Council hears administrationproposal to renew parks bond at 8cents; package targets trails, school fields and Central Park upgrades

Parks Director Jeff Watling asked the council to consider renewing the city's expiring park levy at eight cents per $1,000 assessed value in order to fund a geographically balanced package of improvements the city has prioritized through years of park planning and recent acquisitions.

Watling described the proposal as a renewal, not a new tax, and said the eight-cent rate would support approximately $23–24 million of investments when combined with grant leverage. The recommended package includes targeted gateway and site work at Confluence Park, trailhead and corridor upgrades that connect the city's alpine corridors, synthetic turf community sports fields at three elementary schools to expand playing capacity, new courts and a plaza in Central Park to accommodate growing court sports demand, and a playground plus dog-park improvements at Tibbetts Valley Park along with site-specific engagement to address complexity there.

Council members supported the goal of spreading investments across neighborhoods but pressed staff for more precise cost estimates and contingency planning. Several members expressed unease about including complex, high-cost items such as a new municipal pool or a large Confluence phase without fully vetted designs and permits; staff agreed those items are less likely given the time and cost complexity. Members also sought a frank discussion about alternatives—higher levy scenarios that could enlarge the package (12¢ and 16¢ were discussed)—and asked whether a smaller renewal would increase the chance of voter success.

Council asked administration to return with a public engagement plan, a town-hall the first week of June, and a June 15 check-in that would include any joint-use agreement finalized with the school district for the proposed elementary sports fields. Watling told the council that school-district staff and the city's parks staff have been discussing a model in which the district provides the land and the city funds construction, manages scheduling and maintains the turf; staff said a draft joint-use agreement was nearing final legal review and could be presented for joint adoption in mid-June.

Mayor Mark Mullet said the administration's priority was to avoid a single-asset package that fails community buy-in, and to focus on multiple medium-sized projects that will be deliverable. Several council members urged caution on project vocabulary used in ballot language and asked that the administration provide contingency plans for cost overruns and a clear map of how bond proceeds, grants, and impact fees would interrelate.

Watling said staff will bring the council a more detailed project list, maps and a timeline in June; if council is satisfied, staff intends to forward an ordinance in mid-June so the city can comply with county ballot-printing deadlines for a November vote.

The city did not take a vote at the retreat; council members instead asked for more precise cost data, evidence of partnership agreements with the school district, and an expanded community outreach plan before any final decision to place the measure on the ballot.