BERLIN – Town leaders maintained the position that parks are not to be used by for-profit entities during a discussion this week.
Ali Giska, a local teacher and Berlin resident, approached the town council Monday seeking permission to operate a Tinkergarten program in municipal parks. Tinkergarten provides children with activity based classes outdoors.
Officials praised the concept but said they did not permit for-profit use of parks.
“I think we would be setting a precedent that we have avoided,” Mayor Gee Williams said. “If you’re going to use public grounds, you’re going to have to have a nonprofit partner that actually benefits.”
Giska said Tinkergarten was a play based learning class for children between 18 months and five years old. Classes are held in local parks and green spaces each season.
“Classes build critical thinking, community building and a love for nature,” Giska said.
She told councilmembers she was approaching them with her proposal after meeting with the Berlin Parks Commission. She said the commission was supportive of what she wanted to do but was unable to endorse the project.
“They thought the program had a lot of merit,” said Mary Bohlen, administrative services director. “However, it would be a for-profit use of taxpayer property. It was explained that while they could not give their recommendation to the mayor and council she had the right to appeal directly. Historically for-profit businesses have not been granted permission.”
When asked about the program’s fee structure, Giska said each season cost about $140. A season includes roughly eight, 70-minute classes. She said that if she could not hold the program in Berlin’s parks she would do it in Ocean Pines. She added, however, that she’d envisioned Tinkergarten in Berlin’s parks.
“The mission is to hold them in local green spaces…,” she said. “The whole goal is that families will continue to use and love the parks after Tinkergarten.”
Councilman Dean Burrell praised the mission and Giska’s presentation but said he couldn’t support it.
“When you go right to the bottom line, you’re asking us to use taxpayer resources for private gain,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right.”
Williams said it was not the first time the town had received such a request.
“We’ve been consistent,” he said. “There is a very real line between the public sector, the private sector … Once that gap is bridged, once that separation is no longer distinctive, we’ll have groups from everywhere coming in.”
Williams suggested Giska find a nonprofit sponsor that could benefit from her program.
Councilman Zack Tyndall pointed out that the Berlin Jeep Jam had been held at a municipal park.
“We inherited that with the property,” Williams replied.
Tyndall said that nevertheless it had been a for-profit entity. Williams said the town had been honoring an agreement made when the Berlin Falls Park property was purchased.
Burrell said it would be difficult to differentiate between Tinkergarten and tennis lessons or yoga programs.
“Where do we draw the line?” Burrell said. “If we change what we do, we will be in the position of trying to decide what should be and what should not be, and who should be and who should not be. I think that is a sticky place for a government entity to be. I think everyone needs to be treated the same.”
He said that he and his peers must protect the taxpayers.
Councilman Troy Purnell said he thought that eventually Berlin Falls Park would be a place that for-profit events could be held.
Williams said there would likely be for-profit events held at Berlin Falls Park one day but that those events would benefit town coffers.
Tyndall said he thought officials should begin to think about how to handle those events. He said the Berlin Falls Park Advisory Committee was already contemplating potential uses for the park.
“We’re already in the muddy water…,” he said. “It’s coming down the pipe.”
Councilman Thom Gulyas encouraged Giska to talk with local nonprofits to explore the possibility of partnering with one of them to host events in the parks.
