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Minutes of a Meeting of the <br />North Olmsted Parks and Recreation Commission <br />April 7, 2008 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />is older and needs some attention, so no matter what comes of this, ultimately the City will benefit <br />because some changes will be made one way or the other. If this is accepted by the voters in <br />November, so be it; if it doesn’t, then at least the debate has begun. He can’t believe that in ’09 if this <br />isn’t successful, that some changes won’t be taken by the Administration or by Council itself. <br /> <br />Mr. Lasko agreed with Mr. Mahoney from the standpoint that from the Schools’ perspective about <br />using this facility or what the relationship might be of a contractual nature if in fact this thing is <br />constructed. Just looking back at the ballot issue that the schools had put on the ballot in November <br />of whatever the year was that included the proposal to build a new Middle School at the Pine site, and <br />it was promoted heavily, it was advocated heavily; and yet the voters for whatever reason in their <br />collective judgment and wisdom said no, in effect, we don’t want the Middle School down at the Pine <br />site. The inference was that they would prefer to see the campus that is out by the High School where <br />the current Middle School is be developed into a bigger, better, broader campus that would envision <br />both a Middle School and High School. I think that’s the message that came through loud and clear. <br />The schools have not done anything, although the wheels are turning very gradually now to try and <br />develop a proposal in some yet undetermined time in the future for capital improvements. It is not <br />there yet. It is in the very early discussion stage, but it is being influenced greatly by the election of <br />about two years ago. Mr. Lasko cannot help but believe that depending upon whether, again, the <br />voters in their collective judgment and wisdom choose to accept or reject this proposal, assuming it <br />gets to the ballot, nevertheless, progress isn’t going to stand still. There will be, just by the natural <br />evolution of things, an alternative. It’s just that at the moment there is no alternative envisioned or a <br />fallback plan. Sooner or later, it is just the course of human events that there will be, Mr. Lasko <br />would suspect, another plan. If you stand still, you lose; you fall behind. You can’t stand still. <br /> <br />Mr. Dailey said that there never was money put aside every year in a slush fund for the Rec Center. It <br />was just the way it was set up here by the city fathers back in the ‘70s and it’s just going to continue <br />on that way; unfortunately, we are the ones that have to fix it. <br /> <br />Mr. Groden said that, putting the cart way before the horse, if this does go on the ballot in November, <br />what will that process cost the City? Mr. Dailey said that the City cannot be in the business of <br />promoting this issue one way or another. It must come from private funds or through a citizens group <br />to champion the cause. If there is something on the ballot, it’s just a negligible cost, because of the <br />fact that there will be a vote anyhow; the City is not going for a special election, anyway. He did not <br />know how much; but it would be a nominal amount. He would envision something similar to what <br />was done for the Library, that there would be a “Friends of the Rec Committee” for lack of a better <br />term, out there to raise funds to promote the issue. <br /> <br />Mr. Groden asked if there were any other questions <br /> <br />Mr. DiSalvo addressed Mr. Dailey, saying that if this (the vote) fails, the Commissioner still had a rink <br />and swimming pools to operate; ice must be booked six months to a year in advance. He couldn’t just <br />say, “Sorry.” Mr. Dailey said that he understands this; the Rec Center will still be open, <br />Page 12 <br /> <br />