I talked to them after the meeting, they both felt that they were mocked and treated with disrespect as evidently the aldermen and the others felt no need to treat them any differently. They were told they were the only ones complaining which is not true. I as a resident of Peru am once again embarrassed by my city government. The other night the Mayor said that he could do nothing to help them and now those at this meeting could not even find a way to make this work for everyone concerned. I think we need new people at city hall who will work with all the people and not for just a few of the people.
If you have an ordinance that gives too much authority to an unelected recreation commission than the solution is SIMPLE CHANGE IT. Times change and we don't need to live with a city ordinance that was created in 1957 and is no longer effective in 2012.
41 comments:
One citizen purposes an idea and all his/her wishes and demands are met. Others ask for a meeting, beg to just be listened to, and make several suggestions to eliminate problems resulting for the first citizen's idea. Their pleas and ideas not only fall on deaf ears but they are made to feel very uncomfortable and belittled. Once again it seems to be who you know that gets things done in our government.
The bottom line is the city shouldn't have taken out a tennis court to replace with another sport that noone has tools for. This shouldn't have been allowed.
8:00 PM, July 10, 2012
It should be possible to form a neighborhood association of those concerned by the arbitrary change in the park. Since they have gone through the proper channels of meeting with the city officials with no hope of compromise, they could then hire counsel to research all available nuisance ordinance and common laws (noise, etc) and prepare a civil suit against the city. I believe they should contact the Bloomington city watch organization for the best advice on how to do this. They may need to set up a website and take their case to the people.
I am assuming that this Park usage is a serious and unusual nuisance that has caused the neighbors serious harm, and as such is worth the effort to document the harm, research the issue, and hire counsel. I believe many think pickle ball might be a great idea, but was implemented in a horrible location. Issues like this are rarely taken to court in most cities, but if in fact those in power are deaf to the few impacted by the change in the park and have decided those few homes must be sacrificed for the good of the many, the citizens are left with no compromise positions and must sue. Raising the awareness can begin to have others say if it happened to them it could happen to us. That is the beginning of changing the status quo of the electorate for the next election. It becomes much less about pickle ball and more about a pattern of cronyism and decision without debate. People outside of the blog readership care about issues like that. They just need to awaken.
I've lived at the north end of the park for 20 years. I considered the tennis court an asset to the neighborhood. It was used extensively. Now the court's use is changed. Pickleball is a noisy game played by no kids during the day. We were told paddle attachments could be obtained to damper the sound. I corresponded with a internet distributor who said, "that's an incorrect marketing statement" and no devices exist. There were better places in town than taking over the 28th street facility. This action was poorly conceived. It summons to mind the adage, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission". The miscreants didn't seek permission, and aren't admitting this conversion is ill-conceived.
Bob
You make some good points. Now I would advise you to stop calling them names like miscreants and simply take action along with other neighbors. There are noise regulations in the state and there are forensic sound companies that measure the noise. Based on the extremely close proximity to the yards, I would guess the play would be in constant violation. You might also seek out other examples of cities with better designs for pickle ball. Then you and the others need to estimate your personal damages along with counsel and file suit. That is why the courts of law are there, to deal with those who ignore rights and dismiss compromise. Expressing anger on blogs is great but is also easily dismissed by the local powers.
Its a shame, you can't have an opinion without being degraded. If I lived in that area, I would be up in arms. Who is this Grabowski? that he can call all the shots.. Why don't you put up a net in front of his house, and see how he likes it.
IMO, total arrogance by one the alderman in this issue. Are they doing what is best for the community or just one of their family friends. Apples don't fall too far from the tree.
It's Time to stop complaining and do something about it! Don't wait until election time to begin trying to dis-place officials who only do for the people a month before the election, like walking door to door etc. Only putting the word out on the blog isn't good enough. signs with a big circle and slash through it with names of officials that need to go should start being placed on cars and your yard. There are only 2 officials at city hall worth anything and that's not going to do it.
Can anyone explain why a city would construct any kind of court within 20 feet of back yards? It's not as though there isn't room to locate it further from the surrounding homes. And, it's not that the courts were there first and the homes built later. Who in their right mind would ever think that a city would construct a permanent structure that close to their back yards? And, on top of that change a court that at maximum would have 4 players hitting a soft tennis ball back and forth. Now there could be 16 players hitting 4 wiffle type balls back and forth with a badminton type paddle a much shorter distance (which means more bounces).
I JUST STARTED READING THIS AND MADE A COMMENT TO MY ALDERMAN ABOUT AND A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WERE ON MY MIND . I GET THE FEELING THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE IN THE CITY OF PERU . EITHER YOU GO ALONG AND GET ALONG OR SHUT UP AND PUT UP .I WAS FOOLED LIKE MANY OTHERS BY THE B.S. THAT HARL WAS SHOLVEING LAST ELECTION . SHAME ON ME . BUT I THINK THE SHAME FALLS ON HIM NOW FOR NOT DOING HIS JOB AND THE COUNCILE FOR NOT DOING THEIR JOB . I WON'T KISS ANYONES --- TO BE ON A BOARD OR TO GET SOMETHING DONE . MY NEXT STEP IS TOO MOVE AND I TOLD MY ALDERMAN THAT . I HOPE 2013 IS BETTER THEN THE MAYOR AND COUNCILE WE OR YOU HAVE NOW
Both of the men are also my aldermen and I expect them both to make informed decisions about issues that come before them and not act first and think later.
