August 4, 2008 5:37 PM
Loudoun County Parks and Rec - save money + time
In the six years since our family has moved to Loudoun, our county government has continued to grow while continuing to provide excellent services.
The downside of a growing bureaucracy, however, is that it can become difficult - if not impossible - to reach a person with the authority to consider changing policy to fit the times. A citizen calls one department/person and is pointed to another, who points her back to her starting place. While many are collecting paychecks, few seem willing or able to step outside the box of "how it's been done."
So here I am at my blog tossing a metaphorical message in a bottle to someone - anyone - at Loudoun County Parks and Rec who can think outside the box for a minute to come up with a cost-efficient and humane solution to our family's transportation problem.
Today, my sons Jesse and Daniel started two weeks of being bused to the Adaptive Parks and Rec Camp in Leesburg. They were picked up at 7:30 for a 9:00 camp. They were loaded onto the bus for home at 3:45 and arrived here at after 5:00 - for a total of THREE HOURS of transportation time.
Today, also, my son Ben started working as a counselor for the camp. He is driving 20 miles each way, spending $60 per week on gas driving by himself.
Since during summer school LCPS reimburses parents who provide transportation for their children - and since LCPS buses are used to provide transportation for Adaptive rec camps, I am requesting that Ben be reimbursed for driving Jesse and Daniel (2 students) to their camp with him.
This would also cut the boys' time on the bus in half.
I spoke to several employees - both Parks and Rec and LCPS transportation - with no hopeful results. No one knew who the final authority would be in making this call.
It is now approaching 6:00 - my boys didn't get home until after 5. There is no one for me to talk to about this - and besides, talking to Parks and Rec has become a very frustrating experience as no one seems to be able to think outside the box. Tomorrow morning I leave at 5:00 AM to take Jonny to INOVA hospital in Fairfax for an operation on his foot. I will be busy caring for him all day.
In lieu of hours of phone calls tomorrow, I am sending this message out tonight.
Here is the deal:
Our country is in the midst of an economic downturn and a gas crisis. Our family has been affected by both of these. And while I know our county government is not affected by the former - you all still get your paychecks - you should be trying not to waste taxpayer money.
It has been explained to me that Parks and Rec contracts with the LCPS buses to provide service for campers. I'm guessing that Parks and Rec pays LCPS Transportation more than $12 per day to bus my two campers from Bluemont to Leesburg.
What I'm asking would save our family money and save the county money too: in lieu of sending a huge school bus out to pick up my kids and paying the per diem cost you are paying for each of them, please simply agree to reimburse my older son for the expense of driving them there.
This would be a win/win solution for our family and for the county. I think all Loudoun residents would like to know the County is interested in saving their tax dollars by thinking outside the box - not to mention a more humane situation for two developmentally-challenged children who should be doing something more with their time than sitting on a bus for three hours.
So hoping to hear something positive when I bring Jonny home tomorrow!
Posted in Loudoun County | Permalink
Comments
Hear, hear!
Posted by: Julana | August 4, 2008 8:06 PM
