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Dear Friends of Buehler Park:
In this newsletter is:
1. BUEHLER PARK STILL UNDER ATTACK
2. PARKS AND RECREATION TAX PROPOSAL ON BALLOT, APRIL 7, 2015
3. PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET CUT
4. TREES
5. GREAT RIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER RETURNS TO BUEHLER PARK
6. THREE IMPORTANT VICTORIES FOR GREAT RIVERS
7. SUIT TO UPHOLD MISSOURI'S RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD
8. PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO GREAT RIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
 CENTER
9. MEA CULPA
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1. BUEHLER PARK STILL UNDER ATTACK
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The Rolla City Government still doesn't get it. Buehler Park is a dedicated park and the city of Rolla does not own it outright. Rolla is merely the park's trustee.
In April 2014, City Administrator John Butz proposed considering Buehler Park as the location for a new animal shelter — an act that would essentially destroy the park and put the city in contempt of court. A motion by council member Susan Eudaly to remove Buehler Park from consideration as an animal shelter died for lack of a second (minutes of May 5, 2014 Rolla City Council meeting, page 6).
This year the city has threatened that if Proposition P (see 2 and 3 below) does not pass, they would turn Buehler Park (and many other city parks) into bird sanctuaries. A request for a public statement from the city that they will abide by the court injunction and not attempt to turn Buehler Park into a bird sanctuary under any condition has gone unanswered.
Proposals to fence in much of Buehler Park for dog runs and turn it into a “dog park” continue to surface from time to time.
The city of Rolla is under a court order enjoining it “from taking action that is inconsistent with the property [Buehler Park]'s use as a public park.” Public means people — not dogs, cats, birds or other animals.
(Don't get me wrong. I love dogs, cats and birds. I have a dog, two cats and a feeder for all my wild bird friends. There is plenty of unused and underutilized land in Rolla for dogs, cats and birds. There is absolutely no need to destroy a wonderful park for these purposes.)
It appears the city has not given up on destroying Buehler Park; and reminds us regularly that the only thing preventing them is the court injunction and our vigilance and willingness to go back to court and defend Buehler Park.
Emails and phone calls to city officials asking them respectfully to stop attacking Buehler Park would be helpful. Click here for contact information for city officials.
2. PARKS AND RECREATION TAX PROPOSAL ON BALLOT, APRIL 7, 2015
The Rolla Parks and Recreation Tax Proposal (Proposition P) is back on the ballot for the April 7, 2015 election. It was removed from the November ballot in the 11th hour, when city officials discovered that placing it on the ballot twice in one year would be a violation of state statute, RSMO 644.032.
The tax proposal, in a somewhat different form, was defeated by four percentage points in April 2014 and previously in 2011 by a two-to-one margin.
Because our parks, including Buehler Park, are desperately in need of funds for capital improvements and maintenance which they are unlikely to receive if this tax proposal fails, I intend to vote YES on Proposition P.
3. PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET CUTS
The budget for Rolla's parks was cut drastically last October. If Proposition P passes, it will likely be restored. If Proposition P fails, the cuts will likely become even more drastic.
The Parks and Recreation Department is looking for citizens and organizations who would pick up some of the slack. Anyone interested in helping out contact director of parks and recreation, Scott Caron, scaron@rollacity.org, 573-364-4278.
Trash accumulates quickly at Buehler Park. Just taking a few minutes once a week to pick up trash would make a big difference.
4. TREES
The 35 young trees that we have planted since 2007 when the courts ruled on Buehler Park in our favor appear to have survived the winter and should soon spring out into their Spring foliage. Due to our watering the trees over the summer dry spells, they are growing fast. One Tupelo black gum that we planted in 2008 is now over 10 feet tall. The dogwoods we planted two years ago are coming along and we expect them to start to flower in a few years.
Sadly, another large pine tree died last year. The large pines are probably approaching the end of their life span. It will be sad to see them go, but that is why we plant new trees.
5. GREAT RIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER RETURNS TO BUEHLER PARK
Great Rivers president, Kathleen Henry, and attorney, Henry Robertson, along with plaintiff Heather Navarro of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment stopped for lunch in Rolla on their way to a victory celebration in Joplin. Henry Robertson won a great victory before the Missouri Supreme Court which ruled that Empire Electric must pay its customers rebates for installing solar energy; and folks in the Joplin area are going wild over it.
In spite of the inclement February weather, we made a quick stop at Buehler Park, site of one of Great River's first major victories. I'm attaching a photo.
6. THREE IMPORTANT VICTORIES FOR GREAT RIVERS
Besides winning the case against Empire Electric and the Public Service Commission for solar energy rebates, Great Rivers prevailed in two other important cases in the last few months;
Representing Concerned Citizens Against Landvatter Ready Mix and other citizens, Great Rivers sued and forced Landvatter to withdraw its application to build a cement plant adjacent to the Shaw Nature Reserve in Franklin County.
In a case reminiscent of Buehler Park, last Spring, Great Rivers helped citizens in Olivette, Missouri with an initiative petition to amend the city charter to prevent the city from disposing of or building on city parks without a majority vote of the people (Great Rivers Reporter, Fall 2014, page 6).
The petition drive gained the necessary number of signatures, but the Olivette city council, which wanted to let a private developer build a huge sports complex in a city park, refused to put it on the ballot. Great Rivers sued and forced Olivette to place the measure on the ballot. The initiative petition passed with 57% of the vote saving beautiful 29-acre Warson Park.
I think all the wonderful work Great Rivers is doing is absolutely amazing.
7. SUIT TO UPHOLD MISSOURI'S RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD
I promised to continue reporting on my suit against the Missouri General Assembly's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to uphold Missouri's Renewable Energy Standard. There is nothing new to report. These cases can take a looooooooooooong time. Meanwhile, Missouri privately-owned utilities Ameren and KCPL, that should by law be switching to renewable sources, continue to rely on coal, the dirtiest form of energy. They also continue to export Missouri's jobs in the renewable energy sector to far-away places like California. For details, see story on page 3 of the Spring 2014 issue of the Great Rivers Reporter.
8. PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO GREAT RIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
If you have not done so recently, please consider making a donation to Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. Checks can be mailed to Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, 319 No. Fourth St., Suite 800, St. Louis, MO 63102. Great Rivers is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Donations can also be made online from Great Rivers' website. Please help Great Rivers so they can continue to help others as they helped us.
9. MEA CULPA
Well, I totally missed the Winter Solstice issue. Here it is, almost Spring and I'm just getting started. The Buehler Park quarterly is becoming a biannual publication.
I also haven't done much work on the Buehler Park website. I'll try to do a better job this year.
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If you don't wish to receive occasional notices about Buehler Park and related topics, let me know and I'll take you off this list.
If you want to be added to this list, let me know.
Have a great day and thanks for your support for Buehler Park.
Tom Sager, Secretary/Treasurer/Webmaster/Editor
Citizens for the Preservation of Buehler Park
yushasager (at) yahoo.com
http://buehlerpark.org
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