Jennifer Frizzell is co-chair of the White Park Skate House Fundraising Committee.

There is a robust debate underway on the Opinion page as to the priority of building a new clubhouse at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course. Should such a facility be constructed and financed with 100% taxpayer dollars at a cost of more than $10 million? Many questions remain unanswered.

One such question that’s been raised by several community voices and not yet addressed by the project advisory committee or the city council is: what should be (or could be) the role of a public-private partnership in funding any expansion of the clubhouse? It appears this concept has not been explored despite that Concord has a recent track record in securing private funding for similar types of community investment in outdoor recreation.

Just five years ago, when the city wanted to construct a new “skate house” at White Park, a private fundraising committee was named by the mayor, consisting of hockey enthusiasts, recreational users of the park, business leaders and neighborhood representatives.

Over a two-year period, in 2018-2019, this committee raised over 40% of the project cost of $1.15 million, largely from private donors, local businesses and hockey-affiliated organizations. City representatives touted it as a model for future community investments. And yet for this clubhouse project, there has been no similar approach to reduce the public cost.

I hope when the city council meets on Dec. 11 they will pump the brakes on this project and send it back for a re-evaluation of priority and more community input.

And if they do, I hope that a committee will be recruited that includes golfing and Nordic skiing enthusiasts, and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods with a charge to think creatively and extensively about other financing possibilities that could offset some of the impact on taxpayers for any new construction.

It’s hard for the community or the council to assess whether a public-private partnership model is feasible for the future of the clubhouse unless these questions and options are fully explored.