Dallas Park Board President Arun Agarwal has announced a desire for a comprehensive overhaul of the organizations managing Fair Park, emphasizing the need for a transparent public process to evaluate the role of Fair Park First in fundraising and community engagement.
Agarwal conveyed his intentions in a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News, stating his commitment to restore donor confidence, which has been shaken due to financial mismanagement involving nearly $6 million in restricted donor funds.
According to a report released last year, this money was improperly used for park operations. As the negotiations to recover the misspent funds continue, the city has opted to terminate its contract with Fair Park First and its subcontractor, Oak View Group.
This agreement had allowed Oak View Group to make financial decisions and establish bank accounts, although the company asserts that it operated under the guidance of Fair Park First.
In light of the city’s announcement, the future of Fair Park First’s fundraising capabilities remains uncertain. While the nonprofit organization has indicated its commitment to a conservancy model, focusing on the construction of a park as a means to atone for past decisions that affected nearby communities, the city has not clarified the nonprofit’s ongoing role.
Veletta Forsythe Lill, the chair of the Fair Park First board, highlighted the organization’s past success in raising funds and engaging the community, stressing the importance of stabilizing the nonprofit’s operations amidst recent turmoil.
“Fair Park First, in its narrow prescribed operations over the last six years, has done what it was supposed to do in terms of raising money, engaging the community and doing community programming,” Lill remarked.
The paramount concern among stakeholders is how the recent developments will impact donor confidence moving forward. “All of the grants are direct contracts with Fair Park First, not others,” Lill noted. “Those are the contracts that have to be honored in the building of the park.”
Currently, the city has not established a new contract with the nonprofit, though City Council member Adam Bazaldua has expressed eagerness to collaborate with Fair Park First.
Ryan O’Connor, a key park official overseeing partnerships and strategic initiatives, remarked that both the Park Board and City Council will have to vote on any future contract with a nonprofit for fundraising and related services pertinent to the park’s development.
This nonprofit will also be tasked with signing a development agreement, granting it the right to oversee the park’s construction, albeit still under city approval for design and associated services.
Ron Natinsky, executive director at Texas Discovery Gardens, emphasized the need for an open, competitive process for the selection of any nonprofit involved in fundraising. Texas Discovery Gardens itself has faced significant repair costs, which it has struggled to cover through the nonprofit’s emergency funds.
Despite uncertainties, Natinsky conveyed cautious optimism regarding the city’s plans moving forward but cautioned against retaining the same nonprofit in charge without changes.
From Fair Park First’s standpoint, the organization has called for more autonomy in managing finances. In light of recent controversies, the nonprofit has distanced donor funds and is collaborating with the Dallas Foundation for additional support.
Looking ahead, Fair Park First anticipates the appointment of a new CEO later this year to bolster its leadership.
Former council member Lee Kleinman, who once supported the public-private partnership, shared insights on the intended structure that included fundraising, advocacy, and park management.
Kleinman noted the potential benefits of maintaining Fair Park First for fundraising while allowing the park department to oversee overall management and park construction, given the department’s significant experience in creating park amenities.
“The Dallas Park and Recreation Department has built almost a billion dollars worth of park and park amenities in the last 20 years. So let’s give it to the people who can do the job, and that would be, to me, a good outcome,” Kleinman concluded.
image source from：dallasnews
