I admit that I am very biased when it comes to this issue as a former Park
Board Commissioner At-Large, and a current candidate for that same position in
the ‘09. I absolutely do not support the elimination of the Park Board.
My concerns are not based on streamlining the Charter, or saving a few dollars,
my concerns are based on eliminating part of the physical and cultural fabric
that makes our city unique, great, and benefits nearly all of us! Do we really
want to make a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to the current fiscal crisis and eliminate
a 125-year successful legacy? I reject the proposal to eliminate the Park
Board because 1) parks are a current and historical priority for Minneapolis,
2) Minneapolis is a city that values broad citizen involvement through
independent boards, 3) the suggested redundancy and savings is overstated.
Parks are a Current and Historical Priority in Minneapolis: The Minneapolis
Park Board was established separate from the City out of a recognition that the
management of the parks and the rest of the city can, at times, come into
conflict with each other. The Park Board’s presence seeks to reduce that
conflict by providing a separate group of individuals and budget whose priority
is the park system. This is part of the culture of Minneapolis and part of
what makes our city unique and, I would suggest, has been immensely successful.
Would the past City Councils have dredged the swamps to make the Chain of
Lakes, have built the Grand Rounds, placed a priority on establishing
neighborhood parks within 6-10 blocks of nearly every home in the city, have
placed a priority on acquiring land around all the waterways to insure that
they are available for public use? I doubt it. It was the existence of a
separate Board and Superintendent with citizen input and involvement that made
these visions possible. Had the proposed Charter changes been in place at the
turn of the century, Theodore Wirth would never have come to Minneapolis, and
the many parts of our park system that we most value may never been
built/established.
Minneapolis Values Broad Citizen Involvement: I would also argue that
Minneapolis citizens value broad public engagement and that involvement
benefits the city. Yes, we could save money by eliminating 9 Park Board
Commissioners; albeit very little. But is it worth the loss of citizen
contact, engagement, involvement, and advocacy for the park system that would
be lost? This same argument could be used to justify reducing the size of City
Council, eliminating NRP, eliminating the School Board, etc. ; none of which I
would support. When is downsizing going to end? It’s bad government. I
believe, and I believe that most citizens in Minneapolis believe, that broad
public involvement through citizens serving on Independent Boards is a good
thing. That broad based government makes for better decision making.
The Suggested Redundancy and Savings are Overstated: Integration of planning
departments, police, lawyers, etc would not necessarily mean a dramatic
reduction in paid staff and the suggested savings. For instance, integration
of the police forces has been discussed before and the savings that would be
realized would be the elimination of a sergeant position. The officers would
still be paid. Similarly, planning would still have to happen. Lawyers would
have to be assigned Park related issues. The difference would be that priority
that is placed on policing parks, dealing with legal issues related to parks,
planning effort placed on park issues. That emphasis would likely go down. Do
we really want this as Minneapolis citizens?
The Park Board is a fiscally responsible. The Park Board has managed its
budget with an approx. 4% or less tax increase annually over the last 8 years
while the City has struggled to make budget with an approx. 8% increase
annually. The Park Board has also been very successful in lobbying for and
receiving funding from outside the city to help pay for projects such as
shoreline renovation around Lake of the Isles, bike and walking trails around
the waterways, new signage on the Grand Rounds, etc. Much, if not all of the
monies spent on these projects were from outside of Minneapolis. Do we really
want to eliminate a fiscally responsible board and the outside revenue that it
brings to our city?
Taken together, I cannot support the suggested changes to the Charter related
to the elimination of the independent boards, and specifically, the Park Board.
I moved to Minneapolis because of its’ park system. It is unique to our city
and enriches all of our lives. I respect all the members of City Council and
honor the work they do on our behalf. After being in Minneapolis government, I
can attest to the fact that everyone I have come in contact with is passionate
about our city and is working overtime to serve its’ citizens. They already
have their hands full with the work that needs to be done; let them focus on
those efforts. Let’s not turn our backs on our own city’s legacy of parks and
our values around encouraging broad citizen involvement, and eliminate a
fiscally responsible board over perceived redundancy!