High tensions at Rosebud City Council
American Legion Park was a subject of a passionate discussion between the Rosebud City Council and Rosebud Parks and Recreation Representatives. Council members expressed their apprehension around the project, while Jamie Moeller, Park Board President, did her best to soothe their concerns.
American Legion Park is owned and operated by the City of Rosebud, but the Parks and Recreation Department has undertaken a project to improve the park and create a place for the entire community to enjoy.
The project has been funded entirely by donations from various area businesses, grants, as well as in-kind donations and labor from the community.
Councilman Joe Marek expressed discontempt for the lack of visual progress on the space, despite funds being received, while Sharon Skupin voiced her feelings on the transparency of the Park Board.
Raised voices ensued throughout the discussion, with both sides explaining their outlook on the situation.
The 10-year plan has been slightly derailed as the project has gone on, with additional engineering aspects added, all under one contractor. K4 has been involved in the project from the beginning, approved by past council members in April of 2018.
The construction company is the general contractor on the project, meaning that all subsequent work would be fielded by them.
This caused tension, as the council felt they had not been informed of the behind the scenes of the renovations, though the council receives minutes from the Park Board Advisory Board meetings monthly. Confusion was brought to light as the council inquired about where the used funds have gone if nothing had been done yet.
“It’s an ongoing process,” Moeller told the council. “It’s not something that can be done overnight.”
She cited a number of costs, including bringing the park up to code (which alleviates any legal or environmental liability from the City of Rosebud,) getting the engineering/planning completed, as well as infrastructure and environmental studies.
She reminded the council of the emphasis on ‘community’ in connection with the park; it’s at the mercy of it’s volunteers.
There are five volunteers that man the advisory board, donating their time and efforts to fundraise, write grants, and oversee the operations of the park.
During the month of July, the advisory board discussed grant reimbursements, completion of a second elevation study, and the Hope memorial bridge. Philanthropy projects for the month include starting to sell t-shirts at Rosebud’s Artisan Alley, receiving a donation of playground equipment from Rosebud-Lott ISD, and receiving a poster from the Bayer Fund, a previous donor.
After having their questions answered both by Moeller and legal representative, Brandon Wright, the council was unsatisfied and asked that more information be included in their monthly submission. This request was appeased and no action was taken on the subject.