Participation of Parks in the new greenhouse at the Community Center came up at Monday’s city council meeting, and alderman Bob Thomas told Parks Director Justin Huss he did not understand why if Parks wanted a greenhouse it did not take advantage of the new one at the high school.
Huss said he was on the committee representing Parks and came to that position because Parks budgeted money for a smaller greenhouse, but this opportunity came along and he was working with CCF to fine tune an agreement with Parks. Huss wants Parks to have exclusive use of part of the space in exchange for managing the facility. Parks’ staff would work with CCF staff on operations.
Thomas again pointed out these activities could happen at the high school greenhouse, but another issue was too much overlap between CCF and Parks.
Huss said if the group could take a step back and look at just the greenhouse project, “then this is a great agreement,” and he could never get the same situation at the high school.
Alderman David Mitchell brought up the fact a city department would be contracting with a nonprofit agency, and he had concerns about things “all blended together in a big hell of a mess.” He said he understood the intent of Parks, but wondered if contracting to manage the greenhouse was not too much.
Alderman Terry McClung said he liked the idea of Parks using the greenhouse as long as the agreements are legal, and alderman Mickey Schneider mentioned several reasons Parks using the greenhouse was a good idea –saves money, is educational, benefits the city – and asked, “What’s the problem?”
Mitchell insisted due diligence was required in monitoring the relationship between the city and CCF, and it would be important to see what the greenhouse agreement says about the use of city staff or resources.
Mayor Butch Berry said Huss would bring council the Memorandum of Understanding with the Foundation, and council would send it to City Attorney Tim Weaver for review.