Sign this petition and tell The City of Olean’s Common Council to halt the plans to build a splash park at War Vets! The City should not use $500,000 of ARPA Funds (which are intended for COVID-19 relief and do not have to be paid back) and should not be borrowing over $1 million on a bond, which as taxpayers, we will be responsible for paying back.

Tell the Common Council to send back the splash park equipment they have purchased! If the City of Olean continues to move forward and spends more money on this project, it would be a mistake. We, the taxpayers, need to make sure the monies are going to what is needed for our city… not wanted by our council.  

Did you know?

• The City of Olean used over $225,000 of taxpayer monies to refurbish the Big pool in 2017.
• The City of Olean plans to now fill in that same pool with concrete to put in the splash park. Filling in the pool with concrete will cost at least $60,000 from taxpayers that are not budgeted in the current plans. If the City goes ahead with its plan to fill in the outdoor pool at the Center, that will eliminate the area’s only outdoor pool and rob hundreds of children and adults of the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and the pool. While the City is referencing a lack of use of the pool in recent years, it is important to note that in the past 5 years, the pool has only been open for 2 years. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on the public’s comfortability with participating in activities in public. I feel as though the data referencing the use of the pool is skewed and a decision to fill in an asset that has been in our community for several years is a grave miscalculation.  
• Olean will have 2 splash parks if this project continues. The Olean YMCA currently is planning for the new Erick Laine Outdoor Center, which will expand the footprint of the Y property on Wayne Street and is expected to open in June 2023. This project will consist of five outdoor venues: an airnasium, splash park that transforms into a winter play park, playground, fire pit area, welcome center, and bathhouse. The center will be open to the community and will not require YMCA membership. Day pass fees, seasonal passes, and YMCA membership will support the day-to-day operations. With the YMCA building its own splash pad facility, the City’s would be redundant.  
• Our common council authorized the mayor to sign of voucher for over $800,000 in splash park parts (not including installation) for this project.  This was done with no complete budget, no input from the current DPW Director or Director of Community Development, and no input from the community.
• The city does not have a complete budget or a dollar amount for entrance fees to the splash park, but somehow, they know the predictive revenue. There will be a $1 million dollar bond with a cost of approximately $80,000 due per year for the next 15 years. Mr. Crawford predicts $75,000 of revenue per year will come from the splash park to pay the bond. If the park does not come through with that revenue, we, the taxpayers, will be paying that $80,000 per year for the next 15 years. 
• The splash park is not a grant-funded project. The APRA funds are only contributing $500,000 and the rest will come from the taxpayers.
• The council members should be fiduciarily responsible for what our taxpayers’ monies are used for. We should be focusing on what is needed for our city… not wanted by our council! 

Some ideas of what the $500,000 of ARPA monies could go to and what our city really needs: 

• The city did not have enough money for SCBAs (the breathing apparatus for the fire department), so the city had to take out a loan.  
• The city does not have money to replace vehicles that are 13 years old and falling apart, so again they are taking out another loan on that.  
• The East State Street project is already $80,000 over budget.