The needs at Curtis Walker Park have been so important that money to help the area could come from the Advertising & Promotion Commission.
The A&P Commission approved a resolution that would support the use of A&P revenue for improvements at Curtis Walker Park as well as other parks including Conway Station Park, City of Colleges Park, Conway Expo and Fairgrounds and renovations and addition of restrooms at all parks.
The money that would be used would come from Conway’s share of the A&P tax. Currently, that money has been paying on the city’s debt service, but money has accumulated over and above any debt service paid. However, the A&P Commission must approve how that money is spent.
“A Master Plan has been placed for Conway’s parks,” said commission member Andy Hawkins, who is also a Conway Alderman. “But there are also immediate needs. I hate to use the word ‘stopgap,’ but there are things that are needed as soon as possible.”
The commission agreed that the extra money would be put to good use in park improvements, although they also agreed to be able to use the resolution to say no to certain requests.
The first phase of the Curtis Walker master plan will have a concessions area, mens and women’s toilets, a family restroom and storage for the football and baseball programs.
The multi-purpose recreational facility on Museum Road is used today for Optimist football, semipro baseball, American Legion baseball, city baseball and St. Joseph High School baseball.
Future improvements to the complex, including renovation of the baseball field adding bleachers, shade structures, a parking lot, picnic areas and a pavilion would bring the total development cost at about $800,000.
Comments (8)
Add commentImmediate Needs
Thank you Log Cabin for covering this meeting.
Yes, Mr Hawkins there are "immediate needs" in the city. How about taking care of the immediate needs that will take care of public safety, like paying the police and firefighters. Maybe, come November 6 the voting citizens will take care of an immediate need and elect new city leadership.
Amen
I will second that sentiment. The so called "priorities" in this town continue to amaze me. The problem is deeper than the mayor and council. More and more groups of people are hijacking government to address “wants” that only benefit a small segment of people. Taxes should be used to fund the essential services that benefit all citizens. If people want parks and recreation programs then they need to fund them in a manner that doesn’t require the rest of us to pay for them. I believe there is a term for it. VOLUNTARY TAXES!
again for the millionth time
again for the millionth time A&P Money CAN NOT be used for general fund, such as employee raises and what not. What can be used for is to update the parks so money from general does not have to be diverted leading to hopefully an increase in employee compensation
The people voted for the parks tax
People wanted it. Still do. And a significant chunk of the tax is paid by people who don't even live here.
And it shouldn't be used for purposes not approved by the voters.
@GM
You say that the people wanted the parks and still do. Remind me again how many people out of the 20,000 plus registered voters actually voted for the current parks plan. Oh yeah, less than 1600 people voted in that election. http://thecabin.net/stories/010108/loc_0101080008.shtml That sure is an overwhelming majority! And two other things must be noted. First, two other similar proposals were previously defeated. Second, this was a special election held in June. Turnout is ALWAYS low for special elections and that in itself will always cast a cloud over such elections. If you want legitimacy from election results, hold it when turnout will be higher such as in November, especially in presidential election years. That’s why cities with 50,000 or more in population are required by law to hold their mayors elections in such a year. By doing this, the results represent a larger portion of the population. Only then can you hang your hat on "the voters approved it" phrase. While we are on that point, the voters approved a plan that would build $12.5 million in baseball/softball fields and move the fairgrounds and $1.5 million in trails. http://cityofconway.org/pdfs/city_council/agendas/2007/Agenda_05_08_07.pdf They DID NOT approve $23 million plus in spending. They DID NOT approve rehabilitation of any other parks. As such, the money generated above and beyond what is needed for the bond payment should be used to pay off the bond debt early. Another LEGAL option would be to use it as a replacement of the general fund money used for operational expenses of the parks and recreation department. With the current financial position and needs of this city, anything else makes no sense. I also want to comment on your point that a significant part of the tax is paid by people who do not live here. The reciprocal of that is true also. When you or I or any other citizen of Conway spends money in another town, they get our tax dollars. The real question is how is the tax money used not the source?
