Charlotte Approves Large Contribution To New Discovery Place Nature Facility
On Tuesday, there was a heated debate between Mecklenburg County commissioners about the funding for a new Discovery Place nature facility according to WCNC Charlotte. The commissioners did agree that…
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Bubushonok/Shutterstock.comOn Tuesday, there was a heated debate between Mecklenburg County commissioners about the funding for a new Discovery Place nature facility according to WCNC Charlotte.
The commissioners did agree that the nature center is of large educational value for people of all ages. However, they disagreed on the huge cost that the county would have to provide to create the nature facility.
This facility was first approved all the way back in 2017. It would act as an expansion and a redesign of the Discovery Place Nature museum that is currently operating in Freedom Park. In the end it would become an entirely new facility.
When the county first approved this project they only needed to give $16 million for the building. Over the past few years the money needed for the new nature facility has jumped up to $36 million. This price is after making cuts to the size of the building.
District 1 Commissioner Elaine Powell claims that the $20 million that the company asked the county for is "offensive" and that its an unfair use of tax payer money. He claims that that many other much needed projects have been downgraded due to a lack of funding to further his point.
"I am the Chair of environmental stewardship, I was Chair of the park commission, I don't think you can find a person that cares more about environmental education than I do," Powell stated. "But when it comes to county dollars and nonprofits, we cannot have champagne wishes and caviar dreams and $20 million extra rescue when $16 million was such a sacrifice."
Many other commissioners had the same concerns as Powell when it came to such high costs. Eventually they decided on giving the nature center a $10 million contribution for construction.
The rest of the money for funding will be up to the county manager.
A, B, C? Here’s How North Carolina Hospitals Scored For Safety
No one likes going to the hospital. Many times you don't plan on it either. But when you need to go, you want the absolute best care you can receive. And you certainly want that experience to be safe. That's why The LeapFrog Group has made it the company's mission to help you make the best decisions regarding your health care. For over 20 years they have "collected, analyzed, and published hospital data on safety and quality in order to push the health care industry forward." This puts a sense of transparency into the healthcare industry leading to higher quality of care and hospitals making "giant leaps forward in the safety, quality, and affordability."
And The LeapFrog Group just released its 2023 Hospital Safety Grades. They have ranked each hospital in the nation as either an A, B, or C. You can read the full methodology on these scores here. Most of the Charlotte area hospitals received A grades though a few did receive B and even C grades. Does this mean you won't get good care? No. But it's information consumers have a right to know. All grades are the determination of The LeapFrog Group and you can view those and ones from any other city and state in the US here.
The LeapFrog Group Hospital Safety Grades North Carolina
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(Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for HGTV)
