AB
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#Issues
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1.Cost of trail maintenance listed is current cost not necessarily the cost to maintain the trail well. We will need to wait for Todd's trail plan.
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2.Costs of park maintenance is current cost not what it should be.
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3.No cost listed to maintain natural vegatation
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4.Playground expenses do not include saving for future replacement costs in current year. Does in future year.
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5.Future plan does not include any trail maintenance in the open space category nor does it include maintenance for parks which are reservable by anyone (Wimbleton South, Mitchell Hollow, Beacon Hills). Look at "Park Data" sheet for details.
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6.Unallocated labor is divided up using maintained and natural acreage
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7.Rather than completely eliminate a park from Open Space does it make sense to leave some neighborhood park equivalency value? Also, does it make sense for open space parks to allocate a % of the costs to the general fund?
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2021 Parks and Trails Plan Recommendations:
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1.Eliminate all trails from Open Space costs
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2.Eliminate all non-neighborhood parks from Open Space costs. If a park is reservable for sports, has a bathroom, and/or parking lot is a city park.
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3.Allocate 10%-25% of the cost of Open Space to the general fund.
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4.Base the Open Space fee on the actual costs less the amount the general fund contributes
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5.If the fee ends up being less than $20 we should not implement a change until we cover the deficit. Personally, I would recommend we implement a RAP sales tax (recreation arts and parks tax - 0.1%). This would more than cover the deficit. Since it is a point of sales tax we will get revenue not just from Highland but also from those who shop in Highland (e.g. people who use the splash pad often shop here). We should get $100K+ per year from this. The council will need to pass it and then the voters need to approve it.
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6.Would also recommend eliminating the neighborhood optional trail category now that the city is covering the cost to maintain all trails.
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7.The trail maintenance plan should include a defined trail corridor (asphalt + N ft on either side).
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8.Hold staff accountable for creating a trail maintenance plan
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9.Hold staff accountable for putting together a puncture weed abatement program (we need to be willing to fund outsourcing it).
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10.Would include a list of the properties the city believes can be sold as part of the plan. I personally, like the pricing model approved by the council 25% of the value of neighboring property based on the county appraised value. That is simple. The pricing model approved by the council does allow for exceptions. Pricing is a contentious item it always is.