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Curti, Carolyn From: Tom Blooming `"�ent: Friday, July 12, 20021: 5 AM , o; carolyn.curti@ci.roseviile.mn.us �� Subject: Community Center I sa�� the request for community input on a possible ne�v community center. So here is some input... I don't want a community center. Well, of course I'd like one. But I don't believe that it would be worth the money if it's anything like those of neighboring community centers. It is my understanding that in neighboring community centers they do not cover the costs of the community centers with user fees. That is, the taxpayers of Roseville �vho would not use the community center would be subsidizing those that would. That's not a good "�ay to run a city in my opinion. Governments exist to provide for the common good, that which beneFts all citizens. This is not an example of a common good. If a community center is built, I'm not sure �vhat it should include. 1'd be more inclined to want to have those features that people are willing to pay for. For example, swimming and fitness facilities. The idea of having space for the Rose��ille Arts Council, Historical Society, ete. seems ridiculous. Will these groups be willing to pay market value for their space? And if so, why do we need a community center for them to have space? And «�hat's �vrong with the Fairview Community Center providing space for these groups? This strikes me as one of those situations where these groups, among others, would expect to get space for a very low price from all of us taxpayers, �vhether �ve support that group or not. Now if there are meeting rooms that they �vould occasionally occupy for meetings, that is not as big a deat. They could rent a room just like any citizen could. But let's not go crazy and extract money from everyone for the benefit of these groups. That's the �overnment taking our money and deciding how to spend it. Roseville should pay for a community center, if one is built, primarily with user fees. As I said above, it is simply not fair to those who would not use it to make them pay for it. But I fear that if the user fees truly reflect the costs of the service then few will want to use it. If that is true, then that is evidence that we should not build a new commumty center. If a community center is built, of course it should also be for surrounding communities. If we can build it in Roseville we'd be foolish to exclude people from other communities. Hopefully we could get those communities to contribute some money to build such a community center. Or better still, get a neighboring city to build a community center and pay for a small part of the construction costs so that Roseville residents could pay "resident" fees to use it. Don't build a community center out of jealousy, just because neighboring communities have them. And don't build it if we're going to require those who will not use it to subsidize those who will. That is a classic example of something that is NOT a common good and therefore not a proper role of govemment. P.S. What's wrong with the Fairview Community Center? How many community centers do we need anyway? Thomas M. Blooming, P.E. Roseville, Minnesota, USA a _:.. � �