Still don’t know definition of park

Dear editor: Before the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Committee was established, our council, in its limitless wisdom, entered into a somewhat clandestine agreement with a private investor known as Trio. We all know where that went.

Prior to the formation of the committee (selected by council and approved by same), there was little or no thought on council’s part as to who actually owned Skaha Park.

The somewhat simple answer seemed to fall on deaf ears at council level until the committee was struck. The answer was quite simple… the taxpayers of this city own the parks!

Yet there was no serious, open, honest dialogue with those same taxpayers regarding disposal of parkland. Nothing happened until there was a groundswell development that eventually led to the taxpayers paying $200,000-plus for a fruitless venture that they had little or no say in along the way. This misdeed would not have been tolerated in any private corporate setting. Heads would have rolled!

Once the committee got going, much time and effort was spent in fine tuning what a park should be by definition; what should take place in a park.

The committee met for almost three years (worked hard) and made several recommendations. It came up with a clearly defined and concrete definition as to what a park really is. The committee findings were presented to council.

Since then there has been no word as to the outcome of the committee’s work. The big question here is, why?

Could it be that the committee’s efforts were all for naught and council is working on the premise of it’s right and we’re wrong?

It’s time that questions were asked as to outcomes and it’s time that those whose salaries we pay to come clean with valid, concrete answers.

Are you listening (for a change), mayor and council?

We, as taxpayers, are entitled to straight, open, honest answers to the park questions.

How many times have you as council played us on openness, accountability, fiscal responsibility and honesty. It’s really more times than I can remember. In Dennis the Menace language (for those who remember) forty-leventy or lebenty-leben seem to ring a bell.

Enough is enough! No more heifer dust as it’s time to come clean and practice what you preach. October is not far away! Ron Barillaro

Penticton