Troop 65+

It seems to me that a couple of months ago the city held a special meeting to debate and approve additional spending for a rec center. This rec center will be able to provide a much greater assortment activities and quality of space than we would ever choose to provide on our own (at least in the near future). It will provide work out facilities, swimming pools, racquet ball, basketball, etc. It will also provide activities for all citizens in our city, both Maury and Williamson County. It will also provide a full assortment (a book in fact) of activities for our senior population.

So, considering this, I have 3 pretty big questions:


1. Why are certain members of the BOMA looking for a way to spend hundreds of thousands of additional dollars on a new building exclusively for the senior citizens? Are we not able to spend a much smaller amount ($175,000) to expand our current community center (in the next few months I might add) and virtually double its square footage, while we PLAN a Community Center and/or park complex? This leads me to my next question...

2. Why is this proposed building being rushed through the process without any sort of assessment of community needs? For instance, I would much rather build a much larger center (at a higher cost) that will meet a larger number of the city's needs, than push through a relatively expensive building, that only has square footage available to meet the need of the senior citizens (at least until they outgrow this one as well).

3. Why is this proposed building the exclusive right of our senior community, when there are organizations all over this city looking for available community space? And, why are we looking to build anything more than a nice band aid until the real deal is done...our REC CENTER...which we have poured millions into?

I think that there are many groups that will be knocking on the city's door to also have a building built to house their needs. In fact, I know for a fact that the Boy Scouts are also bursting at the seems. I hear on 950 AM every morning about new groups meeting in this city that are also looking for meeting space.

So...tell me again why we are looking to build a building specifically for the senior citizens in our region? Tell me again why they are not wanting to take the city up on its generous offer to double the size of their current location for a much smaller sum of money? And, don't I remember that one of the main reasons that the Effie Heiss' "senior community" was "really needed on Depot St" because it was within walking distance of the current community center? What is going to happen to that development if it is not within walking distance of the community center and city park like originally planned?

Leave it to "Troop 65+" to look a gift horse in the mouth and ask for more. I wonder if they even want the new rec center to provide activities and meeting rooms for them?

Make no mistake, regardless of what the BOMA decides to do tonight, "Troop 65+" will view this action as either the BOMA voting for or against THEIR senior center. Which, leads to my last question...Do you think that "Troop 65+" would be so supportive of the Donnie Cameron proposal for a new one room building if they had to share the space with the rest of the community???

I think I got my answer last week at the Work Session when Viola Pickard asked "So, how much parking does that give US?" (as in the Senior Citizens...)

This decision, along with the proposed creation of a Historic Commission, are a couple of the items on tonight's agenda. If you are interested in getting involved with our city, the time to step in is now. Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting tonight at 7:00 at City Hall. It will (as always) be very entertaining!