Keep your promise. Build it.
That was the message delivered with one voice Monday evening in a standing-room-only city council town hall in the council chambers.
The council had called the special session to gauge support for plans to build a splash pad at Sumuel Park, corner of Fourth and MLK.
And that’s exactly what they got. A crowd of 80 filled the room and 12 persons spoke. All of those who expressed an opinion were strongly in favor of the splash pad.
“If you start it, you should finish it,” Danny Mitchell told the council.
A groundbreaking for the splash pad was held Nov. 4, 2017, at the site. But the project has remained in limbo due to financial concerns.
RESERVES—Later that month Mayor John King said reserves had become “dangerously low” and asked for the city not to fund any new projects.
King opened Monday’s meeting by outlining the numbers. He said the city had been approved for a $75,000 state grant but Rock-dale’s portion of the project would be $224,000.
King said the city’s splash pad share would be funded out of city reserves. “The Texas Municipal League recommends keeping reserves at a 90 to 120-day level to cover emergencies,” he said. “When we applied for the grant we were at 153 days. We are at 73 now and we were at 59 in November.”
King said he felt the money could be better spent in other areas. He noted city vehicles, including dump trucks and a backhoe, need to be repaired at a cost of $60,000.
“I’m not against the splash pad,” King said. “It’s a matter of what we want to have against what we have to have.”
FOR THE KIDS—Several speakers referenced the disappointment of children in the area who were anticipating a splash pad at the park.
“Don’t take that away from these kids,” Angela White said. “We know vehicles break down. Don’t say a life is equal to a dump truck.”
“Find the money,” she said. “All I hear is Alcoa this, Alcoa that. Let’s move on.”
Lisa Benford-Roberts challenged an assumption that some neighbors did not want a splash park located in the area.
“No one in this room can say we didn’t want the splash pad,” she said. “We are very partial to this park. After the (splash pad) groundbreaking, kids are asking why it’s not there.”
Benford-Roberts said she has a 150-signature petition in support of the splash pad.
Dave Melton said he came to the town hall thinking the city should use the splash pad money for other tasks but changed his mind after listening to the speakers.
‘DIFFERENCE’—Several speakers questioned what they saw as a difference in the way east side parks are treated by the city.
Iterrian Mitchell said he grew up on East Sixth and challenged the council to look at the “difference between east side and west side parks.”
He said water at drinking fountains at Sumuel Park has been turned off by the city, citing fears of theft. “You can’t steal very much water there,” he said.
L. C. Richards, who is vice-president of the City Park Board, said he favored the splash pad as a help for “moms with kids.”
“Kids don’t have anything else to do,” he said.
Richards said, though, major steps have been made in parks, with a park plan evolving over the last 5-6 years and asked: “Isn’t the Bridge Park on the east side?”
INTEGRITY—By the meeting’s end there was a general consensus the speakers had made their points which would be considered by the council.
“That’s why we are having this. We wanted to hear from you,” Mayor King said. “We wanted to know how you felt about it.”
“Having your input helps us make a decision,” Councilman Jason Barcak said.
King said the matter should come up for a council decision in September or October. He even told the group, assuming the council goes ahead with the project, the splash pad could be completed by next summer.
Dr. Dennis Brooks was the final speaker.
He pointed out the $75,000 grant is specifically for the Sumuel Park splash pad. “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he noted.
“I’ve been around a long time and I’ve seen some good things happen,” he said. “I know some things can be done. Let’s go on with it.”
“It’s a symbol of integrity that we keep our promises,” Dr. Brooks concluded.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.