Lakeside Park Opposition Wanted A Say, Council Says “No Way”

It was a safe bet that the final outcome of Wednesday night’s Fond du Lac City Council meeting was not going to be a surprise. There was hope, however, that at least a few on the council would let the people have the say when it came to the Alternative Lakeside Park Master Plan. In reality, the only real surprise was the fact that the ability to view the meeting and listen remotely was not available due to technical difficulties.

At the end of the night, it came down to the majority on the council listening to the advice of City of Fond du Lac Attorney Deb Hoffman and her opinion that the Friends of Lakeside Park petitions were not valid since they were not valid in challenging actions already taken by council. The only voices standing against the progress planned at Lakeside Park, were Council President Brian Kolstad and Councilmember Kay Miller.

To be clear, the Friends of Lakeside Park have not been against progress and improvements in the park. What they have fought has been the placement of the bistro/multipurpose building that has been slated to be built on the lighthouse peninsula. They also have been opposed to an increased privatization of Lakeside Park. There are still questions that need to be answered, and some options that are available to those that oppose. But for now, progress is the plan at Lakeside Park. Buckle up, and hang on. According to the lawyer for the Friends of Lakeside Park, the ride might only be starting.