March 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 17

residents are Genesee County residents. We stand with them. "
Logistics make bottled water distribution at Genesee County community centers unfeasible, but McMillan
says her agency is spearheading a
major recycling effort to handle the
plastic bottle and filter waste through
Keep Genesee County Beautiful.
" We are very fortunate in that several private funders have contacted us
to invest in recycling programs, " she
says. " An unintended consequence
of this crisis is recycling the empty
bottles and filters. We are in the process of developing operations for recycling within four parks we manage
in Flint. Wherever there are gaps we
can help fill, that's our job. "
McMillan is herself a 16-year resident of Flint and can personally attest to the constant mental anguish
and anxiety caused by knowing her
water is unsafe and state and federal
officials untrustworthy. " It's extraordinarily stressful, " she says. " The
practicalities of having safe water to
drink, cook and bathe in...the sense
that people whose entire reason for
existing, in terms of departmental
functions, at the state and federal level failed Flint - in some cases it appears they've deliberately discounted
Flint - that is incredibly difficult to
experience. I am really lucky. I have
a great job, a good education, I have
a home and in comparison to many
others I am tremendously privileged.
If this crisis is difficult for me, how
difficult is it for someone who is not?
Someone who doesn't have a safe, reliable car to drive to have their water
tested or to pick up water and filters?
These are the things we really need to
recognize.
" As someone who has spent her entire career in government, parks and
recreation in particular, I know these

McMillan says her
agency is spearheading a
major recycling effort to
handle the plastic water
bottle and filter waste
through Keep Genesee
County Beautiful.
services are vital to emotional and
physical well-being. I and my staff feel
responsible to provide those resources
and manage the public trust, and it's a
huge level of trust. To see another unit
of government at the state level fail in
the way they have and make those deliberate choices, it feels like it reflects

on us. People's trust in government is
reduced and that affects all of us who
are being responsible and supporting
our cities. It's the water and everything
around it. Property values will take another drop - my home is worth less
again and that's one thing for me, personally, but the overall taxable value
goes down, so there's less money coming in for parks and rec, seniors, libraries, public safety, etc. Follow the consequences of this all the way through
and you'll begin to understand the impact of this crisis, even separately from
health, which is foremost. It is not an
overstatement to say this is a disaster
- it's absolutely a disaster. "
Samantha Bartram is the Executive Editor
of Parks & Recreation magazine (sbartram@
nrpa.org).

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 6 |

Parks & Recreation

March 2016 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2016 - Parks & Recreation