[Winona Online Democracy]
Kathy,
Thank you for the informative reply, I was also directed to a website which is helping me to further disect where the GRSF funds actually end up. I am still hoping (most likely in vain) to see a comprehensive plan for the GRSF to be self sufficient. Your statement that they will be doing it through ticket sales is perplexing. We would have to build them one heck of a theater to recoup/revenue $600k to $1,000,000 per summer so I have a real hard time believeing ticket sales are going to produce 2/3 of their operating budget anytime soon.
Regarding the park system.uhhh...I really dont appreciate you pigeonholing me into someone who stymies their budget because I dont like to pay property taxes. Kathy, I have absolutely zero problems paying property taxes, especially when they go to our park systems. Because I dare to question where our hard earned dollars are going does not make me an enemy of the city or the parks.
I do however have a problem with excessive public funding of projects which stymie the budgets of others. 75,000 was spent last week( they requested 250K!) for a study...the total cost of this study is now 325k and nobody seems to know why it costs that much or what exactly the breakdown of those costs are. $75,000 dollars...meanwhile, the Miss Winona project you referenced, of which I was well aware of, still goes on. The tennis/basketball courts in Gabrych were redone last year...by whom? not the city...a private resident did it on his own and of his own volition(and funds) so the kids in the East End would have some decent courts to play on...he was sick and tired of waiting for the city to find some funds...$75,000 for a study that money we can find...does that NOT raise a red flag to you regarding the spending of our public dollars? (and I am not even going to get into the "safety assesment" we are about to be blessed with...).
Kathy, I appreciate
your informative and insightful post, however, no matter what budget that $75,000 dollars came out of, at one time it came out of my paycheck or my property taxes.
My premise was an remains that our public dollars are being mis-spent on frivilous services/programs while the most basic infrastructure goes unattended.
respectfully
c.e. woodford
CE:
Have you contacted the GRSF Board or the interim general manager, Jeff Stevenson, with your questions about the Fest's funds, grant applications or strategic plan? Maybe a request of an annual report would be in order? I have every confidence that this organization must be independently audited each year and account for every penny spent! I haven't requested the figures, but I have every reason to believe that if you ask the appropriate person involved, s/he will provide any and all public information regarding the financials.
Bob has shared that his impression is that the goal is for GRSF to be funded at 2/3 ticket sales and 1/3 private/corporate contributions or public support. I'm sure that any application for the public funding of a feasibility study has a budget specifying exactly what will be done and for how much. I imagine that a copy is buried somewhere in your congressperson's office--especially since the funding has been approved by the state. I also believe that the City has this information as well and your City Councilperson might also be a source for the information you seek. Are these the places where you've been "asking around" only to have no response? I suspect (and hope!) not.
As far as whether the community's parks are being properly maintained--of course they are not (no offense to the department--I'm sure you do your best within the budget you have!). But it isn't because the GRSF received public funds!!! I am aware that last year's Miss Winona, Pam Chapman, began a fund-raising effort for improvements to an East End playground.(Here is a link to an article about it: http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2005/07/30/neighbors/00nei.txt)
I believe I read a recent statement by her that she hopes to carry on the work after she retires her crown as well! The parks are like many other services provided by the City that end up being low on the priority list when competing for the same funds as police and fire departments, water supply, streets, etc. This is another example of how private citizens and organizations are having to raise funds for things that we've come to believe are a public responsibility, but the government can't pay for it because citizens like yourself don't want to be taxed for them.
I doubt that the funds given by the Port Authority or the CVB were funds that could have been provided to the Park Rec Department. The Port Authority is charged with maintaining the Port and promoting the river and local commerce. The CVB's role is to promote Winona as a destination. Clearly the GRSF falls under the purview of both of these organizations--both of which have their own commissioners or directors who are charged with responsibility for budgets, decision-making, and accountability for funds.
The park/rec department is a department of the City, and its budget is set by the City Council. I think that all three (the City, Port Authority and CVB) operate independently. Please don't frame this in a way that is simply false by implying that the City gives money to GRSF instead of improving our parks!!!
Kathy Seifert
Have you contacted the GRSF Board or the interim general manager, Jeff Stevenson, with your questions about the Fest's funds, grant applications or strategic plan? Maybe a request of an annual report would be in order? I have every confidence that this organization must be independently audited each year and account for every penny spent! I haven't requested the figures, but I have every reason to believe that if you ask the appropriate person involved, s/he will provide any and all public information regarding the financials.
Bob has shared that his impression is that the goal is for GRSF to be funded at 2/3 ticket sales and 1/3 private/corporate contributions or public support. I'm sure that any application for the public funding of a feasibility study has a budget specifying exactly what will be done and for how much. I imagine that a copy is buried somewhere in your congressperson's office--especially since the funding has been approved by the state. I also believe that the City has this information as well and your City Councilperson might also be a source for the information you seek. Are these the places where you've been "asking around" only to have no response? I suspect (and hope!) not.
As far as whether the community's parks are being properly maintained--of course they are not (no offense to the department--I'm sure you do your best within the budget you have!). But it isn't because the GRSF received public funds!!! I am aware that last year's Miss Winona, Pam Chapman, began a fund-raising effort for improvements to an East End playground.(Here is a link to an article about it: http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2005/07/30/neighbors/00nei.txt)
I believe I read a recent statement by her that she hopes to carry on the work after she retires her crown as well! The parks are like many other services provided by the City that end up being low on the priority list when competing for the same funds as police and fire departments, water supply, streets, etc. This is another example of how private citizens and organizations are having to raise funds for things that we've come to believe are a public responsibility, but the government can't pay for it because citizens like yourself don't want to be taxed for them.
I doubt that the funds given by the Port Authority or the CVB were funds that could have been provided to the Park Rec Department. The Port Authority is charged with maintaining the Port and promoting the river and local commerce. The CVB's role is to promote Winona as a destination. Clearly the GRSF falls under the purview of both of these organizations--both of which have their own commissioners or directors who are charged with responsibility for budgets, decision-making, and accountability for funds.
The park/rec department is a department of the City, and its budget is set by the City Council. I think that all three (the City, Port Authority and CVB) operate independently. Please don't frame this in a way that is simply false by implying that the City gives money to GRSF instead of improving our parks!!!
Kathy Seifert
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