At a well attended meeting last night, the Evansville Park Board met to discuss many items. In one action, the Park Board heard public input regarding the proposed Skate Park. Estimated cost of the proposed park is 25M. The Skate club has raised 4M. The allocated city budget for this in the 2006 budget is 10M. The difference is 11M. There was a vote of 5-1 to recommend to the City Council to add 11M to the Skate Board project for this year.
There was concern expressed regarding the liability issue. The bottom line is that skateboarders wear helmets only if they want to. There was some discussion of getting waivers from any skateboarders who use the park. Fred Juergens, chair, mentioned that he had contacted the city and they explained that there was no "extra charge" for the coverage and that it was experience rated.
I thought I would give a short history of "experience rating" since I did some of this 35 years ago and explain how it is handled today and how one can review the actual experience of accidents at these parks. Years ago insurance companies would have a basic policy and then add coverage such as this with an endorsement and charge a fee for the addition. Soon they discovered that this was a way to lose huge amounts of money. So, they they added the language to the policy but made it subject to "experience rating.".... Meaning that you would pay an initial premium and then at the 8 month mark of a annual renewable policy, the auditors would charge an additional amount depending on the claims history. So. Point one. There is a charge.
What is the history of cities this size that have skateparks? Usually one insurance carrier will not have enough cities of this size in its portfolio, so it sends its data to a "Rating Bureau" which compiles the data on accident frequency. Each insurance company pays to belong to the "Bureau" and gets a booklet every 6 months or so showing the rating experience. So. There is a factor that the bureau has to describe the incidence of claims. One just needs to ask the underwriting dept of an insurance company what the bureau rating is of this risk. It sounded like the inquiries that have been made so far were to the wrong people. Citizens are correct in wanting to know what the history of claims has been in America in cities of our size. There is a history of this. It is a dollar amount and it can be found.
Finally, insurance companies who insure cities know what signs to put up and actively will help cities if they are asked to.
If you attended this meeting and wish to add comments feel free to do so. If you are a lawyer and wish to add something on the liability issue please do so. This is a developing story.
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If you want to talk liability, look at the pool. The skate park is no more a liability than the pool. I think definite rules will have to be put in place. These kids are going to have to agree to somethings if they want to use the skate park.
ReplyDeleteI think I said before there are issues that are going to be ironed out. I would like to see the skate park club? Maintain it. I think when you are responsible for something you take better care of it as you go along. I taking it you were at the meeting, there was talk of having somebody man? the skate park to make sure rules are followed etc,,. I am not so sure there would maybe not need to be posted hours. There are questions that need to be worked out. But to simply say they don't need this, because maybe you or I would never use it, is wrong. I am sure when that pool got put in there were lots of similiar questions. I think the more involved we can keep these kids, the better it's going to be. They will take pride in it. They worked for it. Time will tell, things will be answered.
ReplyDeleteIf you heard the same things I did,
insurance will not go up because of the skate park, other skate parks in other towns nearby have been contacted and they are yet to have a serious injury. I am one to say helmets, please. I know the kids that were there last night were not real big on protective gear but I do think they are going to need to decide, what do they want. Our son is getting ready to drive and not a real big fan of the restrictions put on new drivers, well if he wants to drive he will abide by the rules and laws. He also knows that dad and mom seem to have away of finding things out. There are alot of questions and concerns are warranted, but we need to wait for the answers and not just jump to a decision about whats good or bad.
As time passes and we do get answers I may change my mind, but until then I don't think its all bad. But I will wait to hear the answers to some of these questions.
Let me start off by saying I applaud the efforts of the "kids" who raised the $4000.00.
ReplyDeleteJust a few questions.
WHERE is the City of Evansville coming up with an additional $11,000.00??????
How many kids are behind this skateboard park?
What are the maintenance costs?
What will the rules and regulations be?
Will there be an attendant?
Will there be a user fee?
Liability?
Has anyone seen a design?
Alot of questions need to be answered before this goes to council.Unlike our city pool this is not for everyone.(Mom's,Dad's, Seniors,Toddlers,etc)
Much,Much more thought needs to be put into this BEFORE $21,000.00 of taxpayers (MY) money goes into this.
I am not against the idea as a whole I would however like to see more thought put into this.
Anyone know when this will go before the council?
Out.
