cajon resident.”

La Mesa City Council member Jack Shu, who chairs the JPA, said the park is a regional asset for all. “In the park business, we try to make public parks accessible, whether people are coming from El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove or wherever,” said Shu, who had a 29-year career as a California State Park Superintendent. “Parks are open to everybody and it is important to keep public spaces open and safe to meet the needs of all users. We don’t say, ‘If you’re from another city you can’t come.’ How terrible would that be?”

Shu said he was sorry Metschel felt bullied at the meeting and suggested that she may not have been as well informed as she could have been about the history of the group, the financial discussion and the inquiry for El Cajon to reconsider how much it is contributing.