Show Us The Money

Tom Cruise, playing the part of super agent Jerry Maguire, once proclaimed---“Show me the money.” And I think that sums up the way I am thinking about the hottest issue in our community---the development and use of the Atkinson Forest.

An inspired group of locals are pushing governmental leaders hard to try and force them to develop and maintain the forest. They say there is money devoted to the project, but instead of creating an organization of their own….they want either the city council or the park board to take the lead.

Let’s be clear. I have a copy of the contract signed back in 2015 between the state and the city and it is crystal clear to me the city committed itself to--according to the contract---building a new entrance road, parking for 20 cars, signs, maintaining and repairing hiking trails, and even managing the types of trees in the forest. I’m pretty sure these things are not happening.

The Park District has its hands full. They won’t stand the in the way of the project but they clearly don’t want to be the lead dog.

So, we have this painful hot potato being tossed from the city to the park district back to the city.  

Here’s what I think the proponents should do. They need to file to form a 501©(3) foundation, much like the ones at the hospital, the high school and the college. Call it “friends of Atkinson Forest,” or something similar. It would give them the ability to organize a governing board, protect themselves legally on an individual basis, and be seen as an entity, not just a group of advocates. They could work on endowing the forest with the funds promised…..and provide a vessel for future fundraising.

I think such a move would be seen favorably by both the city and the park district.

It would also allow them to “show us the money.”