This is the second story in a two-part series on county parks. Today, we’ll look at a proposal for capital projects that didn’t pass the sniff test with the county’s board of commissioners.
For an inventory of Kitsap County parks, visit the home page of the Department of Facilities, Parks and recreation.
By Chris Henry
chenry@kitsapsun.com
Port Orchard
The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners is looking at ways to
prune its parks department’s budget without cutting the life out of
facilities and programs. The board is exploring ways to trim
expenses and boost revenues for parks, as for all other
departments, due to a projected budget shortfall beginning in
2008.
At a study session May 23, the board looked at a six-year plan for
capital improvements that was drawn up before the budget cutting
began.
“This isn’t ready for prime time,” declared North Kitsap
Commissioner Chris Endresen, who, with the other commissioners,
sent the document back to the parks department for retooling.
Central Kitsap Comissioner Josh Brown said he strongly disagrees
with a part of the plan that calls for $6.5 million in spending on
capital projects for parks over the next six years. The money, it
is proposed, would come from 30-year bonds paid for out of the
county’s real estate excise tax.
“I’m not comfortable spending millions of dollars today on parks
and facilities when we don’t have money to maintain them,” he
said.
Endresen concurred.
“These are big projects, she said of the proposed list, which could
see significant changes before finalization, given budget
constraints. “We shouldn’t be looking at what we’re going to do in
a vacuum.”
Brown said everyone at the county involved with parks and
recreation will have to “think outside the box” to provide ongoing
funding for facilities and programs. He added the community needs
to “step up and support” the parks and programs that matter the
most to them.
“We’ve got to be up front with the community and tell them we’re
not going to be able to provide the discretionary spending we have
in the past,” he said.
Asked to prioritize parks projects in his district, Brown said he
would like to see finalization of a proposed land swap with the
state’s Department of Natural resources that would complete
acquisition of land for Newberry Hill Heritage Park. The county
owns land in the Chico Creek watershed that it would trade with DNR
for a parcel adjacent to the 300 acres already owned in the
Newberry Hill area. The combined parcels would give Central Kitsap
roughly 1,000 acres of “heritage parks” open space.
In South Kitsap, Commissioner Jan Angel would like to see field
development at South Kitsap Community Park, which the county has
agreed to take over from the South Kitsap Parks & Recreation Board
of Directors. During discussions with the board, Angel promised
$2.19 million in money for field improvements at the park over the
next six years. Also high on her list of priorities are completion
of the parking lot and restrooms at Howe Farm, and improvements to
ball fields at Veteran’s Park.
Endresen said her “number one” priority has always been North
Kitsap Heritage Park, where the first phase of improvements is
under way. She would also like to see the county complete
acquisition of the Point No Point Lighthouse and make a
determination on buildings at Norwegian Park. The county has
purchased former Navy Housing units at the site that would complete
the plan for Kingston’s Village Green. The county will be
reimbursed for the purchase with state grant money.
