Grupo Pro-Sayulita Update from President Marcos Scott

(Direct link to Grup Pro Sayulita Frequently Asked Questions)

Dear Supporters of Pro Sayulita,
 
We have some exciting news to pass on regarding changes that have been occurring over the summer in Sayulita, thanks to your donations and help during the last winter season.

1.  Our garbage truck is doing a great job of picking up street trash and maintaining Sayulimpia trash cans throughout Sayulita.  The truck is also picking up trash in the following areas on the following schedule -
      Gringo/Calvario Hill - M, W, F, 9am - 11am
      Nanzal Hill - T, Th, S, 8am - 10am
      Niño's Heroes area - M, W, F, 10am - 12noon
      Patzcuaro - Unscheduled pickups

2.  Using some of the funds collected for the construction of the WWTP, we have purchased three additional aerators needed for the operation of the WWTP.  As a result, Sayulita now has the cleanest effluent in the Municipality.  The water flowing out of our WWTP exceeds government standards assuring that any water being emptied into our bay is safe for swimmers and surfers.

3.  Thanks to a generous donation from Walter Staudinger, we purchased a water truck that is being used to wash down the cobble-stone roads, water the dirt roads to keep down the dust, and water plants in public areas.
 
4.  With additional funds from the WWTP project, we are installing the main pipeline to handle the effluent from all the homes that feed into the creek that runs down Calle Revolucion and Calle Niño's Heroes and empties into the bay next to Don Pedros.  These homes will then hook up to the WWTP system, thus eliminating one of the last sources of water pollution to our bay.

As Sayulita grows, so do the needs of the village.  Given that none of Mexico's small towns have their own government, they rely on the Municipality to provide funds for local improvements.  These improvements require a minimum of 20% local participation that must be paid by us.  So that everyone is clear about how Mexico's system of funding works and why we need to raise funds for those projects we think are important, a simple description of the system follows.

Mexico has a municipal system of government.  This means that the most immediate level of government is at what in the U.S. you would call a county level government.  Small towns do not have local governments but are governed by a central municipal government.  In the case of Sayulita, the Municipality is Bahia de Banderas and the municipal seat is in Valle de Banderas about 13 kilometers inland from Mezcales.  Sayulita is one of 23 towns in the municipality and municipal leaders are generally from other towns.  These people do not live in Sayulita so they don't often have a good idea of Sayulita's needs and priorities.  In the past, Sayulita has been largely ignored when the Municipal government has done infrastructure projects.  In part, this was because there was no organized group focused on fulfilling Sayulita's needs.  The Municipal government invested in towns that were more organized.  Now that Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C. is in operation, we have the needed leverage to make things happen on the municipal level and above.

Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C. is a duly registered and federally recognized Mexican non-profit association formed by concerned citizens to represent the needs of Sayulita.  We are a non-political association committed to increasing the quality of life in our town.  Since we represent the town's interests, the municipality can be assured that the projects they help to fund through Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C. are needed and appreciated.  More importantly, they now have a local partner to oversee projects like Sayulimpia, thus insuring that the money spent in Sayulita will get the desired results and that the town will cover its share of costs.  Though Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C. is not a government organization, we work closely with the government to bring Sayulita the infrastructure you want and the town needs.  By supporting Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C., you will help to make sure that we get our fair share of government funds and that it will be spent on what we want.

Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C. also has an urgent need to fund the yearly costs of managing and running our association.  The yearly cost is about $25,000 USD per year.  As homeowners and hospitality providers, you derive both income and increased property value based on what Sayulita has to offer.  A cleaner, more beautiful Sayulita creates conditions for you to get higher rents, rent more frequently, and increase the value of your property.  A yearly donation of at least one day's rental income, paid to Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C. will help assure the continuing vitality and growth of your association and your town.

  We understand that what's good for Sayulita is good for homeowners and we want you to get the most from your investment.  Please help us to help you.  Every penny of your contribution will be spent on projects in Sayulita and leveraged against government funds our town and your investment.

Attached you will find a number of FAQs that might help answers your questions.  If you don't find your question there, please send it to us so that we can add it to the FAQs as there might be others with the same question.  You can contact Cyndy Jones at contact@preservesayulita.org.

We are also currently working on a new website for Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C.  We will send out an announcement when the new site goes live. 

Thank you,
Marcos Scott, President
Grupo Pro Sayulita, A.C.