Today AC Wharton signed an executive order that will promote a more open form of government where public records and government officials salaries would be available for public viewing.
I would like to add to that list. How about we make certain public projects available online so that people can track the progress of that specific project.
Perhaps not every project but ones that are known to have a significant level of public interest associated with them. The public skate park, a project that was funded since July 2008 with $440,000 CIP money, would be a model project.
What type of public interest? We had 300+ skateboarders and close to 400+ people show up to show their support for a public skate park in April 2008 and the project has been written up in both the Flyer and the CA.
Almost a year and a half has passed and at this point, all I can tell ( all I know ) you is I think the skate park will be at Glenview park and I don't have any idea when groundbreaking will occur. I tell people all the time that "hopefully" we'll have a skate park by next summer but honestly I don't know. This has been a bit frustrating for the skate community and a number of the skateboarders doubt it when I tell them we are going to have a skate park. If only I could point them to a government url and say "see here is what's happened so far!"
Perhaps an online document would help encourage a more efficient collaborative process between the public, parks and rec and the department of engineering. I can tell you this much, the construction takes only 6 months for a small skate park, what happens before that is a big "?" that could be answered by bringing the project online......
Update: Looks like other cities could benefit from this system too.
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2 comments:
In 1988 we were promised an interpretive trail in the Old Forest in Overton Park. In 1997, we just went on and made it ourselves.
I've got tools ;-)
I like your suggestion Scott!
I still commend Parks and Rec for stepping up and getting the funding but the lack of cohesiveness between the different departments involved is what's making the project run in slow motion.
I am working on that too.
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