Resolution from the City of Houghton

This resolution was unanimously passed last night at the City of Houghton! Good good news!

CITY OF HOUGHTON

RESOLUTION 2009-1281


The following was offered by Councilor:

WHEREAS, the City of Houghton recognizes the essential importance of play and physical activity to the health of children, and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that 22 percent of our preschool children are overweight, compared to 14 percent of 2-5 year olds nationally. Being overweight or obese increases the risks of developing chronic and debilitating illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Long-term studies have shown that overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults.

WHEREAS, there are nearly 3,000 children age 0-5 in the Greater Houghton area, and

WHEREAS, the Keweenaw Peninsula regularly receives in excess of 200 inches of snowfall each year, and

WHEREAS, there are no indoor facilities that provide open play opportunities for exercise, gross or sensorimotor development of all children, or that facilitate interactions between parents and children within a minimum of 2 hours of Houghton, and

WHEREAS, a need has been identified for an indoor playground as well as a centralized location for information for all matters pertaining to families and parenting, and

WHEREAS, the Winter Park Task Force and the Keweenaw Family Resource Center (KFRC), an organization that has supported, enriched, and strengthened family lives in the Keweenaw Peninsula for nearly 20 years, have come together to plan, design and raise the funds necessary for “The Treehouse: A KFRC Indoor Playground” to respond to this critical need in our area, and

WHEREAS, Mayor Robert Backon, and the Houghton City Council wish to make it known that they fully support the efforts of citizens to bring an indoor playground to the City of Houghton.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Houghton City Council, at a regularly scheduled meeting held on Monday, October 12, 2009 at 5:30 PM at the City Offices, 616 Shelden Avenue, Houghton:

That the Houghton City Council authorizes the City Manager, or designate, to assist the Treehouse indoor playground, when feasible, in future grant applications.

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and exact copy of the resolution enacted by the Houghton City Council at an official meeting held on October 12, 2009.



_____________________________
Kurt Kuure, Clerk