City debates merits. of park i
Yarbrough (I aT.
10 ntry � e will
price out re Ident
The Benton Harbor City
Comm;ui Monday, Apil 9,
approved an application for
375,000 UDder the Michigan
Department of NalW'al Resour­
ces Trust Fund and/or the
Michigan Quality of Life
Recreation Bond Program for
improvments to Jean Klock
Park.
H the Michigan Department
of atural Resources approves
the application of $375,000 the
city will have to come up with a
local match of $223,000 to reach
the S598,ooo needed for im­
pavements for phase n.
During a public hearing for
Phase n, Jean Klock Park im­
provements, City Engineer
Roland Klockow said the funds
wiD be used for restoration of
the parks wetlands, planting of
trees, additional security fenc­
ing, constructing of boardw alb,
and a visitor center area for
··--.._.,..,..· ...... · .. formation.
Commissioner' Charles
Yarbrough said the city resi­
dents could not afford to go to
the par becau e they would
have to charge about S10 or
more a bead for cotrance fee to
maintain the park.
-Who are e hurtiDg? Who is
going to benefit?" said
Y ubrough. "We cannot afford
to pay Sl.OO fee aDd still support
. the park. What the low-in-
come people that have been
using the part for years. The city
is at risk of being in a situation
where the State will be able to
take the park ovcc."
"They are loc*ing for some
kind of stumbling block to take
it over - and we are setting
ourselves up so it could be done,
because if the city can't meet the
obligations, they could loose
eveaytbing. Once the city ceases
to maintain the park the State
wiD be there to take aver: said
Y81brough.
Klockow said it's a part of
every grant that states, "if you
fail to maintain it (the park),
they can come back and claim
ir.
But Klockow said, before the
State takes aver they will give
the city. an opportunity to get
back in shape.
Yarbrough said of DOW,
the park will be designed for the
"rich and famous" , not the low­
income people if it's going to be
self-supporting.
"How do we keep the price
down low enough for evaybody
can afford to usc the park", be
added.
Mayor William Wolf aid
once the mastcc plan is back and
theie is question, they can
amcad the pan, the city
p1� of time to.make ure the
plans arc feasible.
-I just don't feel comfortable
with the obligatioo that it might
put the city into in a few years· ,
said Commissioner Kcrey Shan­
DOn.
Shannon said if the city
obligates themselves to main­
tain and construct the poject
and the city couldn't come up
with the m ching mooies, they
would have to go into their
pockets.
He said he feels that it is a
good' ideal to improve Jean
Klock Park, but if the city i
going to pend any money on
parks, they have a lot of city
parks that could be improved.
Commissioner George
Wysingersaid, all the city bas to
do is get qualified people to
come in and manage the park
and run it right, they wouldn't
have a problem ofthcStatccom­
ing in and trying to take it away.
Voting in favor of submitting
an application for the grants
were, Mayor William Wolf,
Commissioners Ralph Cren­
shaw, Hershel McKenzie, Ar­
nold Smith, Fred Sims, Steve
Wooden and George Wysinger.
Voting DO were Commissiooec
Kerry Shannon and Charles
y aIbrough, abs�
In othcc busin the com-
mission voted to sell a city
owned 10 at 846 Pavone Street
for S1.00 to St Mark Baptist
In other matters the commis­
sioo voted unanimously to mter
• 0 a 36 mooth leasdpurchase
agreement with Applied Imag­
ing Systems, of Kalamazoo for
copy duplicating equipment in
. Oty Hall.
Public Safety Director and
AttiDg Oty Manager Sam Wat­
SOIl informed the city residents
that Api( 30 would be the I "t
day the residents could get their
leaves raked up and bagged and
put out for the trash collector.
City Manager Steve Man­
ning w absent from the meet­
ing.
nly lost by 400 votes in
February. The unoffi ci al v
tally was 2,630 to 1,831.
According to BentOll Harbor
Are chools Superintendent
James Rutter, 15 administrative
position will be cut, including
ike sports and music.
The school officials will take
the issue ba to th poll for the
third time in Jun for the general
school election and if it fail this
tim , they probably will n try
ag in,
According to 0111 residents
they "v ted no" because they
didn't want to see their property
tax increased I
I
Qil.DAEN·S
- THUR 10-7:30 FJI-
WCHARTERS
INC.
"WE TAKE OUR nME"
(616) 92!-1757
DICKEY
REALTY
GROUP
Re� ... , .. I*R
Commerc I
Low Downpayment
1m *FH -VA'
Our �=aI Sill/! Is
Expecting Your Call
(6 'WJ271
Be on HaIbot I 49022
ATTOR
nd COU SELOR AT LAW·
ORRISG VI
GENERAL PRAC17CE OF LAW
Calr61 192 7143
'I