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Here's what's on the agenda for Monday's city council meeting:
The mayor and city council love to spend taxpayer dollars frivolously. More and more $$$ into the rec center, that needs to stop. We still don’t have drinkable water and yet the city keeps raising rates. Can’t speak for everyone but I would much rather have clean water than a “lazy river!”
Privatize the rec center that just keeps draining money while the costs of the WWTP keep going up. Our economy is a mess and Marl and council keep throwing our money at pet projects. Get your priorities straight! Enough is enough!
Sorry, Toby Crotty. Do not align to your assessment or thoughts. While nearby communities are spending tens of millions of dollars to build Recreation Centers (because of their value to citizens and communities), Saline is in the fortunate position of already having a very good facility in place which now needs to have a fraction of what a new facility would cost invested simply to meet minimum service level in some areas (i.e. aquatic center which has had on-going equipment failures due to age of equipment and lack of prior investment in maintenance). Having been built in 1991, the center is nearly 35 years old, maintenance has not been prioritized in the past and so of course repairs are now needed. In addition to providing a place for individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle (good for everyone), the Center provides educational programs, social activities for children and families, social outlet for seniors and others with limited social interaction, programs for special needs individuals, day-care and summer camps for working parents, facilities for birthday parties, and much, much more. What the staff there is able to do with a very limited budget is incredible. Recreation Centers also increase desirability of a community and housing values - good for home owners, more taxes for the city. Membership numbers and participation in special programs would suggest yours is not the popular view among Saline citizens. And, if Saline wants to continue to be a competitive community for attraction of residents given all the new centers being built around us, Council would be wise to invest in the facility accordingly.
When one looks at all the money being spent on discretionary upgrades to the school and Senior Center (an already competitive and more than adequate school and Senior Center), one has to wonder why the Recreation Center, which has heavy usage, high membership numbers, and high enrollment in the programs it offers, has such difficulty obtaining required funding. The place is a gem and should be treated as such.
You avoided my main point. The rec center is a nice amenity for those that use it. However, it is not a necessity. Clean safe water that we pay exorbitant rates for IS a necessity for EVERYONE! The ever increasing cost of the WWTP project that gets passed on to us in our water/sewer rates is just another example of Saline City government’s failure to maintain our critical infrastructure. Just like it has neglected the rec center. All I’m saying is that priorities need to change. Until we have safe water that should be our highest concern !
Think about it.
You can work out, take exercise classes and utilize all the resources at the rec center but when you go home and don’t have safe water how are you maintaining a “healthy life?”
Yeah, “come to Saline we have a great rec center just don’t drink the water!”