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Madison City Parks Commission outlines repayment plan, elects officers and approves contracts
Summary
The Madison City Parks Commission approved a temporary repayment approach to clear a year-end deficit, elected officers for 2025, and voted to extend two facility contracts and accept claims with conditions.
The Madison City Parks Commission on an unspecified date voted to pursue a three-part temporary repayment plan to retire a year-end deficit and approved several routine motions including officer elections and contract renewals.
The repayment approach presented by Tanya Burnett, operations lead, would draw from three sources: the city general fund (including unfilled salaries and reverted special grant funds), the parks department (including two eliminated positions and sale/trade-ins), and “other sources,” including interest from a $1,000,000 set‑aside for a water department project. Burnett said the parks department applied $50,000 of campground revenue toward the deficit and that the city identified roughly $20,000 from closed special funds. “In January and the first week of… February, we’ve brought in $70,897,” Burnett said of campground revenue.
The commission also approved routine minutes and claims. Chair Carla Krebs called for a voice vote to approve minutes and contracts; the board then voted to extend the soccer field lease to the Jefferson County Soccer Association and to offer the campground host contract to Les and Natalie Hook. A motion to accept claims passed with the explicit condition that staff provide a report on available funds prior to future claim signings; commissioners said they would only approve claims without that report one time due to concerns after last year’s accounting issues.
Why it matters: Commission action affects how the city covers a shortfall and which internal accounts are tapped. The measures are temporary, and Burnett said staff will seek state permission to use interest earned on the previously earmarked $1,000,000 investment. Commissioners emphasized the intent to maintain parks operations while addressing the debt.
Supporting details and background: Burnett told the commission that, in the general fund, unfilled salaries and benefits were temporarily reverted; multiple special grant funds with small leftover balances were closed and reverted to the general fund. From parks operations, staff eliminated two positions (totaling $75,000 in salary savings), negotiated trade-ins on old golf carts and removal of GPS systems, and sold assorted golf equipment. Financial figures discussed included $584,379 in total 2025 revenue to date and an operating deficit of $59,219.79.
On motions with formal outcomes, the board recorded the following actions at the meeting (voice votes; no numeric roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript): minutes approved; Carla Krebs nominated and approved as president; Jake Shockley nominated and approved as vice president; soccer lease extended; campground host contract offered; claims accepted with conditions. Commissioners asked that future claims be accompanied by a budget/available-balance report before payment.
Looking ahead: Staff said the repayment plan, if accepted by city council and state (where state permission is required to draw interest), will allow the loan to be paid off before June. Commission members said they will monitor the parks budget and return with follow-up reports to the board.
Ending: Commissioners closed the meeting after final public and staff reports and a motion to adjourn.
