Milwaukie seeks written commitment from parks district after surprise separation talk amid Milwaukee Bay Park funding offers

Milwaukie city negotiators say they were offered an unexpected package from the North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District that includes $3.1 million in Zone 1 system development charges and $2.5 million in Metro/local funds toward Milwaukee Bay Park — along with an apparent readiness on the district’s part to begin separation proceedings.

City Manager Emma told the council the offer arrived during this month’s talks and that she was instructed to relay it to elected leaders. “We are prepared to bring these agreements to our council on October 21 for consideration and November 4 for a vote,” she said earlier in the meeting when summarizing the negotiation schedule. She added that the city and district had paused detailed governance discussions while a court clarification of the 1990 cooperative IGA remained pending.

Why it matters: Milwaukee Bay Park is a long‑planned waterfront project the city has pushed to develop in partnership with NCPRD. The council’s stated priority is to have the park built by 2027. City negotiators said the district contribution — if delivered as described — would cover an amount that moves the project substantially closer to full funding. However, moves by the district’s board to discuss a separation process took council staff and members by surprise and prompted an immediate request for clarification.

What happened at the meeting: City negotiators and council leaders said they had focused their sessions with the district on two items: (1) a cooperative‑IGA addendum to clarify responsibility for facilities and maintenance if either party changes the relationship, and (2) a park‑specific IGA that would transfer design work and allow the city to lead construction. At the Oct. 1 meeting the city set a timeline that would allow council consideration of agreements on Oct. 21 and formal action on Nov. 4. Instead, city staff said, the district’s delegate told them the board supported beginning separation proceedings and would authorize the funding amounts noted above.

Council reaction and next steps: Councilors who spoke described the district’s sudden mention of separation as “disappointing” and “abrupt.” Council President Will Anderson and Councilor Robert Massey (city negotiator) said they will ask NCPRD to put the district’s verbal positions into a written response and requested a Nov. 1 deadline for that reply so the city can proceed with its agenda on Nov. 4. The mayor and council negotiators emphasized they did not have direction from council to withdraw from the district and that governance questions should not delay getting the park funded and built.

Formal actions and context: The city provided a draft cooperative‑IGA addendum that would, among other items, clarify how capital investments by the district in city parks would be capitalized and repaid on an amortized basis if roles change; the city also offered to assume more responsibility for maintenance of the Milwaukee Community Center. Those concessions were offered, negotiators said, to secure district financial support for the park.

What’s next: City staff will send a letter, signed by city elected officials, asking the district to confirm in writing the items the district reported verbally and to clarify next steps. The council left governance discussions off the immediate agenda and intends to move forward on the question of whether the park IGAs can be finalized so construction can start on the schedule set by council.