A little history refresher.
1 mil of our property taxes gets put in a fund that is used exclusively by the city's recreation dept. They are the only city department to have such guaranteed funding. It's a hefty sum.
In December the city's Parks & Recreation Committee (P&R) (an advisory group whose members get paid $ 75 per meeting) presented council with their new 5 year plan for the Community Park---a wish list of items and projects to be funded from the city's general fund---not using rec department funds.
Councilman Pilla specifically asked P&R to present a single wish list, with items listed in order of priority, to allow for a fruitful discussion about priorities and to allow for better financial planning for the park. P&R did not follow that direction.
Rather than working to reach consensus with council about park priorities and funding for the next five years, Councilman Anderson, the P&R rep, simply announced that P&R had decided that renovating the old pool house was their top priority and that the project should be done ASAP. The price tag, according to P&R? $ 75,000.
The reason this was a priority? According to Anderson, the old pool house should be renovated because the Highland Heights camp no longer wanted to use to Millridge School (which the camp has traditionally used at very little cost) when it rained. About 100 kids from inside and outside the city sign up for the 8 week camp each year.
I guess it is no surprise that in their ardor in pushing the old pool house renovation project, P&R grossly underestimated both the scope of the project and how much the proposed new camp shelter will cost city taxpayers.
Service Director Evans reported last night that as things stand now, the renovation project has expanded to include the following:
(1) An addition will have to be added to the pole barn in the park --and water, electricity, and sewer systems added there too---to accommodate the relocation of the service crew, the park maintenance workshop, and equipment storage area from the old pool house;
(2) New storage areas will have to be obtained for the huge amount of boy scout equipment, BB equipment, and the Home Days equipment that is currently stored in the old pool house.
(3) A new electrical system for powering home days will have to be developed and constructed, as the P&R renovation plan also includes removing the exterior electrical outlets that have traditionally been used for Home Days.
The current "guesstimate" pricetag for the project according to Evans? $ 265,000.
That's more than 3 1/2 times what P&R told council the project would cost.
But that might not be the end of it. As Evans (in his role as messenger) cautioned: " Don't throw a noose over a tree (if he's wrong)".
One person who definitely won't do that is Mayor Coleman.
The Mayor has been consistent in his verbal support of the project---all the while choosing not to include any money for it in his 2009 budget.
He announced at the Committee of the Whole meeting this week that he is anxious to get the project out to bid as soon as possible.
So what's the strategy here? Spend $$ first, and worry about paying for it later?
Or is the mayor simply leading P&R down the path, hoping to be able to point the blame elsewhere, once (fiscal) reality sets in?
I guess only time will tell....
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