Good morning.
We have now reached 741 signatures. Unfortunately, I do not have any new answers to share. I attended another board meeting on Monday, Oct. 5th, but the bench was not included on the agenda. The mayor and board members have still not discussed the situation with us, so I stepped up to make another public comment.
“Nature and access to green spaces have been associated with benefits to mental well-being and overall health. I am trying to provide a small, peaceful place where people who want or need to linger can do so.
This idea is also consistent with the work of the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), which focuses on placemaking—the collaborative process of building on a community's existing assets, inspiration, and potential to create public spaces that support health, happiness, and well-being.
PPS research emphasizes several important characteristics of successful public spaces, including human scale, seating, parking space opportunities for sun and shade, and activities that encourage people to spend time in a place. Its work also describes public spaces as potential "multi-solvers" that can help address issues such as public health, social isolation, and local community needs.
PPS also promotes the concept of "Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper"—using relatively simple, low-cost improvements such as seating, greenery, and other small interventions to test and improve public spaces. These kinds of improvements can encourage people to interact casually, develop a stronger connection to their community, and make public spaces more welcoming to a wider range of people. That is what this bench represents to me. It is one small improvement in one small location.
It was planned rather than spontaneous, permission was sought, the placement was considered carefully, and the bench was designed with safety, accessibility, nature, and the surrounding community in mind.
It is worth noting that out of all the local residents who frequently use and enjoy the bench, the city has received only a single complaint.
At the end of the day, I am simply trying to give something back to the community—a place where someone can sit, rest, watch the birds, enjoy the garden, take a break while walking through town, or simply spend a few quiet minutes outside.
It's a sad world when an effort to give back to the community and create a welcoming space for others becomes a problem in itself.
The plan is to put the bench away for winters and at any point it needs to be replaced we will rebuild a new one.”
Furthermore, the records requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) have not yet been provided. I received an email from Village Clerk April indicating that compliance within the statutory five-business-day timeline was not feasible, as doing so would cause an undue burden and interfere with village operations.
Thank you for your support!
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