The MSB voters, in the fall of 2016, approved a $22 million Recreation Bond.
$3 million of this money was designated for trail improvements.
The MSB did lot of PR for the Recreation Bond. These pages are from one of the presentations. Look at all the trails planned:
The voters passed the bond:
However, in the fall of 2018, the MSB decided to take over $1 million away from the trails projects and reallocate this money to the Pool Renovation projects.
According to this cheery MSB press release, the reallocation of the monies was a good idea.
https://www.matsugov.us/news/two-pools-get-some-trail-monies
Details:
However, members of the MatSu Borough Parks, Recreation, and Trails Advisory Board – which was not consulted – seemed a bit peeved:
Why does the MSB even bother to have a “Parks, Trails, and Recreation Advisory Board” if they are not going to allow the board to give any advice.
ALSO – WHY WEREN’T THESE PROJECTS PROPERLY VETTED AND ANALYZED PRIOR TO THE BOND VOTE?
If some of the trails projects were not shovel ready, why were they included? Why weren’t other trails project included instead? So, the public voted for bond $ for trails that were unlikely to be completed? #MISMANAGEMENT
And, who approved the initial pool renovation plans which in the end were subpar and needed to be changed? #MISMANAGEMENT
Answer: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Here is the IM from the Resolution to move the $1.05 million which is fully ONE THIRD of the money budgeted for the trails projects:
