Your Opinion: Taxpayers need voice on committee

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Dear Editor:

For the past few weeks I have been reading articles in the News Tribune concerning the multipurpose building project. I have this interest because of my involvement with Bill Lockwood and the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. This interest is based on the seven years plus that I have interacted with Bill and his staff as the result of my position as chairman of the Lewis and Clark Task Force and our various events we put on, including the five figure monument on the Capitol grounds. This commemorates the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition, 1804-06

With that as an introduction I would like to publicly state what a wonderful and cooperative experience those years have held for me. Bill and his staff were a delight to work with and I wonder if we would have been able to pull off what together we accomplished. We certainly could have managed some of it, maybe most of it, but I sincerely doubt all of it without their support and assistance. Fellow residents, we all have certainly received the learning and entertainment benefits of those activities.

That said, I wonder why the Parks Department is not responsible for the "soliciting and receiving construction bids" for the multipurpose building. The Parks Department does this on a routine basis, utilizing the expertise of their staff to determine needs, attendant costs and outside support where necessary.

In the area of operations, I note Lincoln has responsibility for the second floor sports activities but the public "will have only limited access." Also "Priority will be given to faculty, staff and alumni of Lincoln first, followed by city staff. Thereafter, memberships may be offered to the general public." I wonder if this is a reasonable distribution of priorities.

Finally, "The Advisory Committee will have six members, three from Lincoln and three from the Parks Commission." Why are there not three members from the interested general public on this committee? Why must their input wait for some convenient time to be heard from six or so people who are really not specified?

I think these questions are in line with reality. After all is said and done, no matter how the six are slicing the salami, the public is the one paying for this multipurpose building in one way or another and interested taxpayers should be able to have their opinions recognized first hand.