August 1, 2008

KONST ANNOUNCES NEW PLAYGROUNDS FOR COMO AND EMERY PARKS

Erie County Legislator Kathy Konst today announced that the County Legislature has approved a "Playground Installation Program" that will bring two new playgrounds to parks in her legislative district - Sprague Brook Park and Como Lake Park.

"Park users have contacted my neighborhood office in Lancaster (601-3030) to alert me to the poor condition of some of the playground equipment in both of these parks, which had fallen into disrepair due to the county's fiscal problems dating back to 2004 and 2005, prior to my taking office" Legislator Konst said. "As a matter of fact, the playground equipment about to be assembled and installed had been purchased just prior to the massive lay-offs in county government. The loss of most of the county parks' workforce resulted in the equipment remaining in storage, unassembled for years."

Konst noted that capital upgrades at the parks, as well as other discretionary and non-mandated spending, had fallen by the wayside while county finances were stabilized. With that fiscal stability goal validated by the county's consistent investment-grade credit rating by nationally recognized firms on Wall Street, the county can now turn its attention to the amenities and services that the public expects to be delivered efficiently and at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers.

"Generations of families in Erie County have been enjoying our beautiful parks system. I am pleased that two parks in my district will receive priority attention as part of the newly approved ‘Playground Installation Program,'" Legislator Konst concluded. "My constituents will benefit directly from the removal of outdated equipment and will enjoy an overall improvement in the quality of the county park experience."

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