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HomeMy WebLinkAboutM121713SON CIOtr C ,k FCI � 1.4i I \�9 \IN- District No. 1 Commissioner: Phil Johnson District No. 2 Commissioner: David W. Sullivan District No. 3 Commissioner: John Austin County Administrator: Philip Morley Clerk of the Board: Erin Lundgren MINUTES Special Meeting December 17, 2013 County Administrator Philip Morley called the meeting to order at approximately 6:07 p.m. at the Cotton Building located at 607 Water Street in Port Townsend. Also present was Chairman Austin, Commissioner David Sullivan, Commissioner Phil Johnson, and Parks and Recreation Manager Matt Tyler. County Administrator Morley served as meeting facilitator and welcomed everyone. He stated that the purpose of the meeting is to address the public's concern over parks and recreation funding issues and program cutbacks. A meeting agenda and packet was handed out to citizens. The following excerpt from the packet explains the County's current funding problem and the issues that led up to it: "Our County Parks system has been on life support since November of 2009, when the Recession required the County to lay off Parks staff, close facilities and turn to the community to keep most of our parks running through a "temporary" Adopt -a -Park program that is ongoing. Today, 17 of 22 County park facilities depend on citizen volunteers for the daily maintenance to stay open. In addition to operations, a number of County parks have major capital repair needs, but there has been virtually no capital revenue for repairs since the Recession first began. The County sounded the alarm in 2009 that County Parks and Recreation — an important, but discretionary, community service — was in danger, and in need of an adequate, dedicated and stable funding source. To maintain all parks facilities and recreation programming we have today, the County would need roughly S350, 000 more each year beyond what the County presently can provide. 2010 — The Search for a Sustainable Solution Memorial Field and the Recreation Center which serves over 300 children with free drop -in recreation, would already be closed but for a four year reprieve through a generous agreement with the City of Port Townsend to dedicate half of its Prop. I revenue to reopen those facilities. Prior to placing the Prop. I Special Purpose Sales Tax on the 2010 fall ballot, the County and the City agreed if Prop. I passed to temporarily use City Prop. 1 revenue to fund the Rec Center and Memorial Field for up to four years, while the City and the County partnered to find a permanent solution to sustain both County and City parks and recreation. 2011— 2012 and the ERPRC In 2011, we jointly convened an Exploratory Regional Park and Recreation Committee ( ERPRC) of 18 community stakeholders and government officials to evaluate sustainable funding and delivery options. In June 2012, after exhaustive study, the ERPRC confirmed that existing Park and Recreation was "not sustainable, " and recommended the City and County cooperate to develop a proposal for a combined Metropolitan Park District (MPD), to be placed on the ballot for a citizen vote. Page 1 Commissioners Special Meeting Minutes: December 17, 2011 2013 and the MPD Steering Committee In early 2013, a citizen MPD Steering Committee that was jointly convened by the City and County began meeting regularly to define the boundaries, facilities, programs and property tax funding for a potential MPD to be placed on the ballot. Despite the Steering Committee's hours of dedicated work, open public meetings and a community open house in May, recreation and parks advocates and our community partners did not rally to support an MPD. Instead, significant community opposition and uncertainty developed An August vote on a City library bond was rejected by City residents by a 60140 margin, signaling growing voter skepticism of new tax measures. In September, citizens in Port Ludlow and Kala Point circulated separate petitions to create their own Park and Recreation Districts under the belief that it would somehow prevent any future larger MPD from including their area. Both petitions readily gathered sufficient signatures to be placed on the November ballot. MPD Steering Committee members heard persistent fears from a variety of citizens that the delivery of services might not be equitable, that a community might be forced to subsidize services to another, or that control of the MPD could be dominated by another community, as well as fear that the elected governing body for an MPD would be unaccountable to voters and would automatically raise property taxes to the maximum. Rather than rally to save parks and recreation, citizen activism was focused instead on fighting the MPD, or on a County Charter campaign. In the face of all this, the MPD Steering Committee concluded in October 2013 that an MPD was not feasible at this time, and recommended that the City and County abandon the effort. The City Council and County Commissioners accepted their recommendation, and ended the MPD process. At this time, we have no sustainable funding solution for parks facilities and recreation programs. Today Meanwhile, inflation has continued to erode the buying power offatfendingfor County's Park and Recreation Division, so that projected revenues for 2014 were short of expenditures to sustain programming and facilities at 2013 levels. This is why County recreation staff and programming must be reduced in 2014. The Rec. Center and Memorial Field will continue operations in 2014 and through May of 2015 because of the temporary Prop. I funding that was generously provided by the City of Port Townsend. But starting in June 2015 the City has its own pressing needs which depend on that funding. With the County funding shortfall of about 5350, 000 1year, County Parks and Recreation staff will continue to work with the City and other partners to look for long term solutions. In the meantime, the County will do our very best to keep facilities open and deliver quality programs within our available budget. For 2014 and beyond, the County is actively seeking other organizations to take on or replace recreation programming for the benefit of the community, that the County may no longer have the financial wherewithal to provide. " County Administrator Morley reviewed current Parks and Recreation programs and the cutbacks those programs faced. Additional funding options for government -run Park and Recreation programs were discussed. Funding suggestions included proposing a Park and Recreation District, Park and Recreation Service Area, Metropolitan Park District or Levy Lid Lifts; either limited term or permanent. County Administrator Morley asked everyone in attendance to state their name and what they would like to see Page 2 Commissioners Special Meeting Minutes: December 17, 2013 happen with Parks and Recreation. He opened up the floor to a question and answer period where individuals voiced their concerns and ideas. _NOTICE OFADJOURNMENT.• The meeting adjourned at 8:24 p.m. Ole 4 JEFFERSON COUNTY BOAW OF COMMISSIONERS SEAU Jo i11 Bair ATTEST:,. Phi Jo on, Member Carolyn Xvery Dav u r e er Deputy Clerk of the Board Page 3