Committee reviews 2025 Greenways levy spending and park impact fee outlook

Council Member Williams heard an overview of the 2025 Greenways levy spending and the city’s park impact fee finances during an informational Parks and Recreation committee meeting. Peter Gill, planning and development coordinator for Parks and Recreation, and Lane Potter, park impact fee staff, presented revenue and expenditure figures and listed priority projects budgeted for 2026.

The committee was told Greenways levy revenue for 2025 was $9,900,000 and expenditures were $11,500,000, with the levy supporting acquisitions, development, maintenance and climate‑resiliency work. “We spent $11,500,000, and that does not include some of the grant funding that went towards Greenways,” Peter Gill said, noting the city still held a reserve “over $10,000,000” at the end of 2025. Gill summarized the levy allocation targets established in the Levy 5 resolution: roughly 35% for property acquisition, 20% for development, 15% for climate resiliency, 20% for maintenance and a 10% flex allowance.

Gill listed major 2025 acquisitions and projects funded by the levy, including roughly 115 acres acquired along Squalicum Creek (Dewey Valley parcel) and about 65 acres on Samish Crest that help connect more than 200 acres of open space and create potential trail links to Whatcom Falls Park. Development work completed in 2025 included the Little Squalicum Pier, the Sunset Pond loop trail and restoration and trail work in 100 Acre Wood, Gill said.

On the park impact fees, Lane Potter said the fund began 2025 with a reserve of about $5.78 million and collected just over $1,000,000 in private‑development impact fees during the year. Potter reiterated that park impact fees must be spent consistent with the city’s capital facilities plan and within 10 years of collection; staff track fees back to the associated building permits and prioritize spending those near the 10‑year mark. Potter reported the fund’s ending reserve as “2.19” for 2025 (value and units stated in the presentation as recorded in the transcript). Potter highlighted 2025 impact‑fee projects such as Storybrook Park (a new seven‑acre neighborhood park in Birchwood), Sportsplex electrical upgrades for future electrification, and work on the Sunset Pond Loop Trail that combined Greenways funds, park impact fees and a state Recreation and Conservation Office grant.

Because recent impact‑fee receipts have declined relative to past years, Potter said park impact fees now represent a smaller share of the parks department budget (he reported a trend from roughly 18–20% of the parks budget down to about 7%) and the 2026 park impact fee budget was reduced to approximately $2.3 million to maintain reserves while still funding targeted projects and acquisitions. Potter said staff are coordinating with the planning department on changes to the park impact fee framework following state legislative changes and that the department’s PROS (parks, recreation and open space) plan update this spring will present growth projections and proposed fee adjustments.

Committee members asked for clarification on service‑area rules and the 10‑year requirement. Council Member Dan Hamill and Council Member Jace Cotton pressed staff on how fees are tracked and spent in neighborhood versus citywide service areas; Potter explained the city code defines two service areas (neighborhood and citywide) and citywide projects such as the Sportsplex and Sunset Pond Loop Trail can be funded from citywide collections, while neighborhood park work typically uses fees collected in that park’s service area.

The presentations were informational; no votes or formal actions were taken. The committee moved on to a separate operations and stewardship update after the finance overview.