Mpls Park Board debates 'poison pill' on DeLaSalle deal

On Jan. 23, 2008, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board debated an amendment to its 70-year deal to let private DeLaSalle High School build a stadium on public parkland. Minnesota Commissioner of Finance rejected the original deal because it gave a private party control of state bond-funded public land for more than 20 years. Minneapolis Park Attorney Brian Rice explained that the amended deal would still total 70 years, but in 20-year segments (and one 10-year segment), with the park board having an option to cancel the contract after each 20 years. Except that the new deal contains a poison pill for any future park board contemplating returning the land to public control: if they don't renew the contract, the park board has to build DeLaSalle a new stadium on a new piece of parkland. One park commissioner calls that a "poison pill" that effectively denies any future park board its right to withdraw from the deal. But Attorney Rice and Park Commissioner Bob Fine state that was the intent: to create a scheme that appears to obey the Minnesota Commissioner of Finance but in fact does just the opposite, committing the public land to a private purpose for 70 years.

For more information, see http://www.ourbeautifulriver.org
and
http://www.mplsparkwatch.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Minneapolis
• Park
• Board
• Attorney
• Brian
• Rice
• Bob
• Fine
• Scott
• Vreeland
• DeLaSalle
• stadium
• Nicollet
• Island
• state
• finance

[iheartnwl4ever]

BOB!

[bitney123]

lol public land!! lol tht is the funniest thing i have ever heard!!! we own the land we own half tht friggen island!!! the other half is owned by the Eastmon family!! lol this is the dumest thing i have heard in my life!!!! there is no way tht it is private!! it will be used by the city too!! it is amazing wat u learn wen u go to tht school!!! lol im not downing ne1 im just stating wat i think of the lies in this thing!

[eluko79]

Didn't the school own the island before the park was even there? Its not like its a real park anyway. I realize the subtle corruption but its just an empty lot. This wouldn't have anything to do with the elitist living on the island for free would it?

[coffee1900]

INCREDIBLE! Public officials shown on tape planning to circumvent state law. And one of them is the Park Board Attorney. Is there no length that some officials will not go to give a home field to a private, parochial school?

Such incredible nerve!