An open letter regarding the proposed Waldo Dog Park

The following is a letter from Deb Hipp, Chairman of WOOF (Well-Organized Off-leash Friends). It is published in its entirety for your information. Dear Dog Lovers, Today, the parks board that was appointed to increase parks usage and serve the citizens totally screwed us and shut down our entire dog park plan in the most flagrant display of disregard and rudeness to the public that I have ever witnessed. I am saddened and outraged. This is what happened: When I called to check on the parks board agenda, which I couldn’t find online, I was told that there was an “amendment” to the city’s dog park guidelines on the agenda. When I asked Parks Department Director Mark McHenry what the amendment was, he would not tell me and told me that I was “welcome to come” to the meeting and find out. That is when I sent out my urgent e-mail that you received yesterday, urging people to come and speak at the “public hearing” portion of the parks board meeting, which is ALWAYS open to the public. This amendment was news to me, which led me to believe that they were trying to slip it in and screw us over with little attention. What I feared was true, and when I tell you what happened next, you will be as outraged as I am. About 40 dog park supporters showed up and at least a dozen signed up to speak during this “open” public hearing portion. The room was packed. As the parks commissioners walked in, Commissioner Aggie Stackhaus, who has made no secret of her friendship with Eula Inloes (opponent to our park and president emeritus of Here’s Waldo Neighborhood Association) or her opposition to our dog park, walked by me and gleefully said, “I’m loving every minute of this.” As the PUBLIC hearing began, Commissioner John Fierro announced that NO off-leash dog park testimony would be ALLOWED and that they would be making an announcement pertaining to the proposed dog park. I objected to this, and several other people, who had taken off work to testify, also objected. One supporter raised her hand and said, “I’d like to talk about transparency in government” but was told that NO, she would not be allowed to speak about that!! They rushed through the reading of this policy change – which excludes any dog park from being in a neighborhood park, near homes – in other words, OUR dog park, voted hurriedly on it and then, as people shouted out their dissatisfaction, just went on with the meeting as if none of the forty of us were even present. We kept on talking, though, and managed to get on the news. Several reporters were there, and you can read the Star story here. As a crowd of us gathered in the lobby and discussed this obvious back-room deal struck up by parks commissioners who seemingly –and blatantly-- believe that they are above answering to the public that they were appointed to serve, the Parks Department actually called the police! On a bunch of people wearing WOOF t-shirts discussing this denial of the public process – after all, we were promised a public hearing from day one. We have followed every procedure, been polite, professional, courteous, thorough and honest – something our few opponents (less than a dozen outspoken people) have never demonstrated…..and this is what has happened. I believe that this parks board cheated us out of our public hearing (the big one that we were PROMISED) because they knew that with the overwhelming show of public support for our project, they would have looked foolish to not approve it. Now they have chosen to look foolish anyway, and callously disregard what the public wants – in full view of news cameras and citizens. I have not had time to plan our next move, but trust me, there is one. For now, you can meet with me and others at Jakes Barbecue, 83rd and Wornall (by Big Lots) on Thursday, August 30 at 7 p.m. Come, have a beer, vent and strategize. Tell the Mayor who Appointed These People What You Think We need to FLOOD the mayor’s office with e-mails of outrage. Mayor Funkhouser appointed these people to do what is right – not make up the rules, the newest one being NOT ALLOWING the public to speak and denying citizens the right to due process – and he needs to know how his new appointees are behaving. Here is the e-mail: mayor@kcmo.org Oh, and be sure to CC these people below too when you send your e-mail to the mayor. Everyone needs to know about this underhanded move by the KCMO parks board and parks department: susan_borge@kcmo.org; karmen_bradley@kcmo.org; jim_giles@kcmo.org; news@nbcactionnews.com; mmahoney@hearst.com; iler@nbcactionnews.com; kaut@nbcactionnews.com; david.martin@pitch.com; eric.barton@pitch.com; leslie.carto@foxtv.com; cj.janovy@pitch.com; khoux@dispatchtribune.com; mcampbell@kcstar.com; melba_curls@kcmo.org; kimberly_randolph@kcmo.org; gina_boucher@kcmo.org; dyanne_bean@kcmo.org Mad as Hell and Not Going to Take it Anymore? If you’d like to express your opinion to the five parks commissioners who made this disgraceful decision, CALL THEM. They were appointed to serve their constituency – that’s us. Editor's Note: I removed the phone numbers provided in the email since they are not readily available on the Parks Board website. The phone numbers are however listed in the phone book. John Fierro, Executive Director Mattie Rhodes Center Aggie Stackhaus Tyrone Aiken, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Ajamu Webster, DuBois Consultants Civil and Structural Engineering Frances Semler If you’re against back-room deals, and “amendments” slipped in and rammed through over cries of outrage from people who were NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK about that very amendment at a PUBLIC hearing, tell the mayor today. Also, if you are an attorney, and would like to talk about the possible illegality of what the parks board did today, please contact me. I will be in touch soon. It ain’t over yet. Deb