Item B - Funding Gap for Maintaining Parks and Recreation Facilities

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Funding Gap for Maintaining Current and Future Parks and Recreation Facilities Meeting Date: October 11, 2010 Agenda Item Number: B Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Johnny Medlin (541) 682-4930 Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Craig Smith (541) 682-5334 Central Services – Facilities MaryBeth Perkins (541) 682-5807 www.eugene-or.gov ISSUE STATEMENT Responding to an information request from the council, this work session is to identify current and future funding issues in regards to Park, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) services. In specific, the questions were: 1.What is the current funding for park and recreation maintenance and development? 2.What are the estimated current and future deficits for park maintenance? 3.Provide a list of undeveloped parks and estimated cost for planned development. 4.Provide options for on-going funding of park maintenance. 5.Provide options for funding the development of undeveloped park lands. BACKGROUND Eugene’s Park, Recreation and Open Space services have historically received considerable public support as evidenced by the passage of a $25 million PROS General Obligation (GO) Bond in 1998 and again with the passage of a $27 million PROS GO Bond in 2006. In addition, local option levies were passed in 1999, and 2002, to provide funding for after-school recreation programming. Subtracting the approximately $15 million of GO Bond funding still unspent, but adding the $15 million of Park System Development Funds, Eugene has spent approximately $53 million, primarily on the acquisition and development of new Park and Recreation facilities since 1998. In addition to the $15 million of acquisition or development projects still identified to be accomplished with 2006 Bond funding, the PROS Project and Priority Plan identifies over $200 million in additional projects to be accomplished over the next 15 years. These projects identify PROS service gaps based on both geographic regions and rising patron needs. Due to general fund budget constraints, the annual funding for maintenance and operation of the PROS system, after adjustment for inflation, is approximately equal to the pre-1998 funding level, before the addition of the new facilities seen over the past decade. Adding new facilities to be maintained, as well as absorbing cost increases due to the aging of the existing facilities with a relatively flat level of operations and maintenance funding, has resulted in L:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M101011\S101011B.doc