Parks staff outline food-and-beverage tax timeline, developer interest for gorge project

Denise, parks staff, told the Richmond Parks and Recreation Board that the Department of Revenue will provide registration templates and that municipalities should be prepared to register businesses for the new food-and-beverage tax, which the city will begin collecting on March 1. "So we'll be working with our local media and things like that ... We probably will not see any funds start to trickle in until May," Denise said, adding she will give the board monthly updates.

The board heard that staff will meet with bond counsel the week of the 19th to review options for using food-and-beverage tax revenues and to discuss priority projects that could be advanced through bonding. Denise said the administration is developing a priority-project list and that available funds will take time to accumulate before work can begin.

On development, staff reported strong interest in a request-for-qualifications process for the gorge project. Denise said RFQ responses are due on the 15th and that a committee will evaluate proposals under the B.O.T. (build-operate-transfer) process and per state statute; the board should expect a recommendation or request for approval by next month.

The updates give the board a clearer timeline for when new revenues might be available for park projects and what procedural steps—RFQ review, developer interviews and possible bonding—remain before work can begin. The board did not take any binding financial action during the meeting; staff will return with further details as they meet with bond counsel and receive RFQ responses.