Bonnie Van Slyke: The Town Council Manages The Ninigret Park Fund Wisely
Bonnie Van Slyke is a member of the Charlestown Town Council and also serves as the Town Council Liaison to the Planning Commission. A version of Bonnie’s letter was submitted to the local newspapers in response to criticism from one of the opposition candidates for Town Council.
From the day Ninigret Park was accepted by the town under the Federal Lands to Parks Program, accessibility has been a priority in its development. In fact, assurance of accessibility is included as one of the covenants in the deed.
The new playground equipment, a ZipKrooz, consists of two zip lines, side by side. The 50-foot-long ZipKrooze is wildly popular in modern playgrounds, with kids lining up for a turn and helping each other to use it. It is accessible to all children, including children with special needs. Our kids will be able to sit on seats and zip through space, together.
The members of the Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to recommend this equipment to the Town Council. They also recommended, unanimously, how it should be funded.
What could be a better use of a small portion of the Ninigret Park Fund than to purchase an important piece of playground equipment for our kids? The ZipKrooz was purchased with money obtained from outside sources; that is, from Park user fees not tax dollars. User fees generated in Ninigret Park must be used for the development, operation, and maintenance of the park and cannot be expended for non-recreation purposes.
The Town Council expends money from the Ninigret Park Fund wisely. This important addition to the playground has been under consideration for a number of years, and there is no reason for our kids to have to wait longer.
Present-day critics Tim Quillan and Cheryl Dowdell were Chair and Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission and had ample time to apply for a small grant for the ZipKrooz. They chose not to do so, and now they have only themselves to blame.
The town, working both independently and in cooperation with other organizations, has received many grants for very worthwhile projects. A portion of town staff time is dedicated to help Charlestown compete for even more funding. One can wonder, or at least I do, what “improvements” for Ninigret Park Mr. Quillan, a candidate for Town Council, refers to in his letter of August 2 and why these improvements would “not be eligible for grants and bonds.”
Sincerely,
Bonnie Van Slyke
You can learn more about Bonnie at her profile page.
August 21, 2018 @ 12:53 pm
Can someone tell me what Friends of Ninigret does? After 8 years of residency I give up. Take earth day this year: bounce castle, face paint, etc. Lesson for kids: money good, learning bad, earth day means free everything. Perhaps a day of clean up the park. You are right no one would show. It’s work. Wait, is that what “Friends” does? Perhaps once a month a group gets together, cleans the park and makes sure all is in order. Oh, silly me I dare to dream.