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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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Editorial: Food Bank - Brennan Park partnership good deal for community
Published: Saturday, September 01, 2012, 8:06 PM
By Bernie Eng | beng1@mlive.com
This is an editorial from The Flint Journal editorial board.
Count us among those who think the plan to let the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan pave part of Brennan Park for a parking lot is a good deal for both parties, as well as the entire community.
The Food Bank’s plan calls for putting in no more than 100 spaces, mainly for volunteers, in a lot that would take up about 2 acres of the 14.5-acre park, according to William Kerr, the agency’s president and CEO.
The lot is needed because the Food Bank, which provides food to the area’s needy, is hoping to expand its facility to include fresh produce. What a boon that would be given all the health benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables.
And what a boon for the park since in exchange for those parking spaces the Food Bank would be required to include basketball courts on the lot and renovate the playground equipment. Also, the Food Bank would have to mow the grass, clear the overgrown baseball fields and repair the bleachers.
These are things the cash-strapped city cannot afford to do, and that directly impact the quality of life for those living in that neighborhood.
So, definitely a win-win.
Amazingly, not everyone agrees, including City Councilman Sheldon Neeley who said he is concerned about the city potentially selling off city assets. But nothing was sold to the non-profiit agency and this deal has an expiration date. It’s good for seven years.
Some residents also are up in arms. We have to wonder, where were the people who are now circulating or signing a "Save Brennan Park" petition while the park sank into disrepair? The park needed saving long before now.
Their quibble is mainly with how the deal came about, since former emergency manager Michael Brown approved it before he left office Aug. 6. They say they wanted more input into the decision through their elected officials.
We understand their frustration, but they are being short-sighted if they cannot see the benefits of this particular partnership.
This isn’t a case of paving paradise to put up a parking lot, to paraphrase a well-known song. It’s more like taking an underused, ill-maintained neighborhood eyesore and making it an asset for the greater community.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:32 am |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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The present location of the Food Bank is a poor fit for the neighborhood. It is right next to an apartment complex. The Journal editorial premise that the Food bank wants to add fresh produce is not accurate.
The Food Bank generated complaints in the past with the manner in which it handled donated produce. Dumpsters on the east side of the building, where the west winds carried the stench of rotting foods were not emptied enough. One vocal opponent of the odor was aan apartment dweller on oxygen. The dumpster odor was obvcious at a great distance away.
The Food Bank was unable to handle the produce and large quantities turned bad and were placed in the dumpsters. The fluids from the dumpsters ran out on the asphalt and stunk. The Food bank employees solution was to hose off the rotting juices into the City storm sewer.
The Fire Department had to have the storm sewers evaluated because they dump into the river. The Food Bank was outraged and refused at first to increase the number of times the dumpsters were emptied. The Food Bank was not a good neighbor. |
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Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:45 am |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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Then there is the political nature of the land grab by the food bank. The charter has a provision that park land sales must be determined by a vote of the people. Also there is a park millage that supposedly was to maintain parks and provide some forestry. I just saw a resolution authorizing millage funds for overtime. Since there are barely any parks employees, how was this overtime generated?
The Flint Journal can be expected to agree with the EM and the EFm. They had tax abatements on their printing building whcih never produced any new jobs. Thn they moved into a building that had Renaissance Zone extensions and eliminated more jobs. They are firmly entrenched into the political elements of the downtown development. |
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Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:53 am |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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Initially, the proposal of the Food Bank was to have a road run through Brennan Park, which was opposed by Deborah Holmes and other leaders. They took out petitions and lobbied against the move.
That is the only reason the proposal has been modified. The initial land grab was so vigorously opposed that it was modified.
So they want to improve the park facilties. When the UAW renovated school playgrounds and the schools closed, the playground equipment disappeared, Why couldn't some of that equipment have been used here.
If the park is neglected, then that is because the city did not place a high value on maintaining this minority neighborhood and widely used park. The South Side committee recently held a huge event with thousands of participants . Of course the Flint Journal did not cover this annual event.
The Food bank has many supporters that also support the Flint Journal and downtown. Why should we trust anything the Journal has to say on this issue? |
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Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:00 am |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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| On M-Live one donor has already objected to maintaing the park and was seemingly upset to discover the Food bank CEO earned $180,000 a year. |
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Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:02 am |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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Letter: 'I do not support the Food Bank to maintain and improve a city of Flint park'
Published: Wednesday, September 05, 2012, 12:35 PM Updated: Wednesday, September 05, 2012, 12:36 PM
By Community Voice | Flint Journal Letters
Follow .
Does the Food Bank really need a new paved parking lot in a city park to collect fresh fruit and vegetables?
The deal as outlined by The Flint Journal commits the Food Bank to maintain and improve Brennan Park for seven years.
I totally reject this project for several reasons, however the main one is: I do not support the Food Bank to maintain and improve a city of Flint park. The money I and others donate to the Food Bank is given to them to purchase food for the needy.
Secondly, with all the vacant businesses in the city of Flint, I am sure a suitable paved parking lot could be found. A church parking lot or how about using a union hall parking lot for this purpose?
Thirdly, the Food Bank can only collect the fresh fruit and vegetables for a couple of months out of the whole year, so why do they need a seven-year deal with the city of Flint for such a purpose?
In conclusion, I give money to the Food Bank to help feed the less fortunate people who are struggling to survive from one day to the next. One has to wonder if the Food Bank has too much money if it wants to run a city park. The city of Flint failed to be good stewards of their citizen's hard-earned tax dollars and let's hope the Food Bank does not follow in their footsteps.
CHRIS WAGNER/Birch Run |
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Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:42 pm |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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If the comments on the Journal story are an indication of the response to the Food Banks land grab, then the Food Bank may be losing donations.
The general reponse has been schock at the salary of the CEO and the fact that the Food Bank would consider entering into such an arrangement when the need for food is so severe. There is also the view that some of the individuals receiving food sre not truly needy. The commenters are not considering how many people with good paying jobs no longer have the income and no job opportunities in sight. |
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Wed Sep 05, 2012 10:58 pm |
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untanglingwebs
F L I N T O I D
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First the EM Brown tried to give the senior centers to the Crim Foundation. He had a substantial amendment of the CDBG grant money that was to support the senior centers being redirected to the CRIM Foundation. However the involvement of seniors did not fit into the mission of the Foundation and I am told they rejected the money.
Now the CDBG money ($200,000) is being redirected into the Oak Business Center. Brown in a parting resolution also merged the Economic Development Center (EDC), who operates the Oak Business Center, with the Flint Area Enterprise Center (FAEC). The FAEC had more money than the EDC, but Brown moved ahead without approval of the Boards of Directors of these two nonprofits and without following proper procedures for the federal monies. I am told the EDC has not met in 6 months and Brown and Kurtz replaced much of the board.
Let us examine Brown's previous decisions and his conflicts of interests. After spending over a half million in federal money to remodel the facility and make it more energy efficient, speculation is Tim Herman and the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) will somehow end up playing a key role in the operation and management of the building.
After all the Chamber took over the management of the farmer's market and somehow the Journal is reporting the Chamber now owns it and has a non competition clause. |
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Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:15 pm |
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