They took care of business, now they’re planning a party.
The South Kitsap Parks & Recreation District Board of Commissioners
today signed off on a quitclaim deed releasing ownership of South
Kitsap Community Park to Kitsap County. They also signed a petition
to dissolve as a board, as per an agreement with the county arrived
at by the two parties in April.
Under the agreement, the county, in exchange for park ownership,
will excuse the parks board’s past election debt and invest $2.19
million in improvements at the park over the next six years. The
agreement also states that the park will stay a park, no ifs, ands
or buts.
In other business, the parks board discussed a celebration set for
June 30 to honor all who have been involved with the park over its
nearly three-decade history.
“I’d like to comment on all the great things that have happened at
that park over the past 28 years,” said Don McGuirk, who lives near
the park and often walked his dog there. “Kids have learned how to
skateboard there, parents and kids have ridden on trains. … We need
to let the people of Port Orchard know what we’ve done.”
McGuirk, a member of the audience at the meeting, said it would be
a mistake to make the upcoming Day of Appreciation “like a
funeral.”
Chip Faver, the county’s director of Facilities, Parks and
Recreation, also expressed appreciation for parks commissioners
past and present. He read a letter of thanks from the county’s
board of commissioners noting “your 28 years of really great
work.”
Tony Otto, attorney for the board, explained that he will file the
quitclaim deed Friday, followed by the petition to dissolve, which
will be filed Monday or Tuesday. The board also signed a transfer
of ownership of Triangle Park in Olalla to the South Kitsap School
District, which had deeded the tiny park across from Olalla
Elementary School to the parks district some years ago.
Once the quitclaim deed has been filed, the county will be
responsible for the 200-acre South Kitsap Community Park, Otto
said. Regarding the dissolution, the court must wait 30 days before
approving the board’s petition to dissolve to allow any creditors
or other people with a claim on the park to come forward. Until
then the board is a functioning body. A public hearing will be held
to air any claims, and if there are none, Otto said, the
dissolution would become final. He will request a hearing date of
July 20.
Otto said he did not want to delay the process, because three
people, none of them incumbents, have filed for seats on the board,
and if the dissolution isn’t final by Aug. 14 — the county
auditor’s deadline for ballots and voter’s pamphlets — the parks
board could be responsible for for a whole new election debt of up
to $30,000.
Larry Walker, parks board chair asked Otto if the candidates
shouldn’t now withdraw their filings, since it is highly unlikely
the positions will still exist by the November election. Otto said
he needed to look into the issue, but he also said, “I’m counting
chickens that haven’t hatched and solving problems that haven’t
happened. … I think we’re really nearly at the end.
Join a conversation about South Kitsap Parks at “Speaking of South
Kitsap” a blog at www.kitsapsun.com.
My husband Carl and I read that the SKPR board members signed off on a quitclaim deed releasing the park to the County.They also signed a petition to dissolve the Board; another good thing.
I do have two comments. One is about the 30 days in which the Courts have to allow any creditors with a claim to the park to come forward.
First comment/question: Where is the $9000 that was paid out by the Insurance agency for the uniforms that were burned up in the mobile arson fire at the SK Park? And who bought the uniforms and stored them in the mobile? And why hasn’t anyone come forward to claim the $9000 for their uniforms? Who has the answer…the Parks Board ?? or ???
Regarding Larry Walker’s remark about ” shouldn’t the candidates withdraw their filings since it is highly unlikely that the positions will still exist by the Nov. elections”.
Yes, we may withdraw, but ONLY when we know that it is a FOR SURE thing, and that it won’t cost the County any money for us to run. I believe all the people that filed know when that is. I, for one, want to make sure it is %100 that the Board is dissolved. It isn’t over until it is over…..
It has been verified that the “Quit Claim Deed” has been recorded and we now have a Kitsap County Park on the corner of Jackson & Lund. Time to move on! My thanks to all who have supported the effort! It is now time to “Grow the Park.”
It is sad to see the Grow The Park “ladies” in recent blogs still consumed with bitter pettiness and paranoia concerning the park dissolution.
I sincerely hope that someday they may find the spirit of peace and graciousness that the SK Parks Board seems to have.
A Park Supporter
“Park Supporter”- I’m certainly not “bitter” and have no reason to be. Nor have I been “paranoid.” The tone of your Post seems to indicate you -“Park Supporter” are however “bitter.” I have been a Park Supporter for over 15 years-Chairing two Park levy’s that would have hopefully funded the park locally. It didn’t work out that way.
So now we now have a Kitsap County Park funded from a portion of all County-property tax dollars. It is time to “Grow the Park” for citizens in South Kitsap and all visitors to Kitsap County’s newest park. Let’s get to work!
Why the need to villify? Why, when parties disagree, must one side or the other (or both, in this case) be demonized? It serves no constructive purpose. Active citizens in our community should not be villified for participating in the public process. Good things happen when citizens get involved.
Lesson One… get involved!
On the merits, it was the best thing for the citizens of South Kitsap to turn the park over to Kitsap County. It was obvious in April of 2006. Kitsap County originally proposed it in April of 2006. Then it would have been a $2.4 million dollar improvement plan over 3 years instead of a $2.2 million dollar plan over 6 years (as it is now). I certainly would have preferred to have had this issue resolved last year rather than now.
Lesson two… getting involved requires time, effort, and dedication. Passion helps.
It is easy to demonize. It is apparently harder for some to debate issues and so, instead, they resort to barbs and villification.
Lesson three… getting involved requires developing a tough skin.
It is done. For that I am extremely grateful to the current SKPRD. 20 years from now, when my own grandchildren play soccer, enjoy nature trails, and hopefully even use a community center at Jackson and Lund, I will tell them about the history of how the park came to be (through the efforts of citizens like Chuck Jeu) and came to grow (through the advocacy of citizens in the past year). I will also tell them that we all owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Walker, Ms. Rees, Mr. Flerx, Mr. Collver, and Ms. Colborn, for being willing to let the park go so it could grow.
Lesson four… getting involved is sometimes painful.
I have no bitter pettiness or paranoia. I, along with others, saw something that needed to be pursued in our community and we were able to have a part in an end result that will be extremely beneficial to our South Kitsap community.
Lesson five… getting involved really can make a difference.
To all those who had a historical hand in preserving this beautiful gem in our community and to all those who will have a hand in this new era of growing the park… THANK YOU!
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson