HomeMy WebLinkAbout13-027 Joint Resolution with Board of County Commissioners Approving the September 10, 2013 Recommendations of the MPD Steering Committee and Providing Direction for its Continued Work City Resolution 13-027
County Resolution 51-13
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STATE OF WASHINGTON
County of Jefferson
City Council of Port Townsend
Board of County Commissioners of Jefferson County
A Joint Resolution of the City Council of the City }
of Port Townsend Washington and the Jefferson }
County Board of County Commissioners } City Resolution No. 13 -027
Approving the September 10, 2013 } County Resolution No. 51-13
Recommendations of the MPD Steering }
Committee and Providing Direction For Its }
Continued Work. }
The City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, and the Board of County
Commissioners for Jefferson County, Washington, do hereby jointly resolve as follows:
WHEREAS, since 2010 Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend have been
working collaboratively to mutually address an unsustainable gap between costs and
revenues to operate and maintain existing park facilities and recreation programs
throughout Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, the County and the City adopted respective Resolutions to place
Proposition 1 on the November 2, 2010 ballot allowing citizens to adopt a sales tax to
fund public safety including an agreement to temporarily dedicate a portion of the City
revenue to support county parks and recreation for up to four years; and
WHEREAS, prior to the passage of Proposition 1, the County and the City entered into
an Agreement on September 13, 2010 ("2010 Agreement"), concerning the sales tax
proceeds whereby the City would contribute up to half of its sales tax receipts to support
and restore operation and maintenance of Memorial Field and the Port Townsend
Recreation Center including after school programs for up to four years while long term
regional solutions for sustaining parks and recreation were developed; and
WHEREAS, in the 2010 Agreement, the parties agreed "to immediately and actively
collaborate on identifying and evaluating a variety of options for sustainable and
coordinated service delivery and funding for recreation facilities and services in the City
and all or significant portions of the County," including a schedule of certain
benchmarks, which were amended by Amendment Number One to the 2010 Agreement
dated June 22, 2011; and
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WHEREAS, pursuant to the 2010 Agreement (as modified by the 2011 Amendment),
the parties established an Exploratory Regional Parks and Recreation Committee
(ERPRC), comprised of citizens and public officials, to make recommendations
concerning sustainable and coordinated service delivery and funding for recreation
facilities and services in the City and all or portions of the County; and
WHEREAS, after a year of study of delivery and funding alternatives to sustain parks
and recreation the ERPRC recommended: "...that the County and City should form a
Metropolitan Parks District (MPD) that contains all of East Jefferson County. During the
process of forming an MPD the County and City should continue to look for efficiencies
that can be achieved through coordinating and collaboration between the City and the
County as well as other entities;" and
WHEREAS, on February 11, 2013, the Jefferson County Board of County
Commissioners and the Port Townsend City Council entered into "A Joint Resolution of
the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington and the Jefferson County
Board of County Commissioners Relating to a Metropolitan Parks District Process, and
Approving and Authorizing Execution of Amendment Number Two to an Agreement
Concerning the 2010 Sales Tax Ballot Measure," including:
1. Metropolitan Parks District suggested process map and estimated schedule;
2. Establishment of Steering Committee and Parks & Recreation Stakeholders
Composition, Roles and Responsibilities for MPD Process;
3. Guidance to Steering Committee for MPD Process;
4. Amendment Number Two to 2010 Agreement concerning the 2010 Sales Tax
Ballot Measure; and
WHEREAS, on March 4, 2013, the Board of County Commissioners and City Council
adopted Joint Resolution No.s 014-13 (Jefferson County) and 13-006 (Port Townsend)
jointly appointing members of the MPD Steering Committee for up to one year; and
WHEREAS, in 2013 the MPD citizen Steering Committee met on March 21, April 23
and May 14, convened a June 1 community Open House, met on June13, conducted
community outreach during July and August, and met on September 10; and
WHEREAS, at its meeting on September 10, 2013, the Steering Committee reviewed
Committee members' summer stakeholder and public efforts and developments since
June, considered options for moving forward, and subsequently adopted
recommendations to the City and the County attached hereto as Exhibit A, which
included the following:
1) The formation of a Metropolitan Parks District is not the feasible tool at this
time to address the issues for sustainably funding and administering the parks
and recreation programs of East Jefferson County and the City of Port
Townsend;
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2) The Steering Committee respectfully requests that the City and County
develop options and proposals for operating and funding parks and recreation in
the meantime, and present these to the Steering Committee for feedback through
future meetings to help inform the county's and city's difficult choices. With input
from the Steering Committee, the City/County may consider and implement both
interim and long-term options for funding and operations, and
WHEREAS, both the City and the County express their deepest gratitude for the
volunteer contributions of the Steering Committee and the Co-Chairs for their work so
far in this process, and wish to give the MPD Steering Committee clear direction for
completing its work, consistent with this and prior Resolutions; and
WHEREAS, park facilities and recreation programs are important for the health and
wellbeing of our communities, adults and children, and their operation and regular and
capital maintenance are jeopardized by a lack of adequate and secure funding;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT JOINTLY RESOLVED AND ORDERED by the City Council
of the City of Port Townsend and the Board of County Commission of Jefferson County
as follows:
1. The Steering Committee process as provided for in the joint City/County resolution
of February 11, 2013 to "develop a specific plan for creating a Metropolitan Parks
District (MPD)..." including boundaries; facilities to be included; structure and
governance model; maintenance and operations plan; capital budget; long-term
budgetary requirements for operations, maintenance, and capital is hereby
suspended until such time as it is re-tasked and re-convened by the City of Port
Townsend and Jefferson County.
