Park & Recreation Commission Item
| Item | 2027 Park Renovation Fund Priority Discussion |
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| Item No: | G.1 | |
| Agenda Section | GENERAL BUSINESS |
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| Prepared By | Jerry Ruegemer, Park and Recreation Director | |
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SUGGESTED ACTION
The Park & Recreation Commission discusses and formulates a recommendation for how the 2027 Park Renovation Fund will be used. |
The Park & Recreation Commission began discussing the Park Renovation Fund at the February 24 meeting. The city's Finance Director Kelly Grinnell outlined the fund's history, current budget and projected fund balance over the next 3-5 years. The Park Renovation Fund for 2026 had an allocation of $110,000, and the commission identified the Stone Creek Park Playground replacement and supplementing the Carver Beach Playground equipment as priority projects for City Council approval. Staff asked the commission to create a list of park priority projects for the next 1-10 years.
The 2027 Park Renovation fund will have a dedicated allocation of $120,000 for the commission to consider as it identifies a list of potential projects.
• Backstops - Neighborhood Parks
• Repair/repaint Roundhouse Pickleball Courts
• Basketball Courts - Variety of 50' x 50' are showing signs of age
• Playground Replacements
The Park & Recreation Commission should review previously identified project priorities and discuss whether there are new projects or ideas that have been raised or recommended by the community. A list will be developed and eventually forwarded to City Council for consideration and approval.
The commissioners revisited the list of projects presented by staff in July and expressed concern about the number of neighborhood playgrounds identified as needing replacement within the next five years. Given the anticipated cost of replacing playground equipment, commissioners questioned whether continuing to allocate approximately $120,000 annually toward individual projects is the most effective approach for addressing the city's larger, long-term capital needs. A significant part of the discussion focused on whether the 2027 $120,000 allocation should be deferred rather than spent on the projects currently identified. Commissioners discussed the possibility of allowing the funds to remain in the Park Renovation Fund and building a larger fund balance. This approach could provide the city with greater financial capacity to undertake a complete playground replacement when a neighborhood park reaches the end of its useful life, rather than making smaller improvements that may not fully address the park's needs.
The commission asked whether the Park Dedication Fund could be used as an additional funding source for playground replacements. Staff clarified that Park Dedication Funds have specific restrictions and can only be used for entirely new park projects or facilities. The funds cannot be used to replace existing playground equipment. As a result, the Park Dedication Fund would not provide a funding option for the city's existing neighborhood playground replacement needs.
The commission also questioned whether the remaining fund balance from the Lake Ann Park Preserve project could potentially be used to help fund new playground equipment. The Lake Ann Park Preserve Project is still active and accruing project expenses, so the reality of any significant budget dollars that can be used to fund playground replacements is not likely.
The discussion ultimately centered on the need to look beyond the 2027 budget year and consider the city's overall five-year playground replacement schedule and available funding. Concerns were expressed that the current annual allocation may not keep pace with the city's anticipated playground needs and discussed whether building the Park Renovation Fund balance now could put the city in a stronger position to address multiple playground replacements in the future.
The Park & Recreation Commission discusses and formulates a recommendation for how the 2027 Park Renovation Fund will be used.