I am unable to make Monday's meeting. My comment relates to the "memorandum of understanding with ... the Lakewood City Schools regarding the division of duties and responsibilities for the operation and maintenance of recreation fields and facilities" (the "MOU"). I ask that the proposed MOU and commitments by and between the City and Schools be approved. The MOU is a starting point to enable efficient and effective management of the baseball fields and pools. It is a framework.

With or without the MOU, only professional management practices and cooperation between the Schools and City will actually produce behaviors needed (e.g. proactive management, disciplined preventive maintenance, periodic reinvestment) and therefore results desired (e.g. safe and high quality fields and pools for residents of Lakewood). I believe this MOU is a starting framework to enable the parties to hold each other accountable to the desired behaviors.

The MOU's framework provides MINIMUM standards, meetings and stakeholder involvement for communications and management. In a healthy relationship these will evolve. As a first step, I strongly urge the City and Schools to include and invite stakeholders (user groups) to participate and provide feedback in (a) its monthly governance meetings between staff, and (b) the stated annual meeting in determining field investments, repairs, and improvements. This stakeholder "voice of the customer" is the first of many evolutions to the MOU to improve field conditions a deliver the highest return on investment to Lakewood residents.

I support approval of this resolution and MOU to effectuate the immediate remedial repairs required at the fields and start to build a governance model for the working relationship between the City and the Recreation Department (Schools) to meet (eventually exceed) stakeholder expectations for athletic facilities under shared management.

AJ Magner