North Plains council adopts Parks Board bylaws, asks Parks & Rec to draft nonprofit fee-waiver criteria

The North Plains City Council on Feb. 18 adopted updated Parks Board bylaws and directed the Parks & Recreation Board to develop criteria for nonprofit fee waivers for use of the Jessie Mays Community Center. Councilor Michele McCall-Wallace moved the resolution to adopt the bylaws; Councilor Aaron Dumbrow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Councilor Mandy Hagedorn flagged typographical errors in the draft bylaws and questioned whether the board should define what constitutes excessive absences. The council approved adopting the bylaws with those typos corrected and agreed to send the question of defining repeated absences back to the Parks Board for further input.

Separately under unfinished business, the council discussed direction to the Parks & Recreation Board on developing nonprofit fee-waiver criteria. Councilor McCall-Wallace suggested the guidelines consider whether the organization is a North Plains nonprofit, the population served, length and frequency of rental, and whether events are open to the public. The council reached consensus to have the Parks Board draft a policy and return recommendations to the council.

Patty Burns, chairperson of the senior center, had asked during public comment for a waiver of rental fees for an upcoming crab feed; council members heard that request and folded broader policy direction into asking the Parks Board to report back. The council did not take an immediate vote to waive a specific fee at the meeting.

The Parks Board will be expected to present recommended language and criteria to the council at a future meeting, after which councilors may vote on any specific waiver requests or a citywide policy change.