Background: August 16, 2021, the Rotary Club presented their redesign of a small city park on Sherman Ave to the Park and Rec commission. Christie Wood, city council member up for re-election, initially denied approval because no bathroom was added by the benefactors who donated $275,000 to the project. Christie Wood wanted the group to go back to the drawing board to install a bathroom even though the issue had been thoroughly discussed and donors refused. We reported it here. Rotary was not happy with the request and stated that the delay would put a kink in the project.
Impact: The delay resulted in an increased cost to taxpayers. In May 2022, Rotary requested and received up to $100,000 from ignite cda, the city’s urban renewal agency. The estimated total increase in cost was $176,000. Concrete costs were 35% higher than last fall. As Councilmember Wood is up for re-election in November, rotarians will likely think twice before endorsing or voting for her. Four months behind schedule, the park is nearly finished without a bathroom.