For more info see
http://chasingambulancesinmymind.blogspot.com
These are all questions that were asked and are going to be talked about some more at the next park meeting from what I understand. Things need to be done properly but I think it would be a shame to discourage these kids or other kids from trying to do something worth while and learning how to work with city govt. I would not want even one of them to go away from this thinking, I will never again try to pursue something I care about in this town, some caution yes, a bunch of red tape and HOOPS , No.
ReplyDeleteI also have a question about the kids who are trying to set this up. I will start by saying eventhough they did not raise the money they said they would there is still time and with the right direction how old are they and how many total kids are interested? The reason I ask this is one day they will be gone, college, starting families, just getting the f out of town. What happens to this then. I don't want this skate park to turn into the teatherball pole.
ReplyDeleteIf you were at the meeting you would have found out they did not go with the most 'expensive' equipment, its not 'cheap' any where you go. It would be a shame for the kids to walk away from this after all the work they did with nothing. I see this project going ahead even if you don't like it, I think they should raise the extra thousand and continue to raise money for maintence etc. I think the only thing that will really stop this, is these kids themselves. By that I mean if they don't want to follow the rules and policy's the city puts in place regarding the skate park.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever go to any of the council meetings, things are put in place for people who want to open a business, conditions they have to meet. Now if you want to get your self all in a fizz about something and talk about tax money, take a good look at the tiff districts. Take a good look at the money they are dumping into the down town. It's in the minutes Dick has posted yesterday. The city is fighting tooth and nail to save that down town, pooring tax money into it. When there is more of a trend to go east to build. I think that will continue. The post office is going to have to move, where do think they are going to go now that Roger Berg and Ed Francious and brother have gotten there hands on the soon to be old hardware store. I think they will have to build new, and go East. Can you think of anywhere in the downtown area that would be big enough for the post office, keep in mind they are going they are going to want to go bigger. So look at your tax dollars there first,it makes the skate park look like a puddle in comp. with tax dollars. Ed, Roger, Jeff Farnsworth they want money to do what ever it is they are going to do to the old hardware store, our money, our tax money,.
I don't know about you, but when I want to do something to my house, even when it means it will raise its value, and Iwill be taxed higher, I pay for it and no one else. I would not have so much of a issue if it was a business that was going to employee 150-200 residents at about 10.00 a hr. or better. Thats what we need, thats where our tax dollars should be spent.
packerfan sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. From what I understand the old ACE building is turning into what the Pharmacy building is like now. What that means is more small businesses and that means more tax money in the end. I also would love a larger business to move into Evansville, I am very concerned about the long term for Stoughton Trailers, one thinng businesses look at when coming into a new city is the tax rate. If we keep spending 25,000 here and 25,000 there with no real return on investment taxes go up. Businesses do not like higher taxes. Look at the KIP corporation in Madison they are rebuilding in Sun Prairie, a lot of the reason for their move is more than the 'conditions' Madison is placing and wanting to have employees, it is their tax rate. Econo Print was HQed in Madison the City of Verona gave them a great deal to move there, they are out of there as well. I digressed a little but that is why some of us are concerned about just giving and now giving more to something we will have to keep giving more to later that may not be used.
ReplyDeleteI thought the way you have talked you must have been at the one this last week. I think it would be great for you to be there, I think you will have a much clearer idea of what their intentions are if you are their in person.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to meeting you
"The Gazette article is fair, but its headline is not. The Park Board does not want to put the Skate Park "On Hold". Rather, we will seek as many options as possible for funding and for finding ways to hold down installation costs. Maybe we can find a way to get something going this year. A "very small" chance does not mean NO chance.
ReplyDeleteWe will have further discussion of this at the next Park Board Meeting on 16 January, 2006. Interested parties are invited to attend. I'm new at this Park Board stuff, but I sense that the Board wants to advocate for the Skate Park over the long haul. If not this year, then next, we expect to get it done.
Fred Juergens, Park Board Chair."
This was Fred posting to the Observer on Dec 20 I found it in the archives. So let me get this right the best way to "seek as many options as possible for funding and for finding ways to hold down installation costs" is to double the funding for the park through tax dollars. How about this Fred instead of paying taxes next year I send you my ATM card with my PIN number and just take what you need.
Here is the link to the Gazette Article.
http://www.gazetteextra.com/evilleskatepark122005.asp
-When Chuck Norris falls in water, Chuck Norris doesn't get wet. Water gets Chuck Norris.