West Linn staff brief council on 25-year Mary S. Young Park lease and financial risks

City officials on Oct. 21 reviewed a proposed 25‑year lease with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) for Mary S. Young Park and outlined financial and operational risks the city would face as steward of the 133‑acre property.

Parks staff said the park drew about 55,000 visitors in 2024, with roughly 75% from Clackamas County, and that fee collections produced about $60,000 in revenue last year. Staff cautioned that recurring maintenance and replacement expenses can outpace fees: for example, athletic‑field maintenance runs about $22,000 a year, and a major footbridge replacement was cited as an illustrative replacement cost of about $50,000.

Megan, the park director leading the presentation, emphasized that selecting a 25‑year lease term would allow the city to be eligible for state‑park grants the city otherwise could not apply for. "By going with the 25 year, lease, we're able to then apply for grants that are through state parks," she said.

City Attorney Kaylee described contract edits negotiated with OPRD intended to reduce the city's exposure. She said the city and state clarified which party holds ultimate responsibility for land‑owner obligations (for example, legal encroachments) and loosened prior subcontracting restrictions so the city can more easily hire contractors. Kaylee also said staff added a termination and amendment mechanism for insect‑ or disease‑related remediation costs: "We further agree that both parties have the right to terminate the agreement if a mutually agreeable amendment cannot be reached," she said.

A major recurring concern was the imminent threat of invasive pests such as Mediterranean oak borer and emerald ash borer. Staff and councilors discussed other jurisdictions' removal costs (an example of a single oak removal in a nearby city was cited at about $35,000) and the risk that large‑scale tree treatment or removal could be unaffordable without cost‑sharing or outside grants.

Councilors also pressed operational questions the lease permits, including parking‑fee authority. Kaylee noted the lease’s compensation section expressly gives the city the option at its sole discretion to charge park visitors parking or special‑use fees where permitted by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (LWCF). Councilors raised practical concerns about administering parking fees and the need for pedestrian access improvements across the adjacent state highway.

Next steps: staff said the clean copy of the negotiated lease has been transmitted to OPRD and is currently with Oregon DOJ for final legal review. If Oregon DOJ completes its review, staff intend to bring the item back for adoption at a November business meeting (staff noted Nov. 12 as a likely target, subject to DOJ timing).