Item A: River Road/Santa Clara Transition Project

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. Recreation Services Current Situation River Road Recreation services in River Road are provided by the long established River Road Parks and Recreation District and by the City of Eugene. The District operates Emerald Park, including a community center, indoor pool, fitness center, and outdoor recreational facilities. The District offers adult, youth and family sports and recreational programs. The District also operates two other sites offering recreation classes – The Annex at Hillcrest and River Road and Gymnastics NW on Prairie Road. The City of Eugene makes an annual $100,000 payment to the River Road Parks and Recreation District allowing in-City residents of River Road to use District facilities and programs at in-District rates. This payment is fixed and does not increase as the Districts costs increase or as tax revenues decline with annexations to the City. There is no reciprocal agreement or payment permitting River Road non-City residents to use City facilities at in- City rates. District facilities and programs are also used by Santa Clara neighborhood residents who pay out-of-District fees. City recreation services are provided through Eugene’s Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. A wide variety of City recreation services are available to River Road residents at venues and sites around Eugene. An after-school recreation program is administered by the City of Eugene at Kelly Middle School in River Road, funded by a Project Rising Expectations Grant in partnership with Eugene District 4-J Public Schools. Specific City of Eugene parks facilities are discussed in more detail under the “Parks, Open Space and Natural Areas” section of this White Paper. Eugene’s City-owned parks are operated and maintained by the City Public Works Department. Presently, the River Road Parks and Recreation District devotes over three times the rate of taxes per $1,000 to recreation services than does Eugene. To be fair, however, economies of scale are reflected in the portion of Eugene’s tax rate that is devoted to recreation services, and no multi-purpose taxing entity is probably ever going to exceed the commitment of a single-purpose agency serving a smaller community. Therefore, tax rates devoted to recreation are not a very useful barometer relative to level of service. There have been recent discussions between the City of Eugene and the River Road Parks and Recreation District addressing the stage at which all or nearly all of River Road is incorporated and the circumstances and terms under which the District might “sunset” as a special district. Issues such as transfer of District staff, continuation of benefits, interim governance, and like concerns have been the primary focus. These discussions are currently on hold. Santa Clara No publicly owned and/or operated community or recreation centers are located in the Santa Clara, except for the Gymnastics NW facility operated by the River Road Parks and Recreation District. City recreation services are provided through Eugene’s Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. A wide variety of City recreation services are available to Santa Clara residents at venues and sites around Eugene. The City administers an after-school recreation program at Madison Middle School in Santa Clara, funded by a special tax levy that expires in June 2007. Also, in partnership with Eugene School District 4J, the City jointly developed and administers the artificial surface playing field at North Eugene High School. All parks within the Santa Clara neighborhood are owned and operated by the City. Lane County operates two riverside boat launches that are close-by but outside of the formal neighborhood boundary and the UGB. Please see the section of this White Paper entitled “Parks, Open Space and Natural Areas” for more discussion. 28 River Road/Santa Clara Transition/Heritage White Paper DRAFT 11-24-05 Service provider Review