2. The City and County request that the Steering Committee document its
recommendations/findings to date with respect to the implementation and formation
of an MPD. The Steering Committee, if it wishes, could also identify necessary
conditions for a MPD to become viable for reconsideration, and outline guidelines on
how and for what purpose an MPD might be developed.
3. The City and County will jointly investigate and develop options and proposals for
Parks and Recreation funding and operations, including considering the ideas
outlined in the Steering Committee's September 10th recommendation (Exhibit A),
and present these options and findings to the Steering Committee in or before early
2014 for feedback through future meetings to better inform the City's and the
County's ultimate decisions for funding and operating parks and recreation now and
in the future.
4. The City and County will continue to work together in good faith to review park and
recreation service delivery and funding alternatives.
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5. To allow the Steering Committee sufficient time to review the County and City's
options and findings, Section 2 of the joint City/County Resolution, adopted March 4,
2013 is hereby amended as follows, while all other provisions are retained:
Section 2. Purpose, Scope of Work and Term
The MRD-Steering Committee is appointed and shall operate pursuant to
Jefferson County Resolution No. 011-13 and City Resolution No. 13-005, and all
applicable local, state and federal laws. Participation as a Steering Committee
member does not preclude one's later participation in any formal review or
comment process before the City Council and/or Board of Commissioners. The
duration of the Steering Committee and the term of these initial appointments is
until the Scope of Work has been completed, or until one year has elapse June
30, 2014, whichever is first, unless otherwise amended by subsequent joint
action by the County Commissioners and the City Council. Members serve on a
voluntary basis, and may resign at any time by notifying both the County and the
City in writing.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 7t" day of October, 2013:
CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
113 1 /V, 10/7/13
David King,-Mayor date Jo - stin, C air date
Attest:
Phil Jo ns n, Member
�
Pamela Kolacy, MMC, City Clerk °
Approved as to form: David ulliv n, Member
ATTEST:
_ j
John P. Watts, City Attorney
Carolyn Av y
Deputy Clerk of the Board
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County Resolution 51-13
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EXHIBIT A
STEERING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Metropolitan Park District Steering Committee
September 30, 2013
Dear County Commissioners and City Councilmembers,
The Metropolitan Park District Steering Committee worked for seven months to
design a sustainable Metropolitan Park District for the City of Port Townsend and
East Jefferson County.The process was open and public. City and county staff
assisted our committee efforts to find an acceptable solution to the many
divergent needs of geographical distance,taxation rates, and facility/program
distribution. The Steering Committee, meeting on September 10, 2013,
formulated the following recommendations that we respectfully submit on their
behalf:
1)The formation of a Metropolitan Park District is not the feasible tool at this time
to address the issues for sustainably funding and administering the parks and
recreation programs of East Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend.
2)The Steering Committee respectfully requests that the City and County
develop options and proposals for operating and funding parks and recreation in
the meantime, and present these to the Steering Committee for feedback through
future meetings to help inform the county's and city's difficult choices.With input
from the Steering Committee, the City and County may consider and implement
both interim and long-term options for funding and operations.
In forming our recommendation, we considered these issues:
• Property tax capacity is limited, both by law and by the ability of the
citizens to pay.
• Essential services such as fire, emergency, safety and school have
pressing needs.
• Citizens have planned to form local park districts to address their own
concerns.
• Other Metropolitan Park Districts in the state are smaller and address
specific needs for specific service areas. The present Metropolitan Park
District concept for East Jefferson County may be too broad and general.
• Grassroots support from individuals and groups have not materialized
during this process.
• Reconvening the Steering Committee in early 2014 to give feedback to
City/County on their proposals.
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We encourage the City/County to consider:
• Exploratory Regional Parks and Recreation Committee information as a
starting point.
• Restore pre-existing conditions (2008 as baseline)of park and recreation
as a first priority.
• Allocate capital investment for deferred maintenance as a second priority.
• Consolidate service and delivery, consistent with recommendations from
ERPRC report.
• Recommend potential funding sources(s)for major expenses (i.e.,
community centers, pool, Memorial Field).
• Meet with other Metropolitan Park District community representatives
about their process.
• Consider a countywide levy lid lift.
• Commit to a timeline to provide information to the Steering Committee by
early 2014.
The Steering Committee report recognizes that our task to design a workable
and acceptable Metropolitan Park District could not be fully accomplished during
this current challenging period. We acknowledge the cooperation between the
city and county during the process, and encourage government and citizens to
further build on this shared groundwork to save our parks and recreation for both
now and the future.
Respectfully submitted by
Cammy Brow
J
Kathleen Kier
Co-Chairs for the Metropolitan Park Steering Committee