Erie County Legislator Tim Kennedy sponsored a resolution last Thursday calling for the creation of a "Citizen's Guide to the Parks" to address recent complaints of park accountability confusion from Erie County residents, specifically in the City of Buffalo.

Following the approval of Kennedy's initiative, representatives from the City of Buffalo, Erie County Parks Department, and the Buffalo Olmstead Parks Conservancy to met to discuss their responsibilities as stated in the Intra-Municipal Parks Agreement.

The guide will clearly describe the programming and maintenance responsibilities of each municipality. Citizens will use this guide to identify who to contact about issues such as broken equipment, vandalism, and other park related issues. The guide will also provide a description of all Erie County parks and other public places governed by the Intra-Municipal Parks Agreement.

"Due to the several transactions in recent years that our park systems have undergone, confusion has arisen from many residents concerning accountability for the maintenance of specific parks." Kennedy said, "This guide will be designed to eliminate that confusion, answering any questions regarding the parks system in the City of Buffalo and Erie County. It will also promote a more enjoyable park experience and aid park management in operating more efficiently."

As part of an initiative to educate those involved in park maintenance, Legislator Kennedy along with Maureen Krause, president of South Buffalo Alive, led Olmsted Park's CEO, Jonathan Hollifield on a tour to demonstrate current issues that need to be addressed in the parks of South Buffalo.

The user guide will be available in the upcoming weeks. For more information regarding the guide please contact Legislator Kennedy's district office at 824-6180.

Back to District 2 Homepage