Cottage Grove votes no, twice, to park referendums
November 6, 2012 at 10:01 pm in South Washington County Bulletin
Cottage Grove voters roundly rejected a pair of ballot questions Tuesday that proposed to borrow millions of dollars to pay for wide-ranging improvements to the city’s park system. Continue Reading
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You might have been! I live in St. Paul Park and I knew about it. Isn’t an obligation of any voting citizen in a community to try to stay educated as to what’s going on in their community? There’s lots of resources available- Bulletin print/online, local government cable station, call your council members and city staff, city website and the list goes on and on.
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This is sad, because this was the opportunity to make Cottage Grove a destination point. It was our opportunity to do something for the future generations of people living in Cottage Grove.
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Now is not the time. There are still a lot of families hurting financially from the economic downturn. I’m happy for you if you’re in a financial position where you can afford paying more in property taxes on non-essential items, but keep in mind that many people are still suffering from job loss and pay-cuts and really can’t afford to pay more in taxes (even if it is a fairly small amount). That said, we’ll probably see these items on the ballot in the future and in more prosperous times they may be passed.
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I hope the city will try again in the future. I think a good community center would be a positive experience for the city.
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This is too bad. We had a chance to improve the facilities our children and residents use and we shot it down.
I remember playing ball as a child in California. The fields had nice grass, lights and fences. They were a source of pride for our city. Our children in CG play on dandelions, no fences, and struggle to complete games before it gets dark. When we go to other cities my children notice the differences in the quality between the fields. Bummer.
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We have plenty of amenities in the city. The parks and fields are fine! When the fields and parks are so full of kids that it justifies new facilities, then we should build something new! Kids today want to stay home, watch tv, play video games, and text. When do you see a bunch of kids playing football at a park for fun? Never! They’d rather play video soccer or football than actually going out and exercising.
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If by fine you mean playing when it is almost dark then they are fine. If by fine you mean avoiding the dugout after it rains because it is a lake then they are fine. If by fine you mean playing on crispy dandelions then they are fine. If by fine you mean playing on a dust bowl when it does not rain then they are fine.
Perhaps I am one of a few that has a sense of pride in nice fields. Yes, I am willing to pay for my child and future children to play on fields they can be proud of. I am also aware that nice facilities are a public good. People move to cities that have good schools, parks and other public amenities, which has a direct effect on property values. Basic economics. We can, no should, do better in this town.
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Let me be clear on one more subject. The Parks and Rec Department are not to blame. They are doing a good job with the resources we provide them. They cannot improve the existing facilities unless we give them more resources to do so. So, thumbs up to Parks and Rec and thumbs down to the voters.
Now that I am on a roll, it is interesting that a city that votes for progressive candidates, those that promise to raise taxes on the rich, will not pay for something themselves. Interesting. So, lets have our goodies as long as someone else pays for them.
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Bob, if you want lights for the ball fields I’d suggest going to a parks and rec commission meeting and asking some questions. Hamlet park used to have (don’t know if they still do) coin operated lights for the tennis courts. These could be installed for ball fields as well. Of course residents living near these facilities are impacted and may or may not want lights.
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So, the reason the kids aren’t playing outside is because of the condition of the grounds? I beg to differ. I know growing up we played on anything resembling a field, dandelions and all. We are a “greener” community also without all of the fertilizers and weed killer. We’re saving money on cutting the grass also.
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I have no idea where you get the idea that I believe children are not playing outside due to the condition of the parks. This discussion has been very specific concerning the quality of the fields children play organized ball on. I gave a list of problems. Anybody that has children in this community knows that my description of most, if not all of the fields, is accurate. I know this because I have coached my sons baseball team. I ran into at least two of those problems in every game.
There is eco-friendly fertilizer if you are concerned with that. Your last comment about saving money on water says it all. I am willing to pay more for better fields, you are not. We now have clarity on the spending issue as well as the quality issue.
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Bob, I would be concerned if the fields were not playable, or if they were somehow causing injury. I haven’t heard or seen that. Relax and enjoy watching your kids play ball (or soccer, football, etc)! The referendums didn’t pass so it is what it is. You can always move to greener pastures (or fields) with higher tax bases and better facilities if that’s what important to you! I love it here and a dusty field with dandelions won’t make me stop coaching, watching, or enjoying the many parks and facilities in good old CG! How do kids these days survive without cel phones, wifi, and perfectly maintained facilities? Its a miracle!
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We voted against it with the feeling it was a poor plan. Where they wanted to build the ball fields at Hamlet park is for water runoff. The fields would be under water at some times of the year. adding more cost to maintain them. Plus we couldn’t answers to other questions we had. We live close to Pinetree park . The ball field infield isn’t to bad, but the outfield is terrible. No one could say if they would get fixed.
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Concerning ball fields: Bob, I have a question regarding the organized ball you coach. Are you part of the Cottage Grove Athletic Association or a different organization?
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My son played CGAA in-house baseball. Our games were at Arbor Meadows, Belden, and Pine Glenn.
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I don’t have any kids and I never played ball-does the CGAA pay a fee to Cottage Grove for ball field use?
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Yes the CGAA does pay a fee – but what a shame we voted down the community center, especially now that the much touted LA FITNESS plan fell thru.
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Gee looks like even though these were voted down, we are going to get them anyways. When is the city going to start listening to it’s voters? We vote on something and it gets ignored.
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