The ideas of reform or strategic planning without context may seem vague to some folks. But here is what the status quo is in my District.
What residents want are bathrooms, services in their parks and to see broken things get fixed and to be able to know what is going on. In my District, District 3 which includes the Phillips, Cedar Riverside and Seward Nieghborhoods, let's look at our parks. Peavey Park is closed with all its programs transferred to other Parks- no explanation or coordination with the community. East Phillips was promised a much needed community center 12 years ago. Every year, for 12 years the Board has spent its time and money on such things as a failed sports complex outside the city limits, a marina proposal for a location that could not work for a marina, a proposal to build a restaurant in Loring Park, adding another expensive layer of adminstrators to suprervise non existant constituant services. Riverside Park (another highly used park with no park services)- bulldozers just show and just rip things up without anyone in the adjacent homes being informed or involved. The park Board has ripped up the tennis court, pulled out the back stop for a much used ball field that has been used by picnicers and neighbors for things like- parents against the kids games, for more than 20 years. The backstop was supposed to be replaced. Where is it? Bluff Street Park- hard working neighbors get door slammed in their face for trying to improve abandoned park property. Matthews Park- We have tons of kids from new African immigrant families. Soccer is a great passion in the African community but are these kids in the Matthews soccer programs? No they aren't. Outreach means going out- you have to recruit. Instead the Park Board cancels its mailed out newspaper that tells residents about programs- now you have to go online. When my kids were teens, the Park directors knew where the kids were and went out and got them. They knew which kids were starting to get into trouble and needed something positive to do. I hear a constant drone of lip service from the Park Board majority about programs for kids. But the reality is we are not serving our teens. Matthews Park has 2 foot by 3 foot sign on the front door telling teens they cannot enter the Park Building in the evening unless they have already signed up for a program. If it is broken, don't fix it. I build things, I fix things at my day job. We could save the tax payers hudreds of thousands of dollars at 26th Street if there would be some routine repair of a washout. Instead the sidewalk and trail are about to collapse. In Seward, the Park benches are broken along the River. Three 2x6's and six bolts takes how many years to replace? In my District the most glaring neglect is how the Park Board Majority and its District # 3 Commissioner have ignored the needs of Phillips. Thanks, Scott Vreeland Seward REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
