The Best Laid Plans

It was a calm and civil  meeting sponsored by Councillor Gallo on Wedneday evening.

The Councillor had done  a great deal of work to bring it to-gether. He hand-delivered the letters. He booked the Council chaamber to give residents  an  opportunity to express concerns and have questions answered .

It took energy and commitment.  The Councillor went further and committed to the gathering he believed the site should be acquired by the town and  become a park. The residents were no doubt assured .

I told them I had seen residents, not as many , express opposition to a park abutting their properties

I suggested they needed to know more about the impacat of a park before taking a position.

They  were not impressed .

I re-call the nightmare  scenario presented to Council. on that occasion'  Foul language, fighting ,drug deals.  late  night lights . noise and screeching cars.

That park was planned for the neighborhood.  Site selected.  Design  approved. .

I risked the wrath of  angry residents and voted to proceed. With the work, study  and resources already exppended, I was satisfied .

Parks are not planned on a hit or miss basis.

Professional expertise and pride go into the final product .

Every park has a different element  to  provide children with a variety of experience

People may not know that about the town's parks .  I'm not sure we tell them.

The Consultant study  on service levels made the point.

Aurora parks  and recreation programs  are a higher level of service than any comparator municipality.

The budget is larger. As is  incoming revenue which covers the cost  Programs and events are popular and  well used.

Parades, Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween HauntedHouse   Summer  Concerts in the  park , Rib Fest,
Winter Festivals are all truly community events . Supported with financial contributions from local business and  hundreds of volunteer hours contributed generously to make it all happen .

The departmnt has a skeleton staff who  regularly go above and beyond expectations because of  the leadership of their director .

Council and the community are well served.

It's how it should be.

At Wednesday's meeting ,a resident asked Council members present how they were going to vote on the question of acquisition of  an uneeded school site as an afterhought for a park. Councillor Gallo had  already indicated his  decision  is to add the site as another park.  His answer was open and shut  Black and white. A fait accompli . A done deal. Amen my friend.

I was not and am not prepared to make a decision without facts.

The parks plan for the neighborhood was prepared and approved  years ago when the area was a blank page. and an entire neighborhood was planned.

There were no prohibitions.

I need to know  that change  now will serve a better purpose  and  additional cost can be justified.

I will not pander .

I will not toady .

Whatever I  do will have to make sense.