It seems to me, that if the "Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board" was uniformly placed on the signage through out the system, it would help those who don't know (and those who visit the city) to better understand that it is the Park Board and not the Mayor's office that is responsible for these properties.
I agree -- it's very important that residents and visitors better understand that it is the Park Board and not the Mayor's office that is reponsible. How do these signs help people understand that the Park Board is not part of the city government? Lots of cities have park and recreation boards, and they are often just a branch of the city government. My "home" town in Colorado is just such a place, as is the local suburb of Chaska.
I suggest the MPRB change all of those signs to read "Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, an independent taxing entity not part of the city government" or something similar.
Or perhaps it would be even better if the MPRB should change their name completely. They should rename themselves to something that cannot be mistaken for being a branch of the city. Note that the Hennepin Park District renamed itself to the Three Rivers Park District for just that reason.
I vote for "René-Robert Cavalier de La Salle Parc et Zone de Récréation" as the new name, for without La Salle, Louis Hennepin never would have gotten here.
(Hennepin is probably a better person to name the park system after, but I'm afraid it might be too confusing given all the other things bearing his name.)
Renaming the MPRB has the added advantage of removing confusion over the several golf courses it owns which do not lie within the Minneapolis city limits. Those golf courses will need to be prominently and uniformly signed as well, so that our suburban neighbors know who is running them.
Speaking of which, does the MPRB have taxation authority outside of Minneapolis to cover those golf courses? To be fair, they should, shouldn't they?
Chris Johnson Fulton
TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.)
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