Playground equipment is not cheap, unless you buy walmart crap-sets. Anyone who complains about the cost should do some research...and get involved with the group working so hard on this project.
Maybe the Pilot could investigate how much the city is planning to spend on the new playground at Whistler Park this summer to give the public some perspective.
Strawberry Park's playground, which looks cool to those driving by, is actually quite hazardous. When I take my kids there to play, splinters are the best case scenario.
Check out Freedom Field in Columbus, IN. This is the kind of facility and legacy our community should provide ALL of our children, regardless of their abilities or challenges.
John, thank you for your post. We appreciate someone pointing out the pattern of behavior from Parks & Rec management regarding the bloodbath of Ice Arena Managers.
I don't think the special interest groups had anything to do with this unfortunate decision by Chris Wilson. Most consumers of the ice arena services were extremely pleased with how the rink has been operated for the past 8 months.
This was obvious, since program enrollment was up in nearly every aspect. Weekend Public Skate Sessions were packed...like skiing Vagabond when it's the only run open.
Geary was generally the guy who unlocked the doors in the morning, and locked the doors at night. He was shoveling the sidewalks before 6 am hockey games, he was there on Thanksgiving, he ran the Zam, he pushed the papers, payroll, board meetings, budgets, all the while, trying to find people to work for less-than-market wages.
Let's see...
Happy customers + Increased sales + Working Overtime Regularly...how exactly does this equate to a Performance Issue?
There's something wrong here...maybe there was one one squeaky wheel that caused such a stink that this was Chris' way of dealing with it. The public will never really know. Fortunately, it's a small town and we'll all figure it out eventually.
Unfortunately, Park & Rec management knows they have a captive audience in Steamboat, so they aren't as committed to the customer experience as the rest of us working in the hospitality & service business. If Parks & Rec was truly a customer-oriented organization, the playground at Whistler Park would have been replaced years ago.
The upside...another local business will benefit by hiring Geary and letting him serve their customers.
There are an abundance of locals living in Steamboat with CDL's who would be available to pick up a shift here and there. There could be dozens of people who are available to drive one or two shifts a week.
The problem is that the city is looking to hire people who want to drive busses as their primary full-time job.
...and they require candidates to spend 3 WEEKS of on the job training to learn how to drive a bus around in circles.
Who can take a month off from their real job to train for a part time job?
Bad shuttle service directly impacts guest experience, which directly impacts sales tax revenues.
Benefits to annexing SBS II, Heritage Park, & Silver Spur include:
- Those residents would be able to vote on city matters. (ie city council) Currently, this group pays taxes used by the city, without a vote on important several local matters.
- City services, such as snow removal from their streets would be provided by the city. (HP and SS pay for snow private snow removal...for some reason, the County plows SBS II, but not the other two...as a result of friendly negotiations with the county)
- Currently SBS II / HP / SS have their own water & sewer. They actually buy part of their water off the city....strange, huh?
- Currently, SBS II / HP / SS have their own parks & rec. management for trails, fields, etc. Annexing would bring this into the city Parks & Rex, and would likely create some true efficiencies.
- The city already "missed the boat" on sales tax $$ from construction. Did you know that ALL the building materials on ALL those homes did NOT pay city sales taxes? (only county sales tax). That's a 4% savings on construction costs! These residents also don't pay city sales tax on purchases such automobiles.
Ren the dog has left the building
For those of you who knew Ren the dog, her time on this earth is over.
http://lovesteamboat.blogspot.com/200...
She was the K9 form of a local icon...blew obe ACL on Hahn's Peak, blew the other one fishing in the Yampa, spent many a sunny day at the Slopeside.
April 9, 2008 at 9:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Snow by the hundreds
I concur....Lets ski until April 13th!
We've all worked so hard to serve our winter guests. Give us another week to play!
February 27, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
All-time high
Sounds like Smoke & Mirrors to me.
I smell undisclosed "seller concessions" on these deals...
February 16, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve Aigner to lead Community Alliance
Thank You, Steve, for your proactive efforts in our community, as we experience such massive change on all fronts.
I've met Steve, and his experience and intentions are extremely impressive.
It's easy for people to have opinions one how our community is changing.
What's hard is for people to step up, get involved, take action, and make a positive contribution.
