News Release
June 12, 2002
Metropolitan Parks Task Force to
release recommendations
The Metropolitan Parks Task Force held its final meeting today to address long-term solutions for King County’s parks system in the face of budget shortfalls. The Task Force refined their recommendations and the final document will be available on the Web site, at
your.kingcounty.gov/exec/mptf on Thursday.
The Metropolitan Parks Task Force was created by King County Executive Ron Sims,
King County Councilmember and Budget Chair Larry Phillips and King County Councilmember and Natural Resources and Parks Committee Chair
Carolyn Edmonds in February of this year. The objective of the volunteer Task Force was to make recommendations to King County concerning how its parks and recreation facilities and open space should be owned, operated and funded in the future, and how to eliminate the on-going subsidy of these parks and facilities from the County’s diminishing Current Expense (CX) fund.
The task force co-chairs, Bob Wallace and Gene Duvernoy, said the group believes King County must refine and refocus its long-term vision for the park system. Their recommendations for that vision include:
- Continue to be a primarily player in the stewardship and acquisition of open space, resource and ecological lands;
- Continue as a provider of regional trails;
- Continue to serve as the regional steward of the thousand acres of passive open space in five key park/green space corridors;
- Retain regional facilities such as Marymoor Park, the King County Fairgrounds, and the Weyerhaeuser-King County Aquatic Center;
- Retain active sports facilities located within the rural area;
- Immediately work to transfer all county facilities within city boundaries to the cities;
- Redefine the County’s role as the operator of active recreation facilities, such as large ball fields, swimming pools, etc.;
- Operate all active sports facilities out of an enterprise fund that would have them pay for themselves;
- Facilitate acquisition and development with public and/or private partners rather than assume all ongoing maintenance and operations costs;
- Transition facilities in the urban incorporated areas destined for annexation should go to the cities;
- Transition community centers to local non-profit operators like YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.; and
- Implement a county-wide levy lid lift in 2003 to provide dedicated revenue to the maintenance and operations of the county parks system.
“I am proud of the work done by this group,” said Wallace. “Everyone went above and beyond the call of duty in enthusiastically engaging in this important effort and working together to find solutions to sustain parks and recreation opportunities for the residents of King County.”
With an unprecedented outreach effort, the Task Force heard from thousands of King County residents, through public meetings, a telephone survey, focus groups and hundreds of letters and emails. Further, the Task Force heard from representatives of King County’s suburban cities, the City of Seattle and the City of Bellevue. Literally thousands of individuals provided input that helped to shape their recommendations.
“These recommendations were crafted by more people than the 17 that served on the Task Force,” noted Duvernoy. “We heard from user groups, employees, coaches, athletes, hikers and open-space enthusiasts. Clearly parks and recreation are crucial to the quality of life we enjoy here in King County and we believe these recommendations will help to maintain and strengthen the parks system.”
The Task Force’s recommendations reflect a menu of options to be considered by the County Executive and County Council in their deliberations regarding the 2003 budget. Other highlights include aggressive partnerships with the private sector to increase revenues through advertisement and concession opportunities, as well as temporarily diverting a portion of some existing county revenue streams such as the rental car tax revenue, surface water management fees and the unincorporated levy to fund specific program areas such as trails and open space.
Following today’s deliberations, a final report will be posted on the Task Force’s Web site by 12 p.m. on Thursday, June 13.
Contact: Rachel Bianchi (206) 354-5936
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