The Paris Town Board on Tuesday created a committee to study establishing a community center of some kind.
The idea was presented by Supervisor Ron Kammerzelt, who said he would like the project to be something that is a cooperative effort between the town government and Paris School District. He was open to what the committee might suggest, be it a park or a building for fitness activities and other community events.
Kammerzelt said he wants the effort to “create something for the future.”
Ultimately creating the committee was approved with a unanimous vote, but there was extensive discussion by the board beforehand.
Supervisor Ken Monson said there was a similar effort about 15 years ago, including some conceptual plans drawn up, that withered for lack of community support.
“At that time, there wasn’t a whole lot of support for that,” Monson said.
Monson expressed concerns about the cost of building, maintaining and staffing a facility. Perhaps the board could consider funding memberships for residents at existing fitness facilities in Pleasant Prairie, Burlington and Kenosha instead of undertaking its own, he suggested.
Kammerzelt replied that he did not envision a facility of the same scale as the Pleasant Prairie RecPlex or the Kenosha YMCA and that school district officials may have ideas about how to man the facility.
Chairman Virgil Gentz said he approved of the committee, but also cited obstacles that arose with the past effort.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Gentz said of the committee. “There are some questions.”
Monson also raised the question of the legalities of the town and school district working together and suggested that be researched by the town attorney early on in the process.
The committee will be made up of five people. Kammerzelt said he has recruited two people. The Town Board will appoint the committee members.
If you are a Paris resident and interested in serving on the committee contact town Clerk-Treasurer Beverly McCumber at 859-3006 or townofparis@wi.net.
Supervisor Monson’s concern about building and labor costs are reasonable questions however to then at the same time offer taxpayer money to a select few people who choose to go ‘work out’ at other facilities is ludicrous.
Once again Paris is looking for ways to just spend their golden egg nest money on a an uneven scale to individual residents depending upon their particular choices in life. Choices that include having a big house and big land versus a little house and little land. Paying for residents to go ‘work out’ in another town just so you can say you offer health and fitness in your town is one of the stupidest ideas I’ve heard come out of Paris.
Every idea that this board comes up with to spend Town money ends up not benefiting them all equally. Understandably public work projects don’t always benefit everyone but the way this idea is starting out is just ridiculous.
You guys over there should just cut a check to every resident every year equally. Let these residents do what they want with their money. Pay for their own county taxes. Pay for their own health fitness workout fees. Improve their property and make their property worth more.
Come up with any ideas that you want, but if the town is so adamant about taking their savings account and spending it they’re going to have to come up with a lot better idea than this.
Why don’t we put this to a vote pay 100% of county taxes again or do community center? Board seems to be overstepping again. Did anyone request this in the annual meeting?
Sounds like a lot of lawyers and consulting fees. Like the $20k sound study of the dragstrip. waste of money.
Residents can take their savings on taxes and buy their own membership to Recplex or whatever facility they want.
What has changed from 15 years ago that it should be viable now?
I believe the number of kids has gone down living in Paris.
So we have a very elderly population. Why not start small and start offering up the town hall conference room for free for classes as long as a Paris resident is teaching or partaking in class? zumba, yoga, painting, etc. The Town Hall is not utilized to its full potential now. This is something the committee could work on.