To the editor:

We believe the City Commission violated city ordinances, its development code and state laws when it approved plans to build five sports complexes at Lawrence High School/Centennial Virtual School, based on erroneous definitions of zoning uses. Now the school district intends to spend taxpayers’ money to pay lawyers to fight our lawsuit and build two sets of sports complexes — with $3.8 million from 2005 bond funds and a capital lease-purchase for this $10.4 million project — without voter approval.

In October 2007, the school board first discussed its options: build a districtwide sports facility for competition or improve existing fields for practice. Although Supt. Weseman reported that Haskell Indian Nations University administrators were “enthusiastic” about discussing improvements to Haskell Stadium, where is the public record on discussions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

By May 2008, board members were interested in “a district competition facility” “with the city on our side as a willing partner in what we are planning to do.” Despite neighbors’ concerns about multiple problems beyond improving practice fields, the district submitted its plans for competition stadiums in August with “the potential to provide additional recreational spaces for the community to use.”

What ex parte communications occurred between district officials, city commissioners and recreation staff over the past year? We encourage all Lawrence taxpayers who are outraged by this flagrant misuse of our money to investigate and report on all matters of public record and to support the legal efforts of the Centennial Neighborhood Association.

Jeanne Klein,
Lawrence,
on behalf of CNA plaintiffs