July 24, 2015– Jordan Skiff Memo

The last public meeting concerning the proposal for WLA to lease McDermott Park was the Advisory Parks Board Meeting on Monday, July 27, 2015.  Before a board meeting, the agenda for the meeting is posted on the city's website in the calendar section. Click here to see the packet for the July 27^th meeting. https://www.fdl.wi.gov/cofuploads/Park_Board_Agenda_Packet_0032.pdf

We watched for this posting and it finally came late in the day on Friday, July 24^th. Below you will find the memo from Jordan Skiff, the Director of Public Works included with the agenda. This document changed the focus of the Advisory Parks Board Meeting.

In this Memo, Mr Skiff revealed two things.

First, the city now realizes that part of McDermott Park is in a “floodway” This designation would make it very difficult for WLA to proceed with it's planned ball diamond improvement. We don't really know what WLA's engineering plan is for the park, but everyone is assuming they would raise the ball diamond area. That would not be allowed in the floodway, or if it is allowed, it would involve a very expensive engineering solution to preserve the floodway in the event of a flood.

The second item revealed in the memo was the existence of a lease between WLA and the city that was executed in 2005. That lease was also attached to the Advisory Parks Board Agenda. Click here to read more about this2005 lease. This was the first time a copy of this lease was produced.