During the City Council informational meeting yesterday (FF: 46:00) Councilor Merkouris asked the finance director and the parks director what the operating costs would be for the new park. They said they wouldn’t know until 2025.
You are building a $16 million dollar facility and have NO idea what the operating costs will be?!
They played this same game with the Midco Aquatic Center which has become a bigger drain on subsidies every year and has never even come close to breaking even.
Before you purchase a home or car you know what your payments are and know what to expect for expenses, so why wouldn’t the city know what this place will need for operating costs?
Obviously a playground, splash park and dog park are NOT going to produce much revenue and any money made from user fees will easily be ate up with labor and other costs.
The councilors need to demand an operating figure before they vote to approve this, because refrigerating ice during a 60 degree winter is going to be spendy.
RIVER GREENWAY SHOULD BE CALLED THE RIVER GRAYWAY
There is nothing GREEN about our River Greenway! It often cracks me up when they call it this, all it is poured concrete with some crappy banners and goofy planter boxes. I have argued all along the River Greenway should just be a simple bike trail adorned with all kinds of native plants, that of course would save taxpayers millions in construction and maintenance costs and probably look a lot better. But I guess it is hard to attach a donor plaque to a daisy.
Do we still have any street cleaners left that we could sell to help pay for the operating costs going forward?
Let’s remember the River Green Way was a concept first born in the mid 1960’s coming to reality in the early to mid 70’s – it was to be a part of the Public Park and Recreational Department, and governed by and advised by community residents of which serve and discuss matters of who are appointed to a Parks Board.
The River Greenway is a collection of Bike Trails, Public Parks, the River itself, Nature Trails, Community Neighborhoods, and as it travels through Downtown, it connects the local businesses, ammunities to the “Green Way” itself.
As a community ages, and progresses through time, it learns how to adapt to new concepts, and ammunities.
They are merely creating a Boardwalk as the Green Way passes between Falls Park and 14th Street.
“Boardwalk”? What about Park Place or is there any room for Old Kent Road? I’ve heard you got to go to Taupeville to get a “Get Out of Jail” pass around here (But are they only good in Lincoln County?)…..
16 million seems like a lot to run through sprinklers and have a place for your dog to poop. Let’s assume this will happen. Fine, but wait 20 years for inflation to make it sound practical.
The street cleaners showed up in my neighborhood today…. Who said the city doesn’t monitor this blog? 😉