Oh, GOOD GAWD! The park
Oh, GOOD GAWD!
The park curmudgeons are back...run for your life.
'Sell them whiskey and take their gold, enslave their young and destroying their old, run to the hills, run for your life'
I say again
The voters approved it. You have a problem with democracy I guess. Your side lost. That happens. You raise straw man arguments about how a city government should only pay for "essential" services, then provide your own definition of what is essential. A city can determine to pay for whatever it wants to pay for, whether it is essential or not. That's why some people decide to live in a place like Fayetteville and some choose Springdale. Or Centerton.
And there is no legal requirement to pay off the bonds early.
And with all due respect, the question of whether to choose a financing method where much of the cost is shifted to out of towners is NOT whether more people from Conway spend dollars in Little Rock than the reverse. That is a huge non sequitur by even LCD message board standards of logic.
People from smaller areas will always do more shopping at a nearby larger metro area than the reverse. Declining to use a hamburger tax for financing just because a lot of Conway dollers are spent in LR makes no sense. The latter will occur whether the former is true or not.
"Let's see, Heathcliff, we can choose two ways to pay for something. Method A means we pay 100% of it. Method B allows us to shift a lot of the costs to others."
"Gertrude, let's not choose B because I hear a lot more Conway people buy stuff in LR than LR folks buy stuff in Conway."
Huh?
Straw man arguments?
You wish. While you point that finger at me, there are three pointed back at you. It was you who made the point that "that the voters approved it". While you are technically correct, it was less than 6% of the registered voters who supported it. That in no way shows an overwhelming desire for such spending. It was very sneaky to hold a special election in June to try and pass something that had previously been voted down and the city leaders know it. They did it again in February this year, instead of holding the election during the May primaries. You also state "And a significant chunk of the tax is paid by people who don't even live here". So what. Does that make it okay? Well then let's pass a similar tax so those same people can fund the operational cost also. Oh, wait. The same great tax that you support can legally be used for just such a purpose. I don't care if we have an A&P Tax or not, but the current allocation of such funds is stupid. It doesn’t make any difference that nonresidents (according to you) pay most of the A&P Tax if we are the ones left paying for the operations and those costs are taking away from other needs. To your point that "it shouldn't be used for purposes not approved by the voters". Show me were the voters approved $23 million in ball parks, fairgrounds and trails. They didn’t. They voted for $14 million in spending. Show me were they approved A&P Tax money to be used to rehab Curtis Walker Park? They didn't. You can’t pick and choose when you apply “what the voters wanted”. Also, I never said that the excess money "has" to be used to pay off the debt early. I said it "should" be used that way. There is a difference. Once those bonds are paid off, one cent of the A&P tax would be retired and some other revenue source could be implemented that could be used for essential services because people will only pay so much in taxes. Or maybe it could be rededicated to be entirely used as the sole source of funds for the parks operations which would free up the general fund to be used for essential services. As for what is an "essential service", I would love for the elected leadership and citizens to have that debate. Maybe then the true needs of our public safety personnel could come out. Right now, the only thing that the average person knows about those needs is what the mayor and this newspaper says. Have you ever wondered why the police officers and firefighters have an FOP and union? It’s not just about their pay. Yes, their pay is subpar, but just as important; they are under staffed with training budgets that have been trimmed to the bone. In the last 10-12 years, their turnover rate has skyrocketed. Our elected leaders and the park supporters can tell you how many acres of park land and bike lanes/trails a city the size of Conway should have, but can they tell you what the staffing of your police and fire departments should be? Can you? Do you even care? If so, do your own homework and find out the truth. Maybe then you would be as mad as me. But hey, now we have pretty parks that take two and a half million dollars in general fund money to operate, so I guess everything is okay. That makes as much sense as going out and buying a $100,000 car while having a hole in the roof of your house.
What a Waste
Curtis Walker Park was a PIT 40 years ago when Ancil Lea played their on Shorty's Little Pig Pee Wee football. I think I still have a scar on my knee from landing on a rock in that football field.