DeKalb discourages parks' benefactors

By HAL JACOBS
Published on: 06/21/04

As most of you know, there are many good reasons to live in DeKalb County. There's plenty of fresh air (during non-smoggy months). There's the Stone Mountain Park laser show (perfect for house guests who are overstaying their welcome). And there are the green jewels of the county — the parks — and the county policy that prevents volunteers from improving parks.

That's right. DeKalb County has made sure that volunteers and charitable folks need not be bothered by their desire to enhance neighborhood parks.

For instance, the Dunwoody Nature Center would like to spend $12,000 raised by elementary students to build a treehouse. Murphey Candler Park wants to use a $75,000 donation from Northside Hospital to build a field house. The baseball facilities where my sons dabble at the American pastime have had some funds graciously donated by parents that we're having a hard time spending.

Why?

We've been told by county officials that to make any improvements to our ballpark — such as signage, landscaping, new dugouts — we must first donate our money to the county, which will then bid out the project according to its own timetable.

So, let's say we have a contractor-parent who is willing to donate labor and build a picnic pavilion for a bargain price of $5,000. And let's say his work will be subject to county permits and inspections. Fortunately, DeKalb won't let us get away with it.

Instead, we need to donate the money to cover the cost of the county-selected builder, someone who has no sons trying to swat balls out of the park. And we can reasonably assume this work will cost about three times as much as our friendly parent's work.

Bravo, DeKalb County. It's time to put the boot down on volunteers who think they can donate time and money to neighborhood parks — and get away with it.

Three cheers to the DeKalb County attorney who has raised so many red flags in interpreting the state law in a valiant attempt to spare the county the hassle of dealing with liability issues. Just because other counties and corporations are talking about private-public partnerships and inviting stakeholders to get involved doesn't mean DeKalb should relax its guard.

And "hear hear!" to the DeKalb CEO who talks a good game about "new day, new way," but lets dust gather in the back corner of his office that touches the daily lives of thousands of residents.

It's nice to live in a county that protects us from ourselves. It's delightful to have families from Gwinnett and Cobb counties visit our park and sniff in disbelief at our third-world facilities (no offense, Ecuador). There's no telling what we might do if given the right kind of inspiration, leadership and cooperation. We might build a treehouse or, God forbid, create a handicapped-access baseball field.

Maybe DeKalb County Parks needs a new slogan to go with this crusty old policy. Something catchy like "Go away. We don't want your help."