Parks advisory board narrows Scribe fund goals, plans formal recommendation to Clallam County commissioners

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on May 5 refined the proposed mission, function and goals for the county’s Scribe fund—a capital fund supported by campground reservation fees—and agreed to draft a formal recommendation to deliver to the Clallam County Board of Commissioners.

The board’s presenter said the Scribe fund performance measures follow a countywide budget template and are intended to help commissioners make funding decisions. The presenter summarized the proposed function as “using a portion of campground reservation fees to fund capital improvements in Clallam County Parks to support projects in the parks comprehensive plan recommended by the Parks Advisory Board,” and asked members for edits to clarify advisory versus decision-making roles.

Why it matters: board language will guide how the county uses a dedicated capital fund to leverage grants, prioritize projects and supply local match or design dollars for projects that can become grant-ready. The phrasing also affects whether funding is seen as supplemental rather than replacing other park budgets.

Board discussion focused on three decisions: 1) wording in the mission and function to avoid implying the fund supplants other sources, 2) consolidating overlapping goals to preserve focus, and 3) maintaining a modest reserve so the fund can serve as local matching money for large grants. Anna Plager, a Parks Advisory Board member, recommended the board “at least maintain a 10% of whatever year’s revenue in reserves” so the county is positioned to meet match requirements for larger grants.

Members debated whether a goal should “prioritize park improvements that provide sustainable revenue” or use softer language such as “support park improvements” so that a small number of revenue-generating parks are not favored over other parks with critical infrastructure needs. Several members said they preferred wording that positions Clallam County to be strategic—listing sub-items such as local matching funds, supplemental project funding for design/A&E work, partnerships, and support for enhanced revenue generation—rather than a stand-alone ‘‘prioritize revenue’’ bullet.

The board also discussed examples of projects the fund might enable, including provision of design work and small-site foundational work that can allow public art or interpretive installations to proceed. Members noted the Dungeness Recreation utility vault (previously discussed for Scribe funding at $150,000) remains on the five-year capital plan but staff clarified it is no longer budgeted from the Scribe fund in the current recommendation.

During public comment, a resident asked why the plan’s terminology was changed from “parks master plan” to “parks comprehensive plan” and said they opposed the proposed first mission sentence and the supplemental-project-funding goal; the commenter urged that stated goals reflect citizen needs. The presenter responded that the phrase change reflected the drafters’ choice and reminded the public that the PAB’s role is advisory; the board encouraged the commenter to submit written input to the parks director.

The board asked staff to redraft the mission and consolidated goals with the agreed edits and to prepare a short letter or motion so the PAB can make a formal recommendation to the Board of Commissioners at a future meeting. No formal vote on final language was recorded at the special meeting; the board agreed to review the staff draft at an upcoming PAB meeting before sending the recommendation to commissioners.

Next steps: staff will produce a redraft incorporating the board’s edits; the PAB will consider that draft at its next regular meeting and, if approved, forward a formal recommendation to the Clallam County Board of Commissioners.