Over the last two weeks, I have seen a level of civic interest that is inspirational. On Nov 13, the Town Board and I made a hard decision to build water slides instead of a dive pool at Elm Ave Park. Since then, people across the political spectrum have expressed concerns, and we’ve been listening.
The decision we made on Nov 13 was right from the perspective of delivering a fantastic service to residents with an eye to our 9-park system as a whole and the confines of our town budget. But the role of town government is to deliver services, and we heard loud and clear that the service we were offering was not necessarily what residents wanted.
Recognizing this, all four Town Board members and I unanimously agreed to take the next two months to have a wider community discussion about our pool options in the context of our families, our budget, our traditions, and our parks.
During this time, the Town Board and I will accept construction bids on both dive and slide pool options. We’ll continue talking to you and listening at community meetings, online, and in person. And before taking a final vote, we will hold a Town Board Meeting to hear your views on both options (which you can see here: https://www.facebook.com/BethlehemSupervisor).
The system worked: Bethlehem residents had concerns, the Town Board and I heard them, and we’re taking action.
I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me and my Town Board colleagues, and I hope you will keep working alongside us to support the safe, healthy, and prosperous Bethlehem we all love.
David VanLuven
Bethlehem Town Supervisor
