Opinion: Let's move forward and stop the politics continuing to hamper Kayla's Playground

This week has been a tough one for Franklin. Going to the Common Council meeting has provided me insight on a hot button matter that must annoy many residents. A lot of actions going on right now at the city level are happening because people are upset or frustrated over one thing or another, and now it's impacting overall progress in this community.

I'm referring to the Kayla's Playground soap opera. For Mayor Olson to cast a veto of the Council's decision and then lay out criticisms of the aldermen who voted to finalize the site and move forward with the playground was completely unnecessary. For Kayla's Krew to put up his veto letter on their website, ask for a mobilization of the troops to pack City Hall, cheer Olson's decision and only advocate for ONE city park site out of the many options available flies in the face of what the organization's leadership has been claiming they weren't about at all.

Kayla's Krew's leader, Michelle Runte, has said on numerous occasions how the playground can serve as a solid, unifying project for Franklin, how she prefers to move away from the politics of everything, and how they teach patience. Yet, now all we are getting from the organization is pure politics, and I believe this is occurring because one or more people involved with Kayla's Krew didn't get their way on a particular site location. The project was supposed to be something great, wonderful, and a regional destination where we as Franklin residents could tout and promote it as a community asset and reasons to move your family or locate your business.

Kayla's Krew presently is making a series of talking points on why Pleasant View Park is a great site for a playground for children of all-abilities, and how Froemming Park isn't. But based on their own comments to the Common Council, and from the experts they brought in to provide input on the sites, it should be the exact opposite. Pleasant View Park is located near both a fire station and a quarry that blasts into the ground with such force that nearby homes have had basement and foundation problems for many years. Froemming Park is located in the center of our community and free from significant noise issues. The points being made about Froemming Park - the view of the House of Corrections, potential "swampiness", concern that there is already a playground on site, and using well water instead of city water...seem to me like questionable negatives. When I pressed one of Kayla's Krew's Board members on the matter, it did ultimately boil down to solely the fact that it's owned by Milwaukee County, and the fear of that additional layer of government. That fear shouldn't hamper all progress.

For insight, when the playground was suggested to go somewhere other than the original Victory of the Lamb site back on March 3rd, there was much resistance to this idea. If Runte and the rest of Kayla's Krew always had Pleasant View Park on their minds, why was no one in the know made aware of this then? Why the pushback and frustration of having the city research other park sites on March 3rd? We were all only made aware of these intentions a few days ago. Additionally, Pleasant View Park happens to be in Council President Kristen Wilhelm's district, who has been the main alderwoman who expressed concerns about the playground's Victory of the Lamb site and rising costs to the city taxpayers. Talk about an unfortunate coincidence that puts other thoughts in some minds, like putting pressure on her to reconsider other sites or face upset constituents surrounding the neighborhood park. Wilhelm is known for her thorough study of projects, and often catching errors that have saved the city money. Instead of acknowledging or appreciating that input, she's quickly becoming labeled things she is most definitely not.

It's difficult to understand how an organization that has been given two site opportunities with complete funding can cause such opposition and be so inflexible. If their main goal is to get the project built, Froemming Park is a great central location, and Lions Legend Park is a great backup site and a city park they're demanding. Instead of fighting the Council and the concerned residents on Evergreen Street, I would suggest that the fighting stop and we all get together to put pressure on an approval process that meets the work schedule needs. To this effect, what about locating the playground at Lions Legend Park, the backup site, which was not vetoed by the Mayor? Will Kayla's Krew lobby the Mayor's office for another veto if that park is chosen instead of Pleasant View Park? Will they press for continued vetoes by Mayor Olson until the Council is forced to pick THEIR wish of Pleasant View Park?

To that effect, it's frustrating that a private organization, un-elected and not asked to be representatives of Franklin residents and their tax dollars, can potentially control and dictate an elected public city government of over 36,000 residents in such a manner. There's zero need to keep kicking the Council, who has been trying to help and has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support on behalf of our community to this project, in the teeth. To top it off, this is being supported by a Mayor who hasn't seen eye to eye with several of the Council members who happened to vote in favor of, in the eyes of some, the wrong park. The political maneuvers need to stop.