BY NICKI MAYO
Buffalo City will take back 180 parks from Erie County January 1, 2010, but plans for how the parks will be run are still up in the air. YNN’s Nicki Mayo reports Olmsted Parks Conservancy supporters are rallying to get the mayor’s office to nail down a contract before New Year’s.
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“Olmsted forever, we deserve better!” chanted 100 protestors at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Sunday afternoon. The Olmsted Parks Conservancy supporters say they’re tired of waiting on a new contract from the Mayor Byron Brown’s Office.
The Brown administration is working on plans to revamp park management by hiring back 50 workers and adding a Deputy Parks Commissioner position that would pay $85,000 a year.
Olmsted Parks Conservancy supporters say the group should be allowed to continue overseeing the parks.
“I have $125,000 or your money set aside for real improvements to Riverside Park,” asked New York State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. “Should I give that money to the city of Buffalo?” the144th District representative asked.
“No!” cried the crowd of Conservancy supporters.
Olmsted Parks Conservancy leaders say time is running out for the mayor’s office to nail down a contract that they hope will extend the group’s services over the park system. If everything is not ironed out by December 31st, as many as 30 Olmsted Parks Conservancy workers may be laid off.
Buffalo City Attorney Brendan Mehaffy told YNN November 24th the Brown administration is working through several union issues to finalize the Mayor’s park contract.
“We’ll be submitting to the council before the deadline but the focus is to make sure the transition is as seamless as possible December 31st,” say Mehaffy.
Common Council Finance Committee Chairman Michael Kearns says the Conservancy must be part of the Mayor’s plan.
“I am not going to move any item out of my committee unless Olmsted Park has a long term commitment to the city,” said Kearns. The South Buffalo representative invited protesters to attend Tuesday’s Finance Committee Meeting at 10am in the council chambers to voice their concerns.
Olmsted Parks Conservancy Chairman David Colligan said the group raised eight million dollars in grants and charitable contributions for the parks. He says improvements around Delaware Park have raised the property value of nearby homes.
“We’re paying a dividend, and the dividend is being received by the same people who can’t decide if we’re doing a good job,” said Colligan to the crowd.
“I’m out in the parks every single day,” said Buffalo native Judy Zimmet holding her five year old German Shepherd “Zed.”
“We go around Hoyt Lake, Ring Road, the Japanese Garden. We even take the trot down the Scajaquada bike path. We’ve walked that down to the water,” said the proud park patron.
Zimmet plans to spend her retirement years, the same way she grew up… enjoying the city’s urban parks.
“I walk the parks and enjoy them so much, and would hate to see anything happen to them,” Zimmett added.
