Study Session:
Local Park and Recreation & Nonprofit Grants were reviewed. See Regular Meeting notes for details.
Don Klima, Manager of Administration & Real Estate, and Tom Hoby, Director, reviewed the Parks Cost Recovery & Fee Assessment study, performed during 2016 with Green Play LLC as consultant.
“Any way you look at it, cost recovery represents a park, recreation, or conservation agency’s decision to generate revenues by charging fees for some, or all, of its programs and services in order to offset the expenses of providing those programs or services. Cost recovery does not imply that the target is total cost recovery; an agency establishes the target according to a variety of considerations, from 0% to more than 100% of direct costs.” (click for Green Play LLC article)
Using a pyramid model, ranging from overall community benefit to a highly individualized benefit, fees for each level can be equitably established.
The study began with a series of workshops involving staff and community. The workshops resulted in the establishment of five tiers of services, each of which encompasses two or more categories of service. The pyramid model below illustrates what was developed.
Regular Session:
Joy Lucisano, Real Estate Program Manager, presented the quarterly Real Estate update. The closed acquisitions for 2016 were:
- Indigenia plus Laramie Ridge, Coal Creek area
- Kolin plus Lamb, Douglas Mtn area
- Sedita plus plus Consolidated Mutual plus Canal Co for access to South Table
- Applewood Golf Course
- Lockheed-Martin, trail widening easement at Hildebrand Ranch
As of January 1, there were 18 active acquisition projects totaling 8300 acres. The projects range from Coal Creek in the north to near the South Platte. There are 14 inactive projects totaling 2600 acres. The primary reason for inactive projects is unwilling sellers. Open Space has a long history of patient negotiations. The Real Estate team is working on 46 other projects ranging from land trades with CDOT to encumbrances in trail corridors.
The 2017 Local Park and Recreation and Nonprofit Grant Awards were approved. These are funded from the Jefferson County Conservation Trust Fund (Colorado Lottery Proceeds.)
- Arvada – irrigation system at Stenger Soccer Complex ($200,000 awarded, $320,000 requested)
- Coal Creek Canyon P&R – turf baseball field ($50,000 awarded, $50,000 requested)
- Beaver Ranch – priorities from Master Plan ($30,000 awarded, $35,068 requested)
- Denver Urban Gardens – garden at one school ($6,000 awarded, $50,000 requested)
- Evergreen Audubon Nature Center – exhibits ($6,000 awarded, $6,045 requested)
- West Denver Trout Unlimited – repairs to Clear Creek habitat ($8,000 awarded, $24,000 requested)
The 2017 Local Park and Recreation Grants Funded with Jefferson County Open Space Sales Tax Funds:
- Columbine Knolls – new pool building ($300,000 awarded, $301,280 requested)
- Evergreen P&R – Marshdale Field improvements ($50,000 awarded, $99,000 requested)
- Ken-Caryl Ranch Metro Dist – Splash Pad Enhancements ($15,000 awarded, $15,750 requested)
- Wheat Ridge – Prospect Park Renovation ($300,000 awarded, $400,000 requested)
- Morrison – Trail to Mt Falcon ($15,000 awarded, $27,760 requested)
