To the editor:

I would like to share a few comments about the Webster City council meeting on February 5th. Community members were allowed to express their comments/concerns about the splash pad project.

Multiple community members, including several high school students, expressed their reasons for not being in favor of the project. Several expressed their concern of wasting water, a very valid concern, in my opinion.

Mayor (John) Hawkins said, “we waste water anyway.” Then with a smirk, he stated, “It will run to the river and there will be a little more water for those who float the river.”

I was shocked to hear a comment like this from the mayor. During the meeting, it was mentioned that multiple community members had emailed council members stating that they were not in favor of the splash pad project and a few emailed in favor of the project. It was also mentioned that a petition had been turned in, signed by 70 some people not in favor of the project. At the meeting not one person in attendance spoke in favor of the splash pad project.

Mayor Hawkins stated that he was in favor of the project because some people donated money to the cause, not as much as he had hoped, but if the project was not done people would not donate money for future projects when he asks them for a donation.

One community member in attendance asked for a show of hands to see how many were opposed to the project. Most if not all of the attendees raised their hand. This same person asked for a show of hands of those in favor of the project. I did not see one hand raised. However, with the crowd that was there I may have missed seeing a raised hand behind me.

After the raise of hands, Mayor Hawkins said to the high school students, “You’re in high school and won’t use the splash pad, so it really doesn’t matter to you.”

Really! I have to ask, are the high school students not future adults of Webster City? Many of them are more than likely to have children in the community in the future. I believe they have every right to express their concern without being belittled by Mayor Hawkins. I wonder if Mayor Hawkins plans to use the splash pad himself.

Carol Huisman

Webster City