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Council debates parks and recreation special-district goal; $25,000 held as placeholder
Summary
Council discussed Goal 5.2 — supporting a community-led parks and recreation special district — and weighed grassroots leadership, polling limits, ballot timing and staff involvement; staff noted $25,000 in the current budget to facilitate preliminary work.
Councilors discussed Goal 5.2, which directs support for community efforts to establish a parks and recreation special district. Staff told the council the budget includes a $25,000 placeholder to facilitate early work; councilors said the process should be community-led and grass-roots driven rather than city-led.
"We have set aside $25,000 in the existing budget to facilitate this work," staff said when introducing the item. Councilors raised concerns about timing (noting recent failed measures in the community), polling reliability, and the need for stakeholder identification. Several councilors suggested waiting until a new parks-and-rec director is on board and recommended staff keep funds earmarked rather than returning them to the general fund. Staff offered to maintain a confidential list of potential stakeholders and to bring updates in six months or as the item advances.
The council did not take formal action but agreed to keep the line item and the conversation alive, with staff to compile stakeholder names and return with a status update if the effort advances.
