1/20/2010

In-depth Coverage For in-depth coverage of the Kenwood & Oakdale Parks Conflict by the Salina Journal, visit our Kenwood & Oakdale Parks Conflict page at http://www.salina.com/parks/. Read past articles by Salina Journal reports and views PDFs of correspondence regarding the parks by Salina City Commission and Saline County Commission officials.

Editor's note: This is the third in a series of editorials regarding the parks conflict between Salina and Saline County commissions. Previous park stories, editorials and copies of city-county correspondence can be found at salina.com. Click on the "Oakdale & Kenwood Parks Conflict" banner under "Latest News."

A wise police officer once told us that when it came to investigations, he would try as hard as he could to find the evidence to prove a person committed a crime. And then, he would do everything he could to prove that same person was innocent.

City and county commissioners squabbling about the use of county-owned Oakdale Park and city-owned Kenwood Park could use some of that officer's common sense.

What if city commissioners looked at the quandary from the county's perspective: "We have to have a place for the Tri-Rivers Fair and the frequent horse shows, auctions and dog and livestock shows.

"Taxpayers don't want a Taj Mahal expo center on the edge of town, but we can't sink their money into these crummy buildings because we're afraid the city might boot us with just a year's notice. We're trapped. We can't go forward and build new, and we don't dare back up and spruce up the buildings we have. We might have to evict the city from Oakdale and sell it. Events worth thousands of dollars are in jeopardy, and we're not able serve the taxpayers."

Or, from the city's perspective: "With the Bicentennial Center and a new aquatic park in Kenwood, if we could add a hotel we could attract some serious events worth thousands in bed and sales taxes. We can't give the county a long-term lease because we might need them to vamoose, and quickly.

"And now they want to run us out of Oakdale, the home to the Smoky Hill River Festival? Where are we supposed to go? Lum Felton Park? And the city wants us to give them Oakdale? Events worth thousands of dollars are in jeopardy, and we're not able to serve the taxpayers."

What both sides should be saying is: "We basically represent the same taxpayers. If we can put the greater good ahead of personalities and boundaries, if we can look at this from the other entity's view, we'll all be richer."

-- Ben Wearing

Executive Editor

822-1421

bwearing@salina.com

---

Discuss This Story:

---