City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

STUDY SESSION
MINUTES

May 16, 2005

ATTENDANCE

Present:    Commissioners Amarotico, Eggers, Gardiner, Lewis, Rosenthal; Director Robertson; Superintendent Gies; Superintendent Teige

Absent:     None

CALL TO ORDER

Gardiner called the study session to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Parks Office, 340 S. Pioneer Street.

OPEN FORUM

None

NEW BUSINESS

DISCUSSION ON OPEN SPACE FUNDING

Robertson reviewed funding options discussed in previous years and invited the commission to provide feedback and suggestions for generating additional funding sources for open space acquisitions.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners discussed the short-term and long-term open space plans, which were previously approved by the City Council, and reviewed current funding sources, including the one-cent Ashland meals tax and Systems Development Charges. Robertson provided an updated accounting of monies collected to date from these sources, with a projection for totals collected through 2010.

Commissioners talked about methods for generating additional funding for open space purchases, including increasing the meals tax and SDCs, and they also discussed assigning dollar figures to proposed properties on the short-term open space plan.

The commission asked staff to have the SDC worksheet updated. Once it is updated, the commission agreed to submit the worksheet to the SDC Committee, with the intention of requesting an increase in the percentage Parks receives from those charges. The commission also asked staff to request from the SDC Committee a timeline for when they will review the updated Parks SDC worksheet.

ADJOURNMENT – With no further business, Gardiner adjourned the meeting at 9:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation