Postponing Thursday's Vote On The Donation Machines
POSTPONING THURSDAY'S VOTE ON THE DONATION MACHINES
The following letter was sent to MPRB President John Erwin regarding an agenda item on the upcoming July 7 Park Board meeting:
July 5, 2011
Dear President Erwin,
At the July 7 Park Board meeting, you will be voting on the installation of three $10,000 machines in three of our parks as a means to encourage public donations for revenue for our parks.
This revenue raising experiment seems frivolous. Before considering this untested and expensive method of raising public monies, I would hope that the Board would consider other methods of encouraging public donations. I suggest that the Board ask Assistant Superintendent Siggelkow and the enterprise staff to go back to the drawing board. That is, direct the enterprise staff to survey parks and zoos in other communities for on-site donation ideas that have been successful. Your vote on Thursday should not be just a yes-or-no vote. It should be a what-is-the-best-way vote. Why would the Board want to try the most expensive method first?
Until you have some other less expensive ideas to consider, I suggest that you postpone Thursday's vote.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Arlene Fried
Co-Founder of Park Watch