Mr. Meadors, Director of Parks and Recreation, Johnson County Park & Recreation District (JCPRD) sent an email that addresses questions NeighborhoodNet has raised about whether statements made by JCPRD are false (see unedited text). Below is my complete response.

I have asked in a previous email that the Board of County Commissioners BOCC) correct four specific statements about the soccer proposal which I consider false

1. "In order to meet national tournament requirements, at least 20 fields must be located on the same site."

2. "The land in question is already zoned for mixed-use and could potentially result in a dense development that would include high-rise offices buildings and condominiums."

3. "...to be able to accommodate the growing needs of approximately 46,000 youth between the ages of 4 and 18 who already enjoy the benefits of soccer in Johnson County, a minimum of 20 fields must be constructed as soon as possible."

4. "the Olathe site featured 62 acres"

I asked the BOCC that the corrected information be immediately and widely disseminated to help voters in their decision how to vote on Nov 7 on the soccer bond proposal. So far, I have received no response from the BOCC.

Mr. Meador's email and my response follows. My responses are in brackets and in blue.

[Dear Mr. Meadors,

Thank you for your email. I believe discussion to determine facts is valuable. I address your points below, bracketing my response. The email to which you have responded directs readers to my website, where I posted my email in response to Commissioner Peterson and address Chair of the Board Surbaugh. You were copied on that email. I will refer to this email in my responses below.

In my email I request that the Board determine if certain specific facts stated by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District (JCPRD) are false and, if so, to ensure that the correct information be published as widely as was the incorrect information. Telling me the correct information and changing entries on the JCPRD website does not meet the goal of wide dissemination of information, particularly given the vote taking place in 7 days.

My wife and I are simply two citizens of Johnson County asking our officials to correct false statements. Instead of correcting the information and disseminating the corrected information widely, we have run into obfuscation and accusations from government officials that we are slandering and denigrating people.

Your email and my detailed reply follows. My responses are in brackets.

Sincerely,
Bob Phillips
NeighborhoodNet
www.nbrhd.net]

Mr. Phillips, your email below infers you have requested false information be corrected. What information have you requested to this office, be corrected?

[In my last email, on which you were copied, I said I believed four statements publicized by JCPRD needed correction. In addition, as I have posted on my website specific details of each of these over the last month and notified readers, I have copied you on these notifications. In addition, we have exchanged several emails about getting corrections.

1. "In order to meet national tournament requirements, at least 20 fields must be located on the same site."

2. "The land in question is already zoned for mixed-use and could potentially result in a dense development that would include high-rise offices buildings and condominiums."

3. "...to be able to accommodate the growing needs of approximately 46,000 youth between the ages of 4 and 18 who already enjoy the benefits of soccer in Johnson County, a minimum of 20 fields must be constructed as soon as possible."

4. "the Olathe site featured 62 acres"

As a result of the Park and Recreation District's efforts to get a Q & A on our web site ASAP we did error and at your request corrected immediately the CSL Report's Economic impact #s as a result of 24 fields instead of 30 with a correction on our web site noting the earlier number. We even took it upon ourselves to have CERI, the County's Economic Research Institute to verify the revised numbers - thus the $24.3 million.

[I appreciate the effort you took to correct the error we found on your website. You will note that in my list of facts I wanted verified as false, I did not include your economic figures. Since you have raised the issue, I will point out that your revised figures are based on having 18 tournaments. In a phone conversation with my wife, Shirley Phillips, you stated there would be fewer tournaments. Please clarify what the actual number of tournaments would be and what the economic impact of that number is.]

We voluntarily reduced the number of youth to "ten's of thousands" from the 46,000 even though we are confident these numbers are in fact accurate in reporting participants, the number is actually approximately 50,000 but due to the difficulty in establishing the exact number, as the reporting by the different clubs and teams varies a great deal, we determined this was a safe description.

[As you confirm here and as we reported, you reduced the number of "youth" from 46,000 to tens of thousands and now the JCPRD website states thousands. You state above that you believe 46,000 "are in fact accurate in reporting participants". You have made it clear, after we challenged you, that youth and participant counts are two entirely different counts. You switched above, and in your letter to us, from youth to participants, as if somehow that justifies the JCPRD having misled the public about the number of youths.

You did not say to the public that there were 46,000 participants. You said there were 46,000 youth. That was false.

This false information is significant. The youth count conveys to voters how many of the children in Johnson County will use the fields for which tax payers are being asked to pay $75 million plus $43 million in interest. According to Kansas Dept of Education, total school enrollment for Johnson County, 2005-2006 was 93,316 Kindergarten through high school, public and nonpublic schools. The JCPRD false statement that there were 46,000 youth would mean that almost 1/2 the youth in Johnson County from kindergarten through high school would get the benefit of using those fields.

