HomeMy WebLinkAboutSports complex Public Comment from Julie Cerenzia 4-7-14From:Julie Cerenzia
To:Agenda
Subject:Resolution 4521 - Sports Park - please delay approval
Date:Saturday, April 05, 2014 2:56:14 PM
Dear Mayor and City Commissioners,
I urge you to delay approval of the proposal for TOP funding for a Sports Park sothat you may consider the issue further and press the sponsors for some keyimprovements in their proposal.
The proposal for a soccer/lacrosse park is an idea that I fully support. It fits nicely inthe city plan and contributes to the health and quality of life of citizens. However,the specific structure of public-private funding is not up to par. I would like to raisea few key points.
1. The Sports Park Working Group has set the bar for its own fundraising effortsvery low. Compare their goals with those of the Gallatin Ice Foundation which, as Iunderstand it, has raised $3 million in private funds for their ice barn. A 1::15 ratioof private to public funding does not reflect strong citizen commitment, particularlywhen the project seeks to absorb a large portion of the TOP bond and additionalmunicipal support is needed for off-site infrastructure. This ratio is problematic bothfor the long-term success of the project and for the optics of approving publicsupport.
2. The maintenance costs appear to be significant at $10,000 per year per field(with 10 fields proposed). I note that this was also a concern of some members ofthe TOP committee. I strongly urge against the city purchasing the land prior tosigning an MOU with the sponsors, as responsibility for this on-going liability shouldbe addressed at the outset of the partnership between the city and the sponsors.
3. I also must note that economic impact assessments should be viewed critically.The tourism data cited by the sponsors states that visitors spend almost three timesas much on gas as they do on lodgings (34% vs. 12% of spending). That data isdrawn from a very different population of travelers, 34% of which are "passingthrough" Montana and most of which are traveling to multiple towns in the state. Soif soccer players and their families spend $100 locally on lodging, they will likely notspend $300 in Bozeman on gas. As a result, total visitor related expenditures mayactually be almost one-third less than estimated.
Again, I support the idea of a sports park, but urge against moving forward hastilywith this initial proposal until it is better structured.
Thanks for your consideration,
Julie Cerenzia229 Silver Cloud CircleBozeman MT 59715