Before They Vote Tomorrow, They Should Be Able To Answer These Questions

Photo Credit: Evansville Parks Dept.

Tomorrow, the Evansville Parks Board will conduct another one of their regularly scheduled meetings. But unlike previous meetings, this one is likely to affect the city of Evansville for generations. They are scheduled to at least consider the mayor's recommendation for Roberts Stadium with a vote being likely.

Although I fully understand that we live in a city where next to no one is willing to break the cycle of group-think and stand up to a mayor who is doing what is clearly wrong, I do ask that the Parks Board take their vote very seriously instead of just rubber stamping the mayor's agenda.

Although tomorrow's vote may not be as serious as a criminal trial, if our justice system is willing to use Due Process and Burden of Proof as a means of determining if someone has committed a crime, it should be good enough for our Parks Board as well to determine if Roberts Stadium is indeed guilty of being obsolete.

For this reason, I am asking the Parks Board to consider the following questions before they vote. I am also asking for them to be able to answer each of these questions fully, completely, and honestly once they have cast their vote...

1. Do you believe that all information in the Roberts Stadium report is fair, accurate, and obtained through good faith practices? There are currently 7 members of the task force who are disputing the report (only 2 are not), have you addressed their concerns and do you believe the report should be left as is?

2. Using only the information that you believe is fair and accurate, do you believe that the mayor's recommendation is the best option for the both city's finances as well as the city's economic growth?

3. Do you feel comfortable in the amount of vetting time the mayor spent on the concept of converting Roberts Stadium into a mid-sized arena? In other words, can you name any financial data he gave you about this concept? Did he look into naming rights to the gates? Did he say why SMG and Venuworks both believe that Roberts Stadium would compliment, not compete, with the Ford Center? And did he tell you how much revenue a mid-sized Roberts Stadium would bring in annually? Did he even name one mid-sized arena he visited?

4. Do you feel that the mayor's decision is the best decision for creating jobs on the site, particularly the ones lost by SMG when Roberts closed? Do you believe that the mayor's decision is the best decision for creating economic development for businesses like Kipplee's, Turoni's, and Western Rib-Eye who have relied on business from Roberts Stadium for years.

5. Do you believe that the mayor's plan is the best plan for addressing the safety of local residents who will need a center to go to in times of natural disasters?

6. Do you believe that the mayor's plan is "something for everyone," as he says it is? Can you name one thing in his plan that we don't already have? Can you name a feature in the mayor's plan that would serve mid-sized sports teams, BMX shows and events, trade shows and expo events, and serve as an indoor trail hub for the greenway on non-event days?

7. Are you aware of the current condition the local parks are in? If so, do you believe that adding this park and the small park downtown for roughly $10 million is a good financial decision for the Parks Dept that WILL NOT take away funds that could have been allocated for these parks?

8. Are you aware that the price tag to renovate Roberts Stadium is $4-4.5 million versus the mayor's plan which started out in the $12-14 million range and is only down to $6-8 million? Are you aware that renovating Roberts Stadium AND constructing a green space on the back lot together is projected to either at $6 million or below?

9. Are you aware that Wesselman Woods is a virgin forest nature preserve? That you cannot "expand Wesselman Woods" as the nature preserve has 300 + year old trees in it, while the Roberts Stadium lot would have new-growth trees that would hurt the ecology of the old-growth forest over time?

10. Do you think the city of Evansville needs another dog park, another skate park, and another lake even though all three of these features can be found at other parks?

11. At the third public task force meeting, another member of the task force took a survey of those who toured Roberts Stadium and the meeting before. Of the 28 who toured Roberts Stadium, 25 looked upon the facility favorable. Of the 3 who didn't, only one wasn't willing to accept a compromise of a green space behind Roberts Stadium. In fact, demolishing Roberts Stadium WAS NEVER more popular than saving the facility. Do the words, thoughts, and efforts by our local residents who came to the public task force meetings mean anything to the Parks Board?

I understand that the Parks Board has a tough decision to make. I also understand that pressure from group think and the mayor's bully pulpit can seem to be overwhelming at times.

But at the same time, these types of decisions are why we have these commissioners sitting on the Parks Board. They are put on this board to do the will of the people not the agenda of the mayor. Although it may seem to be next to impossible to stand up to the mayor, it can be done. The Parks Board has more than enough evidence to reject the mayor's recommendation.

If this were a criminal trial, it would already be thrown out for tainted evidence, insufficient evidence, as well as inaccurate testimony for key city officials. So before the Parks Board makes their decision, I ask them to look over the 11 questions and genuinely think about what is best for the city, those who came to the public task force meetings, and the future of the area around Roberts Stadium.

Do the right thing, reject the mayor's decision!