Park privatization
Both MPRB Superintendent Jon Gurban and General Manager Don Siggelkow have for sometime been out of compliance with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) by failing to respond to numerous requests for public information from members of the public. And now they are out of compliance with the $440,000 exclusive 5-year contract that the Park Board signed with Coke in 2003.
This week the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will celebrate Sunshine Week* (www.sunshineweek.org) by retreating from transparency and public oversight. In a move that boggles the mind, the Park Board, after its regular meeting this Wednesday, will hold a Committee of the Whole meeting off-camera.
KSTP Channel 5 is also reporting on the Park Board's proposed fee increases. Their website article opens with the following:
Since the Planning Commission denied DeLaSalle, they are once again pursuing an appeal to the city council. Seems that even though the knowledgeable staff of both the HPC and the Planning Commission say "bad idea," the political will says "they gotta have it." One item that DeLaSalle managed to quash was the issue of parking. Their consultants claim they have the requisite number of spaces. The problem is that some of these spaces are no longer viable for parking or they are triple booked. Without being subject to city review, the MPRB can come in and pave over as much park as they like.
DeLaSalle has submitted 6 Eastman, 100-220-224 E Island, and the block at 9 Merriam as DeLaSalle Athletic Facility parking, as well as its own parking lot. It won't be required as a condition on the conditional use permit -- that would mean DLS would have to yield its parking to the public for Athletic Facility use. 6 Eastman and the E Island parcels were part of the EAW. Their traffic consultant added 9 Merriam in a letter to the Planning Commission.
The MPRB turned over 6 Eastman to DeLaSalle in 1999 -- this was politely called an encroachment in the Planning report. The East Island lots were supposed to be a trail along the top of the bluff but MPRB never did the work. It's parkland, not a real parking lot. DeLaSalle is the primary user for both event and daily student parking, though the Pavilion and MPRB also use this lot. Closed to the public. The 9 Merriam block was paved in 2003 for the Pavilion tenant and this gated lot was closed to the public. The MPRB took down the event-only parking sign in May 2007. They didn't take down the gate and no signs are posted so it still looks off limits.
The public should know that it is a lot more than one parcel, that we are promising DeLaSalle parking for 70 years.
Linda Mack writes on the Star Tribune website about the opening of a new public-private park in downtown Minneapolis:
»Gold Medal Park, Minneapolis' newest, opened on the Minneapolis riverfront to a snappy wind and rave reviews.«
In a story subtitled "Minneapolis pushes ahead on shaping a comprehensive document as national experts gather here to discuss public-private partnerships," Linda Mack writes about a variety of park-planning and building activities going on this month.
One of the next major issues that will be coming before the Minneapolis Park Board--and bears watching--is the resolution of the $945,000 lien against the Park Board. This was one of two topics that were presented to the Park Board commissioners at a Park Board study session on August 2 prior to the regular board meeting. The other topic was the Parade Stadium. (This study session was not televised or recorded; so there is no official record of what transpired at this meeting. But Park Watch was there and taking notes.)
Chris Steller, editor at The Bridge brightly illustrates the problems with the continuing park privatization going on in Minneapolis in his editorial:
» Minneapolis Park Board officials have agreed in principle to acquire the cash-strapped Edison Civic Arena from the city.