At a minimum, we all need to take the time to contribute our opinions to the Vision 2030 program. Everyone can be heard in this forum.
February 14, 2008 at 10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Officials partner for universal playground
Playground equipment is not cheap, unless you buy walmart crap-sets. Anyone who complains about the cost should do some research...and get involved with the group working so hard on this project.
Maybe the Pilot could investigate how much the city is planning to spend on the new playground at Whistler Park this summer to give the public some perspective.
Strawberry Park's playground, which looks cool to those driving by, is actually quite hazardous. When I take my kids there to play, splinters are the best case scenario.
Check out Freedom Field in Columbus, IN. This is the kind of facility and legacy our community should provide ALL of our children, regardless of their abilities or challenges.
http://www.columbus.in.gov/pdf/parksa...
http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/freed...
http://www.irmca.com/pdfs/Freedom%20F...
(linkin' it like sbvor)
February 13, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Buying to sell
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
January 6, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( permalink )
Ice rink advertising for general manager
John, thank you for your post. We appreciate someone pointing out the pattern of behavior from Parks & Rec management regarding the bloodbath of Ice Arena Managers.
I don't think the special interest groups had anything to do with this unfortunate decision by Chris Wilson. Most consumers of the ice arena services were extremely pleased with how the rink has been operated for the past 8 months.
This was obvious, since program enrollment was up in nearly every aspect. Weekend Public Skate Sessions were packed...like skiing Vagabond when it's the only run open.
Geary was generally the guy who unlocked the doors in the morning, and locked the doors at night. He was shoveling the sidewalks before 6 am hockey games, he was there on Thanksgiving, he ran the Zam, he pushed the papers, payroll, board meetings, budgets, all the while, trying to find people to work for less-than-market wages.
Let's see...
Happy customers + Increased sales + Working Overtime Regularly...how exactly does this equate to a Performance Issue?
There's something wrong here...maybe there was one one squeaky wheel that caused such a stink that this was Chris' way of dealing with it. The public will never really know. Fortunately, it's a small town and we'll all figure it out eventually.
Unfortunately, Park & Rec management knows they have a captive audience in Steamboat, so they aren't as committed to the customer experience as the rest of us working in the hospitality & service business. If Parks & Rec was truly a customer-oriented organization, the playground at Whistler Park would have been replaced years ago.
The upside...another local business will benefit by hiring Geary and letting him serve their customers.
December 7, 2007 at 4:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Winter bus routes may be cut
There are an abundance of locals living in Steamboat with CDL's who would be available to pick up a shift here and there. There could be dozens of people who are available to drive one or two shifts a week.
The problem is that the city is looking to hire people who want to drive busses as their primary full-time job.
...and they require candidates to spend 3 WEEKS of on the job training to learn how to drive a bus around in circles.
Who can take a month off from their real job to train for a part time job?
Bad shuttle service directly impacts guest experience, which directly impacts sales tax revenues.
October 23, 2007 at 7:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Council candidates clash
Annexing SBS 700 means HUGE tax dollars to the city the purchase of construction materials.
The homes in SBS II, Heritage Park, and Silver Spur did not pay city sales taxes on their materials because they are outside of the city limits.
...on the flip side, this increases the cost of housing in the development.
GO ROCKIES!
October 11, 2007 at 8:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steamboat 700 talks advance
Benefits to annexing SBS II, Heritage Park, & Silver Spur include:
- Those residents would be able to vote on city matters. (ie city council) Currently, this group pays taxes used by the city, without a vote on important several local matters.
- City services, such as snow removal from their streets would be provided by the city. (HP and SS pay for snow private snow removal...for some reason, the County plows SBS II, but not the other two...as a result of friendly negotiations with the county)
- Currently SBS II / HP / SS have their own water & sewer. They actually buy part of their water off the city....strange, huh?
- Currently, SBS II / HP / SS have their own parks & rec. management for trails, fields, etc. Annexing would bring this into the city Parks & Rex, and would likely create some true efficiencies.
- The city already "missed the boat" on sales tax $$ from construction. Did you know that ALL the building materials on ALL those homes did NOT pay city sales taxes? (only county sales tax). That's a 4% savings on construction costs! These residents also don't pay city sales tax on purchases such automobiles.
October 11, 2007 at 8:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )