SPLASHPAD....MAYOR

During last nights council meeting 9-15-14 a vote passed to apply for a matching $100k grant for the splashpad through the National Joint Powers Alliance.  If the City is awarded the grant, the City has to give the matching 100K of tax dollars, in order to get the grant money, and even that won't be enough to build the splashpad which is projected to cost between 400-500K.

The problem is that Mayor Cathy VanRisseghem has stated multiple times at multiple meetings and again in her Mayoral candidacy announcement in the Morrison County Record, that NO TAX DOLLARS would be used for the splashpad.  The other problem is that the splashpad is included in the proposed sales tax referendum.  Now which is it.   The sales tax will cover it or not?   The City attorney was emphatic stating that whatever is in the sales tax referendum is what the money is to be used for.  

Dan Vogt asked permission for city staff to go to the service clubs and educate the public about the sales tax referendum.  This idea failed to be passed.  

Alderman Brian Crowder reminded councilors that it was their responsibility, under the city charter, to supervise city staff.   Problem is, they don't.