When communities receive state or federal funds for specific projects, or allocate local funds for targeted efforts, it's common practice to put the money to use within a reasonable time frame. Therefore, it's not unreasonable for city residents to question why the Christie Avenue playground improvement project, a project of the Butler County Parks and Recreation Department, has remained in limbo since 2008, despite the availablility of funds.

While the county department can be seen as the main culprit in the inability to tackle the project during the past two years, the city Parks Department also merits a share of criticism for not exerting much effort to help the county get the project moving during that time.

It would seem that the city could have helped the county find a way to focus on the Christie facility, even while the county was busy with a project in Petrolia that county Parks and Recreation Department director Gary Pinkerton said has taken "a lot longer than anticipated."

Councilwoman Kathy Kline, city Parks Department director, has said city employees could be used to improve the playground if a Pennsylvania Conservation Corps crew — which Pinkerton has suggested — was not available.

If that city option has been available, Kline should have been more persistent in pushing that way of getting the project done.

According to an article in Sunday's Butler Eagle, neither Kline nor Pinkerton explained why needed picnic tables, signs and sandbox covers for the Christie Avenue playground remained unordered.

"I've got two years of county parks grants that are stacked up," Kline said. Unfortunately, based on the lack of progress at Christie Avenue, there isn't evidence of much determination to get them unstacked.

"Hopefully within the next few weeks we will be up at Christie Avenue," Pinkerton said. "We have been trying to stretch the money we have for that playground, and to get a Pennsylvania Conservation Corps (a state job training program) crew over there to do the work."

Pinkerton said that it is his department's policy to finish one project before starting another.

He also said his and the city's concerns should be that the Christie Avenue project be carried out properly so that it complies with all codes, including those dealing with people with disabilities. The ability to devote full attention to the project will help to ensure that, he said.

That thinking is reasonable. However, with the city's involvement and resources, the county has had what should have been a strong ally in completing the project without the lengthy delay that has occurred.

Although Pinkerton said he and Kline had communicated about the project, judging from the lack of progress to date, it's clear that there hasn't been enough communication and brainstorming regarding the available options. It appears that insufficient communication has been more of an impediment to getting the Christie Avenue project completed than the delay in the Petrolia project, which includes installation of a concrete walking trail in the community park to serve residents as well as employees of the town's three industrial facilities.

Moms for Good Change and KA-BOOM!, a nonprofit agency that focuses on playgrounds and community building, provided the money to install a new jungle gym at the Christie Avenue playground in October 2008. Also in 2008, Moms for Good Change, aided by 30 volunteers and free services provided by Graham's Tree Service, cleaned up the Christie Avenue facility and began a campaign to improve all of the city's parks.

But those efforts have been hindered by the inability of the county and city to move ahead on the main part of the playground renovation plan.

This year must not pass with the same inaction that marked 2009 and 2008. Pinkerton provided hope Thursday, saying he anticipated that the Petrolia work would require only another two or three weeks.

While acknowledging Pinkerton's explanation, the fact remains that delays encompassing years should not occur when money is in hand and more than one option for doing the work exists.

Those who would use the Christie Avenue playground have a right to expect — following two years of waiting — that even with limitations within the conservation corps training program — the key word being "training" — they'll be able to make full use of the facility this year, rather than have to wait until 2011 or who knows when.