Fees. Fees, and Fees.

[shinblind]

This was originally intended as a response to Willy but got me thinking and realized that there is enough to start a new topic.

There only reason I can see for locating the splash pad at Copeyon Park.

Everything else, about doing something for the 4th ward, about doing something for the (sob) children, about only using private funds is orchestrated bullshit.

The only reason to want to place the splash pad in Copeyon Park is because it is an isolated location and then they will be able to go back to their plans of charging for parking in both Copeyon and Stearns parks.

A two locations for one money type of deal.

And while I have been to other cities that charge a fee to enter their parks and  I don't necessarily considerate it a bad idea if done correctly, I can't see any other reason for the splash pad to be located in Copeyon when there are other alternative areas that are sunnier, warmer, and  goose poop free zones.

Is the city so diabolical in doing so that their plans also include charging a fee for parking at the Loomis Street launch site? They do that sort of thing in other cities in Michigan, charge a fee for the public to park at launch sites.  And one thing you can depend on is the city council being a monkey see monkey do type of enterprise.

In this context would the West End Scheme, GP Splash Pad, the Kayak Trail, the play ground make sense as an additional source of income for the city? 

It is entirely within the realm of possibilities. 

[Freedom Seeker]

It seems it would have to be a park and pay kiosk cause you couldn't have any sort of gate like the state park does with four entities egressing the road (consumers, pere point, yacht club and city). I think this is going to be a bigger boondoggle for parking than downtown is becoming.

Which makes me comment on Willy's post that the reason the citizens don't get heard, imo, is because the City salaried CDD promotes the DDA businesses like the Chamber. And what they want they get, so Danny V fits in real well with that team.

Meanwhile the downtown business owners are happy and tourists are happy because there are places to eat and drink and flood our city with congestion and the locals can't find a place to park. The locals might as well bend over and take it because there are no controls on the beer ... er Entertainment tents. Or as Danny V says... What's wrong with you people who don't know how to have fun? It's fun for h because he gets paid to dj the parties. The more money that comes in the better he does, I'm sure.

Trouble is, the percentage of business owners to residents is what in this town? But downtown is put first. It's not all about the tourists, it's also about keeping the businesses afloat. Downtown growth. Growth has been good. I think it's time to think about parking solutions and locals.

We need less marketing and more financial planning to get the city out of debt. I hope Mitch foster puts some of Dave Ramsey's financial principles to work for the city.

[XLFD]

Well put, and I hope Mitch Foster is a problem-solver like he appears to be, and doesn't become a clone of what we have had at his position for a long time.  You haven't been privy to some of the older Cemetery Parks and Recreation Committee meeting notes like me and my legal partner has, but you may be surprised, or not, that the idea behind charging for parking down at Stearn's Park was that the City needed to recoup some of the money they needed each year to maintain the splash pad they envisioned (estimated at $10,000 for water and sewer expenses, more thousands for general maintenance, more for liability coverage).

If my household is looking at $50 million in recent debt, I wouldn't advise going deeper in debt by buying frivolous impulse purchases.  Danny V might because he's Danny Ventzke, Heather's long lost brother (April fools).