Residents press board on timing, acreage and site options at Waterford bond hearing

Members of the public attending the Aug. 27 informational hearing asked several procedural and substantive questions about the district's plan to use Community Service Levy funds and the board's authorization to borrow up to $5,000,000 for land acquisition.

Residents questioned the mid-afternoon scheduling of the hearing rather than an evening meeting. Dr. Francois said the hearing was scheduled immediately before the district's annual meeting, which is set a year in advance, and emphasized that the Aug. 27 session was "for informational purposes only" under the cited statute. Community members also asked how many acres the district hopes to acquire, whether the Bixler Environmental Center might be converted to park or athletic space, and why the high school district would be involved in work some attendees described as a village development project.

Dr. Francois told attendees the district would survey community members on what types of recreation facilities they would like to see if the district proceeds with a purchase and that an operational plan would be developed to address how facilities would be funded and scheduled for public access. Specifics about acreage, site selection, and operational costs were not provided at the hearing.