Council leans toward $5.20 monthly parks utility fee to fund operations center share

Councilors discussed a proposal to add a $5.20 per month parks utility service fee to fund the parks’ portion of a new operations center and to address a parks maintenance deficit. City staff estimated the fee would raise about $500,000 annually; the fee was discussed as a possible immediate or near‑term adoption with an effective date in March or April if approved.

Several councilors supported moving the fee forward quickly while tying it to a broader community engagement process to set city priorities. Council President Baumgartner and others emphasized that the fee is intended to maintain existing assets and support required replacement and safety work, not to fund new recreational programming. "That additional $5 that we're looking for for the general fund is not necessarily for things that are new," Parks Director Megan Big John said, adding that the dollars are intended to preserve current assets and cover maintenance needs.

Council direction was to return the parks fee for formal consideration at the next business meeting or at a March meeting, and to include the topic in the council retreat for broader discussion of priorities and community engagement about the city's needs.