Final budget aspect of the evening is the Parks Funding Strategy, which was advanced as a Council priority for 2021-23. This syncs with work that's been done recently around the update to Bellevue's Parks and Open Spaces plan.
Conversation
Since Bellevue's incorporation, over 10 levies or bond votes have passed to support Bellevue's parks. The most recent one, passed in 2008, will expire in a few years. Its funding has helped projects like completing the circle of the Downtown Park & creating Surrey Downs Park.
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Public feedback seemed pretty split, both wanting the city to acquire land for new parks and maintain the parks the city already has. People also had particular ideas for important goals for the city's park system, listed below.
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Staff note (as always) the needs outstrip the available funds, but list potential projects like acquisition of land around Coal Creek (something the Urbanist covered a bit ago), trail connections, and more neighborhood parks.
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Current projected funds from REET and other sources leave a nearly $600 million gap between foreseen needs and revenue. Staff list new potential funding sources, but Parks Director Shiosaki advises against a voter-approved ballot measure b/c it would slow down land acquisition.
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Mayor Robinson wants to make sure that capital projects for new sports fields are available for use by all groups, even kids that aren't a part of leagues w/ high fees. Remaining park levy funds are being used for Airfield Park and acquisition of land on Lake Sammamish.
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CM Robertson floats the idea of retiring the previous parks levy early and having voters approve a new one with a shorter horizon. Notes purchasing power of levies goes down with time across their normally 20-year horizons. Would also support an operations & maintenance levy.
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CM Zahn: asking if Cross-Cultural Center and the Grand Connection Lid Park would be a part of new parks funding. If a new levy comes for parks, would want to make sure city is looking at funding for other priorities too, like sustainability and GHG reduction.
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DM Nieuwenhuis: Says the city needs to get a park in the Eastgate & Factoria area, supports the idea of a bond/levy for 2022. Also supports an operations & maintenance levy.
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CM Stokes: again highlighting the opportunity Bellevue fines itself in, agrees at wider distribution of parks in the city. Agrees in including things like the Grand Connection parks in the discussion.
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CM Barksdale: Adding to CM Lee, wants to focus less on individual projects and more on building opportunities for experiences in the community & to create community. So, seems there's Council support for staff looking into a levy, but what that levy can cover will be important.
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Next opportunity for Council to discuss the budget is during their retreat later this month. Unfortunately, that's not as public as Council meetings, so we'll have to see later what the outcomes of those discussions are.
In the meantime, meeting adjourned! Thanks for reading.