Commission mulls parks funding

For City Commissioner Stan Zimmerman, the circus playground at Payne Park represents the failing of the city’s commitment to parks and recreation since the late 2000s.

Since its installation in 2012, the circus playground has helped increase activity in Payne Park. But, per city staff, that upgrade is the only substantial capital addition to a city-operated park since about 2008.

“If you’ve got an asset — 49 parks in the city — and in the past five, six, seven years, we’ve only had one major capital improvement?” Zimmerman said. “That shows you, at least to my mind, that we’re starving this resource.”

As the county has reduced funding for most city parks since the turn of the decade, the city has struggled to maintain those assets. At a workshop Monday focused on parks, the City Commission indicated its displeasure with the status quo.

Parks funding has been an issue for the city since 2011, when a new interlocal agreement with Sarasota County saw the city assume control of 19 parks the county once maintained. The county still operates city-owned parks classified as regional facilities, such as Lido Beach.

The county has drawn down its funding to non-regional parks — from $500,000 in 2011 to nothing today. In the 2014-15 budget, the city allocated $2.4 million from its general fund to parks and recreation.

In addition to expressing concerns about the county’s role in maintaining regional facilities — the city covers maintenance costs exceeding $5,000 annually in county-operated, city-owned parks — several commissioners wanted to look into increasing parks funding. Vice Mayor Susan Chapman said the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex — one of the few locations where the city offers recreational programming — should be used as a model.

“People are actually going there because it’s such a nice facility and so well maintained,” Chapman said. “I look forward to that kind of activation in all of our parks.”

City Manager Tom Barwin said that many properties throughout the city, such as Gillespie Park, have been neglected due to a lack of activity. He said a system such as a recreation district could help energize neighborhood parks and discourage illegal behavior in the area.

The City Commission will continue the discussion at a future meeting, at which point the public will be able to contribute to the conversation. Already, staff said, they’ve heard from residents willing to pay to help improve the city’s deteriorating parks.

“A lot of times, we hear from the community, ‘We would be willing to pay for increases in the level of services, but we want to know that’s where our money is going,’” said Doug Jeffcoat, the city’s director of public works. “That’s the underlying thing.”

Funding Mechanics
City staff presented the commission with a list of options for addressing the funding issues affecting parks and recreation in Sarasota.

Those options included:
Keeping the status quo

Renegotiating a 2011 interlocal agreement with the county,

Creating a recreation district, a special taxing body to fund parks

Increasing the city millage rate, directing the extra revenue toward parks

Continuing to develop partnerships with neighborhoods, foundations and schools

Join the Conversation
The City Commission will discuss the future of city-owned parks at a future meeting, where you will be able to voice your opinion. Are you willing to contribute more money to improve city parks?

Let us know at YourObserver.com.