I am in agreement with CC Stone’s call in last week’s Beachcomber (“Key user groups need to pay for the project”) for user groups to pick up the tab for the capital costs of the new playing fields. This was the consensus of most of the people at the community meeting on the project Saturday.

However, before the park district board can successfully call upon the community to bail out the gross mismanagement of the project design, financing and construction, the board needs to engage a well-qualified construction project manager.

The secret reemployment of the previous unqualified project manager, which was casually revealed for the first time Saturday, is not the way to restore public confidence in the park district and enlist private contribution and participation.

It was distressing to see missing from Saturday’s public discussion the two park board members who carry the weight of the burden for the mismanagement of project construction and finance. They seem to feel that attacking the messengers of their folly is an appropriate response for breaking Washington state laws and board rules. Their resignation would be more in line with public need and feeling.

Our community will suffer several years of reduced service and maintenance of our parks due to their actions, and it is time to change the pipers that led us down this road.

— Jack Churchill