Since I also know the residents involved I do know that neither of those aldermen or the rec commission president has ever and I repeat ever approached them to ask if there were any issues to be considered before they made their own decision.
Making an informed decision would mean considering the effects of your decision on both sides. Since it is a sport there are additional concerns because some sports are loud and you would not want to place them in or near someones back yard. Did any of the aldermen or decision makers spend some time in the yards near to the pickleball court? They would have been welcome had they asked. There are lawn chairs in both yards and they might even have received a glass of lemonade. Then stay there for 30 minutes or an hour and listen while there are pickleball games in progress. Discuss what you hear and then make your decision.
I can assure anyone reading this blog that it did not happen, both of the aldermen made uninformed decisions as did the entire membership of the Peru Recreation Commission and I am guessing this would not have happened if they meaning aldermen and others happened to live next to the park.
The Mayor can't or won't help? Can't is what you want to believe! Its a Park. The Bloomington City Watch will tell you its a Park! The biggest supporters of the Mayor was the group that wrote the blogs and supported the campaign. And now your unhappy. I don't live in Peru, but we all realize that the Mayor Harl has much more important tasks to perform and picklsports are not one of them. Support him and those you elected in your area and forget about how the ball bounces in your park.
Why would anyone support a poor system of government that has not improved even though promises were made and none were fulfilled. The picklsports are being supported, don't be fooled into thinking otherwise. We also supported one of the recently elected aldermen who is doing likewise. It would not be very smart to support people who can't even give you a reason they are destroying a local neighborhood park unless you enjoy being kicked in the teeth.
It is very evident you don't understand anything that is going on here in Peru. Pay a visit and talk to the people who have issues and then come back.
The Mayor said he can't help but I and other believe it is because he won't.
2:34 If Mayor Harl has more important tasks to perform than the pickle ball sports then please explain to me and all other Peru citizens why he went out for bids to add new courts to 28th street park (pickle ball courts that is). Not only was it courts but lights to go with them. And then he went to a rec commission meeting (who was responsible for introducing the game) to report his findings. This information came from the 6/12 rec meeting minutes.
Anon 2:34 With your attitude I would shudder at the thoughts of having you as a resident of my home town and of a park being located near my home.
Even though you are not a resident of Peru you inform its residents of the priorities of a nuisance factor in their neighborhood. Would this same priority still exist if a annoyance was placed at your back door step? Contrary to what you think the Mayor of Peru has a responsibility to its citizens not to allow and to stop the circumstances such as have been created by pickle ball at the 28th street park. In closing the pickle ball fiasco is not about how the ball bounces but the physical location where it is bouncing and the noise created from it, worse is that the handling of the situation by all involved aldermen, park committee representation and Grabowki have made this a stand off in which a line has been drawn between the court representation and the neighborhood.
Incidentally the neighborhood is rapidly growing in numbers and votes.
Why is what appears to have been such a easy fix developed into the creation of the second Mason Dixon Line?
2:34 it's a park. Got that. So that means you can do anything you want there right? After all it's a park. You should be able to have fireworks at a park right? Or a rock concert. After all it is a park, city watch can tell you that. But baker lake was a park and the people there seemed a little against fireworks , and some sporting events, and I heard they would not even consider hosting any of the charity concerts. How dare they. Someone needs to tell them what they should do and how they should feel. Thank God for people like you who can remind all the people around parks that they should shut up and support whatever the city officials want. Those uppity non patriotic park huggin city dwellers. Bothering mr. Harl and all, how dare they.
well i guess harl has more important things to do like work on his re election campaign-he is busy spending city money on signs that promote him when if truth the roads are being paid by the taxpayers of peru, if i were him i would be working on getting out of this tenure with everything i had, this has been the worst 3 years of the city i have ever witnessed and i have lived here for a very long time-sad sad sad
There's only one solution! Finding someone to run for mayor that has a spine, that's not afraid to rattle cages, and terminate department supers that won't do their job. Thus far no-one has stepped up to the plate to challenge the al-mighty king. People,you need to understand if you need replacements your job is to start now.
6:30 PM. Excellent post! Well said and funny too!
Park was there before the houses. If you build a house next to a park you should expect to hear some noise from it. If I build a house next to an airport, I'm going to expect to hear a plane when it takes off. Please don't say the tennis court wasn't there when the houses were built. It's a park, parks attract people, people make noise period. If you don't like it take Linda's advice from a previous post and move.
I don' care how many signs they put up telling how the roads are being fixed. It's great to drive on these roads. Good job.
The only reason the pickle ball courts exsist is because, Mr. Grabowskis' wife is on the rec board that put it through. first of all, the tennis courts were put up for him and his wife, because they were avid tennis players. I wonder what they will ask the city to give them next.
