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Vice Mayor Ruskin said the Council School Liaison Committee (Council Members Hartnett and Ruskin) had been involved in these meetings designed to create ways to share costs regarding expanded gymnasiums and coordinating activities. He said that report would be presented at the next Council meeting. Vice Mayor Ruskin said that staff provided County with the costs for new fields, and staff was now looking into what it would cost to renovate one existing field "in such a way to improve it so much that it would amount to, in effect, a new field." Mayor Howard called upon those people in the audience who wished to speak to the CIP budget items. Pamela Gearhart, 51 Lowell Street, said she has lived right next door to Stafford Park for 24 years. She said the park was beautiful but could use some renovation. Mrs. Gearhart said the proposed plans were beautiful, but would over develop the park. She said she was concerned about all the new play equipment right behind her house, the water play area right where the park lost an oak tree, a permanent bandstand for six concerts a year when that area could be used to a better advantage, and the drainage. Mrs. Gearhart said she hoped that the park would be kept aesthetically pleasing and that the play equipment blend in with the natural colors of the park. She said it was very important that the restrooms be redone. Bill O'Callahan, 170 Lowell Street, said his three children play in the park on a daily basis. He said he loved Stafford for its simplicity and the new design challenged that simplicity and the value of the park. Mr. O'Callal1an said the plans needed to be simplified in many ways, the water play structure was out of character for the area, and the new plans decreased the number of swings. He said he concurred with Mrs. Gearhart, that the current design needed to be revisited and simplified to blend in with the character of the neighborhood. Al Diaz, 50 King Street, said he had supported Stafford park renovation plans at the last Council meeting discussion, but now believed it would be better to slow down the process and review the designs. He asked the Council not to confuse support for renovation with support for a specific design. Mr. Diaz said the Council had received over 70 letters asking it to simplify the plans. He said he had visited the park in Campbell designed by the City's consultants, and the water play area there was a "muddy, dirty, sandy hole" that parents were keeping their children out of. Mr. Diaz said it didn't keep the sand out of the drinking fountain, in fact sand was everywhere. He said that $525,000 was a lot of money, and he described simpler renovations that could be done for a lot less money with better results. Mr. Diaz said deferring the cost of the restrooms to a later date was not really staying within budget. He said the park need picnic tables and benches and better drainage and those needs weren't even addressed in the current budget. He said, "You could probably take $100,000 off this budget, and still do an adequate job of providing new bathrooms, new playground equipment, picnic areas, and have a park everyone will continue to love." REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 56 MAY 11, 1998 MINUTES Page No. 470 PAGE 21