HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-11-23 Public Comment - M. Kraska - Public comment on PRATFrom:Matthew Kraska
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public comment on PRAT
Date:Monday, September 11, 2023 10:26:15 AM
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Dear Commissioners.
Please accept this email as public comment on the PRAT Plan document most
recently published.
I really appreciate all the work that goes into planning for our parks -- and
especially because the taxpayers recently voted for a parks district. Everything in
the PRAT is important and well presented.
What is glaringly missing from the report? SPORTS.
No mention of sports -- and certainly sports are not mentioned as a priority (or even
a secondary interest). I don't see any single sport-use mentioned (eg, not soccer, notlacrosse, not baseball/softball, not hockey, not tennis, not pickle etc. - nothing!).The report doesn't suggest a need for cut grass so a group of kids could even kick a
ball. I see that the design manual does include sports parks. But the PRAT plan does
not state that sports are a consideration and certainly not a goal or priority for the
city parks system.
How did this report get to this point without anyone considering the need for cut
grass, turf, ice, diamonds etc for kids and adults to play sports at our city parks? I
am betting that when parents voted for a tax increase for parks, they envisionedparks where kids can play a sport. Yet the PRAT makes no mention of sports and
certainly isn't prioritizing sport facilities and/or programs.
Are we to assume the city's plan is that sports clubs will foot the bill for sportsfacilities? That gone are the days of municipal support for athletics? That there is no
public good when youth participate in athletics? According to the document's "top
10 policy recommendations", it appears the city will turn toward non-taxpayer
sources for facilities (see #2; although even the mention of "facilities" doesn'tsuggest sport facilities -- it could be referring to toilet facilities).
Are comparable cities abandoning their investment and role in supporting athletic
facilities within their park systems? Perhaps the city has an alternate planningdocument, one that I'm not aware of, that outlines the city's long term plan and
investment in sport facilities for Bozeman residents? If so, I apologize for my
ignorance and please forward these planning documents to me.
For the record, I believe in the importance of everything the current PRATdocument outlines -- trails, open space, trees etc. Please don't remove those items
from the planning document. But sport-use has been and always will be an
important part of our parks. Please include sports, significantly, in Bozeman's park
planning process.
Matthew Kraska
2218 Snow Flake Ct
59715ph 539-3657