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<br /> <br />COUNCIL COMMENTS <br />Mr. Crow thanked all the members of the Sutter-Meyer Society who were present <br />and to all the volunteers and board members of the Society who have given their <br />heart and soul to the preservation this wonderful structure. He stated there <br />seemed to be some misconception, as he appreciates the work that the Eagle <br />Scouts have done in volunteering but they can still volunteer and the tours can <br />still happen for University City school children and other school children. He <br />stated open houses can still occur and annual meetings can still occur. He said <br />the comments he has received went all across the board to it is really running so <br />well, why would you want to change anything; to, do not spend any more tax- <br />payers’ money on this house. Mr. Crow said if thing are running so smoothly at <br />Sutter- Meyer, why does the society continue to come back to the City for money. <br />He noted that it is the board’s responsibility to have programming, to have <br />volunteers, to raise money and is very risky for any board to continually come <br />back to the City and ask for more funds. Mr. Crow said at the present time the <br />City has paid $23,350.00 for the paving, and for the approved painting. Mr. Crow <br />asked if administration had asked for any repayments of these funds. He asked <br />how much the board has raised as the lease states that $50,000 would be raised. <br />Mr. Crow said the lease said we would receive an annual report and hoped that <br />we got that. When citizens are contacting and telling him to leave this alone, it’s <br />running so smooth. He stated he respected all that the board is doing, but at the <br />same time the board has an obligation to meet the terms of the lease. Mr. Crow <br />hoped that Council will have some idea what is going to change at Sutter-Meyer <br />or is Council going to have another request for funds from the City. He noted that <br />whether it becomes a park or stays the way it is, he hoped that part of this <br />conversation was to have a dialog about the responsibility of the board to raise <br />money to make it a vital vibrant organization The best way to make it sustainable <br />would be to make it a park which did not mean it will be a parking lot, a basketball <br />court but it would then be something the City would have and the Parks <br />Department would be responsible for it. <br /> <br />Mr. Kraft said he was surprise to have this resolution come up, I talked to people <br />about what other organize that are on University City property that are similar to <br />The Sutter-Meyer Society and what is the City’s relation with them. The first was <br />the dog park which really is not a part of the Parks Department. It is on UCity <br />property and has a separate Board of Directors and run the place themselves. It <br />is financially self-sustaining, they have fundraisers, and they get money from the <br />fees when your dog joins the club, and they police it themselves, and take care of <br />it. Mr. Kraft noted that was an example of how UCity worked where volunteers <br />who do a great job. It provides community involvement, it works for the people, it <br />works for the community, and it works for the taxpayers. Another organization <br />that came to his mind was UCity In Bloom, which has a tree farm and plant farm <br />on UCity property. The volunteers do a great job and see no reason to change <br />that relationship either. Similarly Mr. Kraft mentioned the Green Center, which he <br />stated he had some knowledge of as his wife was the first Director of the Green <br />Center. Again it was volunteers, volunteer money, and saving a building. Mr. <br />Kraft noted that would Council would be setting a precedent; every time an <br />organization runs a few dollars short that UCity is going to run it. The question for <br />15 <br /> <br /> <br />