There has been an article in the Post-Crescent these last couple weeks about Grand Chute town officials asking Outagamie County to look into annexing Plamann Park to Appleton. What needs to be clarified is that "town officials" means Chairman Marsden and Administrator Rohloff, and not the town board. The general public probably doesn't realize that this issue has never been brought to the town board for review, discussion or vote. In fact, until the article was printed in the Post-Crescent, the annexation of Plamann Park had not been brought to my attention in any form of communication.
As the Post-Crescent reads, "But Plamann Park, which Outagamie County owns, is in Grand Chute, so when one of the hundreds of children who play Pop Warner football there gets hurt, it’s Grand Chute’s responsibility to respond."
The main concern of Chariman Marsden and Mr. Rohloff is the ability (or lack of) Grand Chute emergency response teams to adequately serve children playing in the Pop Warner fall football leagues at Plamann Park, and respond as quickly as emergency services could being dispatched from Appleton.
That being said, the town's request for annexation seems extreme, considering the new fire station being constructed next to the town hall will place Plamann Park within an eight minute response time. The station is slated for completion before the fall of 2009.
Taking safety issues into context, the Pop Warner season runs eight Saturdays beginning September till the end of October each year. High schools have EMTs at every football game. Why couldn't Grand Chute have two paid-on-call EMTs situated in a satellite suburban truck at Plamann Park during the games. Approximate costs would be $250 each Saturday. Discussions with the Pop Warner Football league would determine who would be responsible for the addtional costs.
Another solution includes a mutual aid agreement with the city of Appleton.
These alternative suggestions could have been examined if the issue had been brought to the attention of the town board. I will be expressing my opinions regarding this matter to the County Board before it's November meeting.
