 |
| Jim Maddix, Tony Klain, Mayor Leon Clark, City Administrator Marty Colburn, and Al Schulien |
By CHRISTIE BLECK
May 27, 2011
From Ingham County Community News
There's little question that many people in the area like their parks, with their ballfields, picnic facilities and hiking trails.
That said, it really might, as the saying goes, "take a village to raise a child" - or in this case, a park.
How to provide parks to benefit the greatest number of people is a huge challenge, especially in the light of ongoing fiscal difficulties in the region and state.
Take Mason's Rayner Park, for example. For decades a county park, it had been closed recently because of budget problems.
An estimate showed it had cost about $44,000 for the county to maintain the park.
The city of Mason stepped in, and entered into an agreement with the county in which the city will pay $1 per year through Dec. 31, 2016 to lease the park.
The city has the rights, after meeting agreement terms, to buy the park for $1.
However, that leaves the city with the burden of maintaining Rayner, along with its other parks.
Rayner encompasses 59.9 acres and includes a woodlot, ballfields, a castle-like play structure and ponds.
"It really is a gem of a park," City Administrator Marty Colburn said at the July 19, 2010 City Council meeting.
In last year's Nov. 2 election, residents in an advisory vote supported an additional millage of up to 0.5 mills for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of this year to maintain Mason parks.
The millage would have raised up to an $106,000 for FY 2011-12 and would cost a household with an average taxable value of $57,000 an additional tax of up to $28.50 per year.
However, city Finance Director Eric Smith said staff absorbed the park costs into the budget with no additional millage for residents, relying instead on volunteers.
Colburn said the parks budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12 is $163,595.
Park problems
Rayner Park wasn't the only park in jeopardy recently. Tiny 16-acre Baldwin Park, located in Onondaga Township, could have been a victim of the budget axe as well.
"There was talk about the county commissioners that they would like it reverted back to the township," said Willis Bennett, director of parks for Ingham County.
However, members of the county Park Commission visited the park and saw what Bennett called its "positives."
Those included a picnic area, a shelter, ballfields and a scenic location on the Grand River.
"We have some great river frontage," Bennett pointed out.
After looking at Baldwin's attributes, he said, the Parks Commission decided it wanted to keep it as a county park.
Bennett said volunteers have been working on and off at the park, "which we are very thankful for."
Bennett acknowledged the situation is similar to Rayner, but the expenses to maintain the Mason park are much higher.
Options
Bennett said the county's largest parks, including Hawk Island, Burchfield and Lake Lansing, can meet many needs, including swimming, picknicking and even boat rental.
"There's a whole variety of activities that can be had within each park," Bennett said.
That raises a question, according to Bennett: What losses would affect park "customers" the least with budget cuts? He acknowledged that some underused sections of parks might not be mowed anymore.
Bennett also said that it will be several more years before the challenged county budget situation straightens out. Until then, the Parks Department will have to do "more with less" - a cliche that Bennett acknowledged he doesn't like to use.
Bennett said staff is looking at "a lot of small steps" to save money instead of eliminating entire staff positions.
"A lot of communities, townships and cities do reduce their parks," Bennett said. "But in reality, people need access to green space."
The Ingham County Board of Commissioners for 2010 reduced parks appropriation by 26 percent, according to Bennett, and this year it was reduced another 13 percent. There is no fixed information about the 2012 budget this early in the budget process, he said.
"While it hurts, we were able to reduce without affecting what our customers will see when they visit our parks," Bennett said.
Bennett did point to an increase in vehicle entrance fees. Residents will pay $3 per visit or $30 for an annual permit. Non-county residents will pay $5 or $40.
"Other than that, we are working as a team to watch every penny we spend, reducing expenses everywhere and still trying to provide the same service our visitors have come to enjoy," Bennett said.
Partnerships
The Rayner situation might crop up in other municipalities.
Barring new developments, the Eaton County Parks Department will continue to operate Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge for another decade.
The county and the city reached a tentative agreement for the 80-acre park, located on city-owned land leased to the Eaton County for the past 30 years for $1 per year.
That lease had expired in 2010, and the county told the city it couldn't renew the lease without a city contribution.
The city's Parks Commission approved the proposed agreement that calls for Grand Ledge to take over maintenance of all park roadways and about 20 percent of the grass-cutting.
"I think it's good for the city and I think it's good for Eaton County," said Eaton County Parks Director Dan Patton in the Sept. 5, 2010 Charlotte Shopping Guide.
"Keeping Fitzgerald Park, the ledges here, the uniqueness of the facility - I think it's a win-win for both governmental units."
Historical value
Parks also have a historical Value. On May 22, a ceremony was held regarding Rayner Park receiving an official historical marker from Ingham County.
The park was started in 1872 by William Rayner, oldest son of local pioneer John Rayner. In 1931, the county Road Commission bought the park, making Rayner the first county park.
Since Rayner became a city park in 2010, Colburn said city crews as well as volunteers from both the city and surrounding areas have kept up with maintenance.
"That being said, we're on the right road," Colburn said.
Mayor Leon Clark noted he wanted to "clone" volunteer Jim Maddix, who's been instrumental in spearheading the local volunteer effort.
Maddix, for his part, credited the many volunteers who have helped, noting in a May 23 email, "Without the efforts of people ranging in age from 4 to 80 this would not be possible."
Clark said at the ceremony, "If it wasn't for volunteers, we wouldn't be able to maintain this park."
No comments:
Post a Comment