CITY FORCED CLOSURE OF LAST AUTO RECYCLER IN SAN MATEO COUNTY

Greetings:

As a political, civil, or business leader in your community I am writing to make you aware of a serious situation that has arisen which I need your help with. My name is Mike Baker and I have owned an auto recycling business named Infinity Salvage in the City of East Palo Alto for 28 years with an outstanding record in all aspects. On Jan. 2nd, 2003 four East Palo Alto Police Officers came to my business and forced closure.

In the City of East Palo Alto's overzealous desire to develop their City they have inappropriately targeted removal of my use in a discriminatory manner which is breaking redevelopment law. We service every City from South San Francisco to Santa Clara and the people in your constituency are glad when we say we will come get their vehicle or sell them the part they need. My 2 acres of land has been an auto recycling facility for 50 years and is located in an industrially zoned section of East Palo Alto next to a chemical recycling plant called Romic Chemical.

Infinity Salvage is the last full service auto dismantler in San Mateo County which is unbelievable when you consider the hundreds of thousands of people and cars that exist in this County. Gray Davis states that CA purchases 10% of the vehicles sold in the U.S. and the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the largest metropolitan areas in CA. The need to recycle our cars in a professional manner is critical today and there is a high demand for these services.

Each county needs to be held accountable for handling this need in their County and not expecting another County to come in and take the cars out, and this should be mandated by law. We have over 1000 signatures on petitions from citizens in our support. When my irate customers call the City to ask how they can get rid of their vehicles they are told to call San Jose which is paramount to dumping their problem on Santa Clara County.

Please write or call the leaders in East Palo Alto and San Mateo County in my support. The East Palo Alto City Council is having a final hearing on this situation Tuesday, Feb 4th @ 7:30 PM at 2415 University Ave, EPA. There will be a number of media people in attendance. Please try to attend and voice your support for this important service.

CONTACTS:

• Manager Sandy Salerno 650-853-3100 (ssalerno@cityofepa.com)
• Police Chief Wes Bowling 650-853-3125 (wbowling@cityofepa.com)
• Environmental Protection Agency Lilly Lee 853-3122 (lee.lilly@epamail.epa.gov)
• Mayor Patricia Foster pfoster94303@hotmail.com 650-328-3944 (444 Garden Street, East Palo Alto, CA, 94303)
• Vice Mayor Donna Rutherford jd32451@aol.com 650-327-7926 fax 650-568-9012 (140 Myrtle Court, East Palo Alto, CA, 94303)
• Council member Duane Bay dgbay@pobox.com 650-326-2745 (810 Green Street, East Palo Alto, CA, 94303)
• Council member David Woods davidwoods01@yahoo.com 650-329-1804 (2307 Glenn Way, East Palo Alto, CA, 94303)
• Council member Chris Woodard wcwoodard@msn.com 650-325-1497 fax 650-324-3925 (2280 Pulgas Ave, East Palo Alto, CA, 94303)
• Board of Supervisors San Mateo County, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA, 94063
• Supervisor President Rose Jacobs Gibson 650-363-4570 (RoseJG@co.sanmateo.ca.us)
• Supervisor Vice President Mark Church 650-363-4571 (mchurch@co.sanmateo.ca.us)
• Supervisor Jerry Hill 650-363-4568 (jhill@co.sanmateo.ca.us)
• Supervisor Richard Gordon 650-363-4569 (rgordon@co.sanmateo.ca.us)
• Supervisor Michael Nevin 650-363-4572 (mnevin@co.sanmateo.ca.us)