You have provided a rough estimate that the number of youth should be reduced by 40%, in the same email to us saying "[Jill: 30%]" You have not provided a basis for either of these estimates. You also have not communicated to the general public that the 46,000 number of youth was false and must be significantly reduced. A person who first heard the 46,000 youth statement, then heard the "thousands" of youth, would have no idea if that were simply a grammatical change of no matter, or a significant correction to a false statement.

Please provide as accurate a figure as you can of the number of youth that will use these fields and the basis for that estimate.]

Additionally, I have sent you a letter from US Soccer (attached again) which in fact states the minimum required fields for US Youth Soccer Region II is currently 22 fields. It is important to note that these Regional Tournaments are in fact considered a part of the National Championship Series.

[The letter from US Soccer clearly differentiates between Regional and National tournaments. In neither case are "at least 20 fields required on the same site" as you state in question 14 on Johnson County Park and Recreation website.]

In his letter Mr. Martella, states it is " ideal to have all of these fields at the same complex but not mandatory".

[Your above statement confirms that when you tell voters "In order to meet national tournament requirements, at least 20 fields must be located on the same site." you have provided false information. This is important: there is a large difference between what Mr. Martella happens to believe is "ideal" and what "must" occur. Your statement makes voters believe that there is no choice, the 20 fields must be constructed at a single location to meet national tournament requirements. Cownie Soccer Park, in Des Moines, Iowa, just held US Youth Soccer Nationals with 12 fields. It also held the US Youth Soccer Region II Cup by partnering with the 8-fields Hidden Valley Complex--demonstrating that fields did not have to be in one location.]

In his phone conversation with Jill Geller, Superintendent of Recreation, in August, Mr. Martella, did in fact state it would be reasonable to expect by 2009, when the Soccer Park would be available to bid on such events, that 20 fields would be required to be located at one site.

[This phone conversation is new information. Thank you for providing it. You have never before provided this information to us, nor have you provided it in any public document we have reviewed. It opens up new questions, which there is not time to address prior to the election. Never the less, please provide to us, and the public, documentation from Mr. Martella that it would be "reasonable to expect by 2009.. that 20 fields would be required to be located at one site." Please provide also the documentation and facts Mr. Martella used to arrive at this conclusion, both of the number of fields and the need to locate them at one site.]

He addresses this expected growth in his letter stating two additional age groups will be added to the Championship Series in 2008.

[In the letter you provided, Mr. Martella states:

"Also, US Youth Soccer is considering additional age groups to the National Championships Series by adding U13 and U20 in 2008, so it is reasonable to expect that future sites for the National and Regional events will require more fields."

Again, he makes no reference to requiring more fields at a single site.]

We would be doing a disservice to the taxpayer if we did not use this information provided by the national organization in the design of this park, and if we built a complex that is already obsolete by regional/national standards at its time of completion. In an effort to maximize the economic benefit of this site, it is in the best interest of the taxpayers to build as many fields as we can at this location.

[The more fundamental question is whether this is the best site to serve the needs of the youth of Johnson County and of the tax payers. It is far more expensive than other land you intend to acquire ($120,000+/acre for this vs an average cost/acre of between $5,464 and $42,070 listed in your 2005-2009 capital improvement plan); it's hilly terrain; it needs substantial infrastructure, including the building of 1 1/2 interchanges that the Olathe site would not have needed; it is being placed on land that was intended for residential and is in among existing residential. The Wizards recommended this site as part of their MLS model. It is not at all clear that what is best for the Wizards is best for the kids and taxpayers.]

The need is evident. You may recall that the CSL study actually recommended a 30 field complex be constructed.

[The CSL study itself says it is not reliable. On the first page it states:

"All information provided to us by others was not audited or verified, and was assumed to be correct. Because the procedures were limited, we express no opinions or assurances of any kind on the achievability of any projected information contained herein and this report should not be relied upon for that purpose" signed by "CSL International"

To the best of our knowledge, this report is the primary basis for this multi-million dollar project - a report with information neither audited nor verified. Citizens deserve better.]

We believe we have been prudent in recommending 24 fields with the artificial turf and full lighting that will maximize their use but at a reduced expense compared to the recommended 30 fields.

Mr. Phillips, you ask for accuracy in our reporting, when may I ask are you going to correct your false statement and slander you continue to throw at me and this project?

[Your letter has identified no false statements made by me. I submitted 4 statements to be verified and you addressed only 2. In both those cases you confirmed the JCPRD statements were false. This letter did not address two other statements I believe are false that I brought to the attention of the Commissioners, one concerning the zoning of the land in question and the other the acreage available in Olathe.

Sincerely,
Bob Phillips
NeighborhoodNet
www.nbrhd.net]

I anxiously await your response and corrections!

Michael D. Meadors
Director of Parks and Recreation
Johnson County Park & Recreation District
District Administration Building, Shawnee Mission Park
7900 Renner Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66219-9723
Phone: 913.894.3310 Fax: 913.492.7275 Cell: 913.909.3012
Mailto:michael.meadors@jocogov.org
Visit our website at http://www.jcprd.com