Pueblog USa

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Have We Jumped into Cactus?

More on Parks and Recreation.

Today I attended a focus group discussion on Parks and Recreation in the community. It was sponsored by the City, but the consultants leading the discussion considered all of the recreational opportunities in the community, not just those sponsored by the City department.

I do not object to the City hiring outside consultants for something this specialized. We aren’t quite big enough to have a need for someone on staff for this, and it is good to get outside views, especially, as several participants noted, Pueblo tends to be “territorial.”

However, I do find it odd that the City is hiring a consultant on Parks and Recreation after it has made some huge and rather long-lasting commitments in this area. It has already signed contracts with the Y concerning management of the City pools and citizen use of the new Y campus. It has already bought a park from the Catholic archdiocese. It has also started planning for the Lake Minnequa recreation area. Has it found itself in the position of the man who jumped in the cactus, who said “it seemed like a good idea at the time?” Are they now wondering if they’re in cactus, and how to get out? It seems to me the planning and the studies should have happened before these financial commitments were made.

While I will not maintain that city government is obliged to offer parks and recreational opportunities to its residents, those things are highly prized by businesses moving into a community and they are, along with streets, one of the most visible signs of how well city government is managed. Up until now, there hasn’t been much of a plan, other than basic maintenance, so we’re happy to see some planning occurring. However, we have also seen consultants shot from their saddles because Council members didn’t like what they were hearing. Let’s hope the City is sincere about getting the information and recommendations.