I live on 28th and had just purchased new tennis items before the pickleball court was established. Willing to give it a try, I went to a clinic in the evening with my 10 year old daughter and was promptly told to return with an adult as children were not being taught at this time. I completely felt like this was a club and I was not invited. Now I get in my car and drive over a busy highway to play tennis when I previously walked only steps. I guess I missed the meeting when this change was being discussed.
8:23 PM, July 12, 2012
8:23 PM
Thank you for your comment. This was something we suspected might be happening. There should have been a public notice somewhere somehow to let the residents of the subdivision know what was about to happen and where their protests could be taken. Unfortunately neither of the ward aldermen would have been any help to you.
5:40
Park was there before the houses. I have heard conflicting stories on that, but what is more important is if the courts were constructed after the houses. If so, the courts were definitely placed too close to the houses.
And the analogy of the airport is plain wrong. If you lived near an airport and suddenly they changed its use to dramatically alter the noise level, you would say the citizens next to it should not fight it? Get real and read papers outside of the Illinois valley. Neighbors of public use lands can and do fight against unnecessary changes . This is a recreational activity, not required commerce or transportation. It is a classic case of a government deciding something in favor of one insider without considering the rights of other citizens. Stop this bullying mentality of saying if you do not like something move. People should not have to move because of self centered neighbors. And people should not be threatened because they disagree with a political decision.
So, are children only allowed to use this public facility when the ambassador tells them? It seems as though he can tell the citizens when and how they can use his court. I thought parks were for kids to use. Now they can only step on this court when told? Ridiculous!
ALDERMEN: Please read and re-read the comment posted and listed as 8:23. Is this the type of permission you gave the ambassador - the ability to tell citizens they can't use something they paid for until he says so? Did you mean to give him total control of a public court? Not only is he creating a disturbance in the neighborhood but he's apparently telling citizens when they can and can't use this public court. No matter what you say or how you feel this is wrong!
6:16 Thank you so much for your informative and intelligent remarks. For your information the tennis courts were indeed put in after the homes were built. Even though the courts are indeed too close to the homes, through the years we have enjoyed watching the children play not only tennis but many creative activities. It disturbs me that our aldermen did not take into consideration the proximity of the court and the neighborhood. We can only hope that someone in city government will take notice of the problem and help us. Again thank you for recognizing the problem. jb
The fact that the mayor and the city council is allowing an individual to control a public court paid for by the citizens of Peru is beyond belief. Giving him the ability to turn away citizens because his "newly formed ambassadors club" is using it is WRONG! How dare he and our council turn a supposedly neighborhood park into their own personal use facility. They are giving him full reign to do as he pleases no matter who it affects (including children).
So does the court need to be reserved like the park shelters or is this just his rules?
12:19 I don't think anybody else but the ambassador has the right or the authority to reserve this public court. How he became so special is anyone's guess.
While we are on the subject of the ambassador and his court, I asked him on Tuesday why he wanted a pickle ball court on a court he petitioned 15 years ago for tennis. He responded by saying he had nothing to do with the tennis court and said "prove it".
9:36 I think that " prove it" response seems to be very consistent across the city government. I could see that becoming the mayor's re election slogan. But they get upset when representatives are forced to go to the Attorney General to prove things. You really cannot have it both ways. If you want to deal locally with problems, then do things in an open, fully debated and transparent way. Problem solved.
Same old story...A man believes he and his pickle(ball) are more important than the entire world! Power play! I have to keep laughing at this whole fiasco. A child is turned away from playing in a park because of the arrogance of one little Richard. That is the most horrible situation I have heard of and I am embarrassed that a leader of this community would tolerate it much longer. I can comfortably ask "How do you spell b-u-y-i-n-g v-o-t-e-s???" Time to move my investments elsewhere.
We all know the ambassador, his wife, and family were avid tennis players and used the 28th street tennis court frequently. Why he felt it necessary to deny being an instrumental part in getting that court established makes no sense. Let's face facts. That court is convenient for him and that is the reason it was established in the first place and that is the reason it's a pickleball court today. Location, location, location. Too bad for those who have to put up with the disturbance this new game creates! I feel sorry for those people and I want each and every one of you to ask yourself "would I like that in my backyard?"
Your first complaint about the rec board ordinance was that it wasn't being followed, No that you know it is, it is no longer effective. You people are un real.
The ordinance for the rec board is not being followed. There are 7 members and there should only be 5. They are only supposed to serve for 5 years yet most of them exceed that by many years.
No 7:36 you are unreal. Apparently you're not on top of things and are only listening to probably someone like the ambassador. If and when you get your ordinances straight then post intelligently please.
I do have my ordinance straight. It reads the term of the boards members shall be 5 years OR when a suitable replacement is appointed. Perhaps you need to reread it. Check Peru's website and then perhaps you can be informed when you make your posts.
I too have my ordinance straight 11:32. And pray tell me why would the mayor fail to appoint a replacement? New blood, new ideas, progress. Isn't that what we wanted after 44 years of the same?
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