[Southsider2k12]

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Park board, schools reach decision on use

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - As far as the Michigan City Park Board is concerned, the long battle with the Michigan City Area Schools about use of school facilities is over.

The park board voted unanimously at its Thursday meeting to approve minor changes to the original agreement which would prohibit the use of the Wolves Den on Sundays, except for special occasions, and would standardize the park's application process for requesting use of school facilities.

The request forms will be submitted to the MCAS plant planning department, where the final decision will be made. If a desired facility cannot be used, the next best alternative will be reserved for the park-sanctioned program.

The original agreement, negotiated in 1988, gave park-sanctioned programs priority use of school facilities in exchange for the park department turning over the Zilla Square playground to MCAS for use of Marsh Elementary School.

The agreement worked well until recently, when MCAS claimed the right to decide when and which facilities would be available for park-sanctioned programs. The park board threatened to sue the MCAS School Board for violating terms of the agreement. School officials refused to negotiate and park officials refused to budge.

The standoff began to give way when new school board member Bill Greene was appointed by the school board as its liaison to the park board. Greene works part-time for the park department, but his involvement was not seen as a conflict of interest.

Greene and Joe Doyle, the city council's liaison to the park board, worked behind the scenes with MCAS athletic director Bear Falls to understand the school's point of view. Phil Latchford, park board president, credited Greene with "reigniting talks" between park officials, Mayor Chuck Oberlie and MCAS President Jim Kintzele.

All that remains to end the conflict is for the MCAS board to vote in favor of the agreement at its Feb. 10 meeting. Greene told the park board he would be sure to get copies to the school board members ahead of the meeting.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Southsider2k12]

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Parks, MCAS closer to agreement

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - It may not be written in stone yet, but it looks as if agreement between the Michigan City Park Board and the Michigan City Area Schools may be on the horizon.

At a workshop meeting Monday evening, the school board discussed the process by which the Parks Department might adopt a new group and then how to make that group eligible to use school facilities.

The school corporation would like the Parks Department to agree that any new group would not be eligible to use school facilities for six months.

"That would give us plenty of notice, plenty of time to check out the group," school board President Jim Kintzele said. Kintzele has been authorized by MCAS to negotiate with park board members and with Mayor Chuck Oberlie in an attempt to resolve disagreements between the two boards.

Phil Latchford, president of the park board, said Tuesday he has seen a copy of the tentative agreement the school board reached Monday. The six-month notice is new. It was not a part of the document the park board recently approved, he said. "But I'm sure we are willing to discuss it," Latchford said.

One of the differences has centered around use of the Wolves Den, the school corporation's premier gymnasium, and that seems settled.

The Parks Department has agreed to request the use of the Wolves Den only for tournament play and other special occasions. "We wouldn't ask to use it for regular Sunday play," Latchford added.

The school corporation is amenable to that accord, Kintzele said.

The Parks Department has had a contract for use of school facilities since 1988, when the city granted land in Zilla Square to the school corporation for an addition to Marsh School.

Essentially, the agreement gives the Parks Department the right to request use of school facilities when they are not in use for school functions.

The Parks Department and the school corporation have been in disagreement over which groups are legitimate Parks Department entities and over who decides which facilities Parks Department groups may use.

Last year, the Parks Department threatened to sue the school corporation.

Now, however, both boards seem to be more in the mood to negotiate rather than litigate.

[Southsider2k12]

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Parks closer to pact with MCAS

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The Michigan City Park Board unanimously voted Thursday night to accept a facilities-use agreement with the Michigan City Area Schools, pending final review by board President Phil Latchford.

MCAS Board President Jim Kintzele attended the park board meeting and said he is hopeful the School Board will approve the agreement at its meeting Tuesday.

Essentially, the agreement gives the Park Department the right to request use of school facilities by park programs when the facilities are not in use for school functions. Existing park programs will be given access to the facilities, and the school corporation will have time to review applications from any new park-sponsored programs, making sure they don't compete with high school feeder programs.

The Park Department agreed in principle with this condition, but asked MCAS to provide an explanation of feeder programs before granting final approval. In return, the Park Department will provide a description of the application process it uses to determine park-program sponsorship.

Any disagreements about legitimate parks groups or facility scheduling would be settled by the presidents of the Park Board and School Board.

Approval of the agreement will head off a threatened law suit against the MCAS by the park board for allegedly violating a 1988 contract. In the contract, the park board agreed to grant land in Zilla Square to MCAS for an addition to Marsh Elementary School in exchange for use of school facilities by park programs.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Ang]

Well it's about darn time!!

Glad that's finally over. Now MCAS can get down to the business of taking care of their teachers.

[Southsider2k12]

Well it's about darn time!!

Glad that's finally over. Now MCAS can get down to the business of taking care of their teachers.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Oh and

hahahahahahahahahaha

[Ang]

Yeah, I was giggling pretty hard when I typed that!

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...&TM=34124.9

MCAS, Park Board reach agreement

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - After the Michigan City Area Schools Board accepted the latest changes to a memorandum of understanding between itself and the Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board, the year-long squabble between the two boards likely is at an end.

The school corporation will permit park departments to use its facilities essentially as it has since 1988.

If the park department adopts a new program, that program will not be permitted to apply for use of school facilities for three months, the agreement requires. The schools had wanted a six-month waiting period but after the park board requested three, the school board accepted the change.

If there is a disagreement over which facility a park department program may use, the matter is to be settled by the presidents of each board.

School board member Jeff Jones said they would prefer to have the superintendents negotiating the matter. But they would not hold up the agreement on that item.

Dissenting board member Beryle Burgwald pointed out that the city conveyed Zilla Square property to the school corporation on March 4, 1988. In return, the school corporation agreed to give park department first dibs on using a school facilities when they weren't in use by the schools.

But that contract wasn't signed until April 12, 1988, when the school corporation already owned the land. On that date, he maintained, the city no longer owned the land and therefore, had nothing to give in return for use of school facilities.

Burgwald voted against adopting the memorandum, but other members present voted in favor of it. Board member Bill Greene was absent.