Council needs to get its facts straight

Regardless of how one felt about the soccer/rugby field in City Park, the decision to rescind the decision doesn’t reflect well on the city. Yes, the project had its detractors who thought it would spoil the peaceful serenity and natural beauty of the park. However, it also had its supporters who thought it was a great venue for outdoor sport and an opportunity to bring locals and tourists downtown.

These issues were thoroughly debated not less than three times at city council before the project was approved at the Feb. 8 meeting. However, no sooner were the stakes in the ground before it was decided the project was too costly and the debate started up again at last week’s meeting.

The mayor said it was determined the project was going to cost far more than the initial estimate of $25,000 although exact details were not available. There was no written or verbal report that would answer the questions councilors had. The reason given was the slope of the ground. However, no one who has visited the park would miss the fact that the grounds are not even. Instead the debate returned to focus on the same issues that had already been debated.

If councilors were not aware that some residents did not support this use of the park, they obviously didn’t do their homework. It’s council’s responsibility to find out how people feel before they cast their vote, not a week later.

Council needs to get all the facts before they vote and, if their decisions are called into question, get all the facts before they change their minds.

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