Comments on: County Offers $400K Match for Skatepark

By: Anon-u-Are

Anon-u-Are — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:45:14 +0000

I’m a fan of the skatepark, but this really doesn’t seem to be the best time to pay for it, nor the best way to pay for it.

Building a skatepark for kids when county services for the needy are strapped? How is that a good idea?

And, before somebody points out that there’s two separate millages that pay for county rec. programs and others that pay for county operating services, I understand. But let’s not get lost in the bureaucratic you know what. That doesn’t make the system right.

Having a dedicated millage for capital expenses is crazy and wasteful. It means the county collects your taxes and then decides how to spend them on one-time purchases. In other parts of the county, municipalities have to figure out what they need, then find a way to pay for them.

Ugh.

By: Lisa Dengiz

Lisa Dengiz — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:16:39 +0000

Congratulations to the hundreds of tireless, skilled and passionate youth and adult volunteers/supporters of the Skatepark Action Committee and thanks to visionary Bob Tetans and members of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for allocating vital matching funds from its existing capital improvements budget. Thanks also to Major Heiftje and Ann Arbor Council for providing space for the Skatepark at Vet’s Park and to Cheryl Elliott and the Ann Arbor Community Foundation for providing fiduciary and fundraising capacity, support and oversight.

We are fortunate to live in a county that values, honors and works hard to support a safe, free, creative, edgy and dedicated space for our many young- and young at heart-skateboarders.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:15:46 +0000

Re: [11] “Unbelievable!! The county is cutting basic services for those in need yet they are going to fund a new rec facility.”

From the text of the article:

The county’s parks and recreation program is funded by two separate, dedicated countywide tax levies at 0.25 mill apiece – for capital improvements and maintenance, respectively. The millages are separate from the county’s general operating millage.

Voters who are unhappy with the way the county’s parks and recreation commission is allocating those millage funds can communicate their concerns to county parks commissioners, or vote against those dedicated millages when they’re next put on the ballot. However, it’s not an option to use dedicated millage funds for a purpose different from that for which the millage was approved.

By: David

David — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:13:36 +0000

Unbelievable!! The county is cutting basic services for those in need yet they are going to fund a new rec facility. The city and county are not able to maintain their existing park/rec facilities. I am glad that the city of Ann Arbor is, for once, showing fiscial restraint by not providing funds.

By: SF

SF — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:17:38 +0000

I support the skatepark. But I also wonder if anyone has info on the development of more dog parks? Ann Arbor falls sadly short of meeting the demand for dog-friendly places.

By: Jessica Rodriguez

Jessica Rodriguez — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:36:50 +0000

Woohoo Skate park!!! Glad to see the project gaining serious momentum. I too, was an A2 hoodlum, brazenly skateboarding the then heavily patrolled streets. Never got a ticket or arrested, but I had plenty of friends who did. A city like Ann Arbor is well overdue for a skate park of this caliber.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:04:30 +0000

Right now, I drive my son and at least one of his friends to Brighton, nearly every Saturday, so they can skate at The Naz (indoor skatepark at Brighton Nazarene Church). In the summer we also visit various other parks, but this Saturday trip is a pretty regular gig. I spend the morning at coffee shops or the library or other Brighton businesses, and often spend money. How nice it will be when they can ride the bus to Vets and our money can stay in Ann Arbor!

By: lorie

lorie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:59:30 +0000

I missed bit bit with Marcia Higgins refusing to the letter, do we know why?

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:49:20 +0000

Re: [5] “… where is the money coming from the maintain the park? More money from the General Fund that the city doesn’t have?”

From the text of the article:

For AASAC’s part, the plan all along was to build an $800,000 skatepark – plus establish a $200,000 endowment for maintenance.

It’s worth noting that while the 80/20 split has been widely reported and was repeated by Tetens at the meeting, according to Trevor Staples, the actual goal is a total of $1 million raised, with $100,000 of that to fund the endowment for maintenance.

By: Jason Gravelle

Jason Gravelle — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:40:28 +0000

I’m curious… I understand that the building of the park is being funded outsided of Ann Arbor’s budget. But when the park is complete, where is the money coming from the maintain the park?

More money from the General Fund that the city doesn’t have? The city is looking to reduce the parks they currently have, and now there’s a push to put another on in?

Interesting style of doing business.