06/20/2000 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 6/20/2400 ~,~,,. • Tom Hatfield, 6114 Wild Oak Drive, director of the NOSO July 4 soccer tournament, apologized to George Shumay for any inconvenience. The tournament was established in 1977 in order to compare our players with the best players from all parts of the U. S. and foreign countries. Since that time, we have won four state championships and have been runner-up three times. He would Like to think some pride in those accomplishments has come about. NOSO does hire auxiliary police to try to keep the traffic moving along. Hopefully, inconvenience to residents can be diminished as much as possible. The tournament has had a tremendous economic impact on the city--brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars to Local businesses. This helps businesses pay their taxes and indirectly helps the city and our economy. He knows people who live in Pine Ridge and the problems they had with Best Buy and now with Babies R Us with trucks coming in and not following the city laws. At least at the soccer fields, you don't have that sort of industrial problem. The National Soccer Federation bought a mansion in Chicago that was a historic building for their offices. So, maybe the French House can be preserved as the offices for some of the local sports organizations. Although he doesn't know if purchase of this property will mean more soccer fields or more green space or for just nature, but he is in favor of it and hopes it goes through. • Claire Hayes, 25914 Tallwood Drive, chairperson of the Rec Commission, said that the commission did have a meeting last night and listened to many of the same speakers. Speaking on behalf of the commission, they did pass a resolution in support of the acquisition of green space for recreational purposes. They did not look at this specific parcel of land, but they do feel the city does need more recreational space. It is a very great need. She is also a member of the school board and understands that years ago the board sold off land. One area was the land on Revere Drive where all the homes are. At that time, they couldn't project years down the road to when the land might be needed. Now, we would love to have that land to expand. As a citizen, she asks Council to look to the future of this city. This is afamily-oriented community--we want to attract and keep families. We need to have green space and more recreational facilities. If this opportunity gets away, it will be lost. From a personal point of view, she urges a yes vote. • President Saringer said one of the biggest concerns of some members of Council is the residents' concern that there is no guarantee in the future that their homes will not be acquired. They like their homes and want to stay there. Council cannot give the guarantee that the properties won't be purchased in the future. Council is trying to be fiscally responsible, which is difficult if you do not have all the facts. • Janet Dorn, 30990 Bradley Road, lives two parcels over from the parcel in question. She did receive the mailing from the Mayor and some of her neighbors didn't and questions why specific people were targeted and others not. She couldn't figure it out. When this came before the last administration, it was a question of rezoning going along with the acquiring of this parcel. If the city acquires property for green space that is currently zoned light industrial, do they have the capacity to do whatever ` they want with it then because it is municipally owned? 13 I