A homeowner in Waukesha for 20 years, Steve is president of the Waukesha Dog Parks Organization and enjoys motorcycling, fishing and staying on top of politics.
Last night was the final discussion and public hearings before the city budget was to be voted on. I don't know the out come as I left at about 11PM when the regional cooperation broke down due to procedure and a few bent noses. I was told by one of my friends that there are some who refuse to have any cooperation between the city and the county. Some aldermen gave that impression.
What I'm talking about is the Minooka County Park dog park proposal. You see, the county is willing to create the park and foot most of the initial bill and all of the responsibility for upkeep so long as about 1/3 of the initial money comes from outside sources. Two thirds of that money has been agreed on by two entities and the City of Waukesha has been asked to buy in with the other third. It seems that such a plan has been floating around the city for a few years, but it took citizen involvement to bring the issue back to life.
Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings district covers part of Minooka Park. Some of her constituents, city residents, can walk across the street and enter the park. For $5,000 the city can participate in a dog park convenient for all of the citizens. Cummings wanted a vote on it last night, but some council members, insisted that it go through normal channels first. Two of those objections came from members of just that particular committee! I left feeling that if the fire alarm went off, some members would prefer to be toasted before moving without following Robert's Rules of Order.
The County is anticipating a cost of $45,000 for the initial phase of the Minooka Dog Park. That is cheap folks! By providing their own labor to install many hundreds of feet of fencing, gating and brush clearing, the county will save big time. Should the city spend $5,000 and let the county do it? Or, should the city foot the whole bill to build one within the city, controlled by the city and be responsible for maintenance and liability? To me the decision is obvious.
Even if you don't have a dog, you should be for spending $5,000 rather than many thousands of dollars more for one totally owned by the city. Here is an opportunity for some regional cooperation. It makes good sense and should be supported by ALL the Aldermen. In the mean time, thank You Alderwoman Cummings for seeing the great opportunity for the citizens of the city and making a great case for it.
