Neighbor and OHNA President Todd Woodson reports…
The audit of the 2019-2020 Budget and Strategic Planning- Capital Improvement Plan was released yesterday and $350,000.00 in Monroe Park renovation expenses were misclassified by the Finance Department as being School Construction funding. That means the Monroe Park “renovation” actually cost at least $350K more than we thought. WAY over $7,000,000.00 was spent for an environmental disaster…
Editorial: Will other local media report on this? Doubtful, since they have done such a horrible job already. Citizens continue to ask City Council when the Monroe Park Conservancy’s lease will be terminated and the park returned to the public.
Dear Mayor Stoney and esteemed members of Richmond Government,
As you should be aware, a 2019-2020 Budget and Strategic Planning – Capital Improvement Plan audit report was recently sent out which includes information that $350,000.00 in expenses for Monroe Park were misclassified as School Construction Funding by the Finance Department. This is very troubling in light of the fact that this brings the cost of a very questionable renovation to well over $7,000,000.00. Design fees alone ballooned from $58,000 to almost $900,000.00 by contract modification without City Council approval. We are left with a park with all public restroom facilities removed, the historic tree canopy decimated, pathways that spew gravel dust into the sewers each time it rains and a desecrated 1945 WWII Memorial originally designed by Charles Gillette. The list goes on. The original, approved master plan was discarded in this renovation.
At last nights meeting of the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association, this budget misclassification was discussed and a resolution made and passed to request a full and comprehensive audit of the Monroe Park renovation. We can no longer stand by as improprieties on this park’s renovation collect.
We respectfully request a complete audit of this unfortunate renovation.
Sincerely,
Charles T. Woodson, president
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association