Mayoral candidates differ on park growth
By Bruce Wallace
Both of Ashand's candidates for mayor look forward to the city's park system growing. Both of them support the park board.
The steps which are taken to achieve the goals of the city's park growth and how the Park Board will reach their goals provide some differences in the two candidates.
Current Mayor Pro-Tem Mike Asmus and Ashland Park Board member Barbara Bishop will face each other in the April 4 general election.
While the city limits of Ashland have grown each year, the amount of park space has not. Both candidates are concerned.
"Acquiring new park land generally doesn't happen on its own," said Asmus. "And it's usually the city that needs to be pro-active. We've got less than 10 acres and we are geographically growing, but not adding park space."
Bishop said that until she served on the Park Board, she didn't realize how far behind the city was in its park space. "We are very fortunate to have the Optimist Club and the local schools who both provide recreation," Bishop said. "City-owned parks are desirable, but they require maintenance and oversight by police. In the past few years, we've only had a $10,000 expense budget for park maintenance and that has all be spent on general maintenance."
Bishop says that she opposes Park Board chair Kris Dolle, who she says wants the city to acquire more park land. "I do not agree with (city administrator) Ken Eftink and Mr. Dolle at this time that more park land acquisition should be purchased with city money," Bishop said. "We have other infrastructure needs that should come first."
Bishop said that if there is such an interest in increasing park space, there should be public meetings. "If there's interest, we should have a city sales tax," Bishop said of acquiring park land.
Asmus said that as the city grows, he thought it was important to work with developers to provide new neighborhoods park space.
"I really like encouraging a ratio of green space for every new development," Asmus said. "I think 'mandate' is a strong word, but, if elected, I would like to see something brought forward that could be something as simple as a resolution that sets standards for acquiring park space," Asmus said.
Both Bishop and Asmus believe that future neighborhood parks should have input from those who live in the neighborhood.
Bishop lives near property that the city owns, has recently annexed and is slated to be a new park. She says the neighborhood park lands fall under subdivision covenants. "We have to be attuned to covenants and what is allowed," Bishop said. Bishop has noted in Park Board meetings that she opposes the Salinda Drive park space being re-zoned from A-1 (agricultural) to R-1 (residential).
Asmus, who lives one house away from the city park, says he enjoys being close to the park and notes that if the city wants to add different recreational opportunities, such as a skateboard park, they have few choices. "When you look at land the city owns, there is the existing city park, the new water tower site and the land on Salinda," Asmus said.