CC Minutes - 07/13/98 Work Session

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Ms. Nathanson said that plan made tradeoffs between different uses and facilities, and between the shod-term and long-term. The plan took into consideration increased maintenance demand and attempted to address that demand by maximizing the use of current facilities where possible. The plan also relied on continued and improved collaboration with both the school districts. Terry Smith, Acting Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department Director, provided the council with details of the proposal forwarded by the Mayor's Committee on Parks and Open Space. Mr. Smith discussed the impact of the proposal, saying that for the average house worth $115,520, the first year's tax impact would be $47. He described how the list of projects would be implemented, terming the list a 'first cut' and saying that the list could be adjusted in the future as a result of citizen input or for other reasons. Ms. Nathanson acknowledged the members of the committee present at the work session: Gary Pape and Charles Warren, and committee staff John Etter. Ms. Swanson Gribskov asked when the City last purchased park land. Mr. Smith said that the last time the citizens voted on a parks measure was 1976. The measure passed handily. The City had been purchasing lands with system development charge revenues since 1990. The City had not built a new park for more than ten years. The Babe Ruth Park in Bethel was the first facility since then. He concurred that the population had continued to grow from 1976 to now without new park space. Ms. Swanson Gribskov asked what the City purchased in 1976. Ms. Nathanson said that the City had added to the ridgeline park system; added to the Willamette Greenway park system; acquired land for neighborhood park sites such as Mangan, Candlelight, Scobert, and Crescent; and improved other parks. Mr. Smith observed that the land for Mangan Park was purchased using money authorized by the taxpayers in 1976, and only last week the City awarded the contract for its development. Mr. Fart asked if park lands were always rezoned PL Public Land. Mr. Smith said that it depended on the location and the origin of the park, because sometimes the land was already zoned PL through a comprehensive or neighborhood refinement planning effort. Mr. Farr asked if the proposal included funding for improved maintenance of existing parks. Mr. Smith responded that State finance law did not allow the use of bond proceeds for maintenance. The proposal, because the committee chose the path of redevelopment of existing public assets, minimized future maintenance costs. He said there would still be a maintenance need of $410,000/year after all the facilities were constructed that a future council would have to consider how to fund. Mr. Fart suggested that some of the City's parks were difficult to maintain because of their physical structure and lack of past maintenance. He asked if the proposal included funding to upgrade parks such as Irwin Park. Mr. Etter indicated the park was on the projects list for improvement. Mr. Smith cautioned the council that some of the proposed improvements would require additional maintenance; for example, the addition of ballfields at a site would require periodic replenishment of the sand used for drainage as well as ongoing watering. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 13, 1998 Page 2 5:30 p.m.