Town ready to tackle Parks and Rec funding

Weddings, soccer, skate parks…It’s all growing

As one of its stated primary goals, the Crested Butte Town Council is starting to look at how to shore up the funding of the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. Council members held a work session on February 18 to begin the discussion and they anticipate at least two more such work sessions to determine how to stabilize the department.

Department head Jake Jones gave the council some history of Parks and Rec and also outlined the financial challenges of running a growing department without significant funding increases. He utilized a lot of the information compiled four years ago for the town’s Parks and Rec Master Plan.
“We have seen a lot of growth in the last five years,” he said. “Rainbow Park was added in 2008. The master plan was released in 2010. The roof over the rink was done two years ago. We have seen huge growth in the programs as well. Soccer participation has doubled in that time period. Fees don’t offset the costs of the programs. From 2012 to 2013, there was a 170 percent increase in wedding-related events. That’s huge. But our staffing is essentially the same and the budget to maintain the facilities hasn’t changed much.”
Jones acknowledged that the town is the primary park provider for the Upper East River Valley. “People love the parks and they are used heavily,” he said. “The use generally follows the demographics of the valley. Forty percent of the users live in town, while 60 percent live outside the town. But the revenue to support the activities is generated in town primarily through the real estate transfer tax (RETT). And that can fluctuate.”
Jones said the “meat of the discussion” comes down to the council addressing a few questions: Does the town desire to keep up with the continued growth in the Parks and Recreation Department? If so, what sacrifices will have to be made to ensure that existing park amenities are well cared for? Who should be involved in paying for the ongoing care of existing amenities and acquisition of new amenities?
Everyone admitted that given the size of the community, a new swimming pool and recreation center couldn’t be accomplished by the town on its own.
Councilperson Chris Ladoulis asked what was driving the growth in programs, and Jones said it appeared to be an influx of new families. “The school has seen huge growth in its Crested Butte numbers. More families are moving here and that impacts us.
“The area is also becoming a successful destination wedding location,” he added. “There is huge growth in that area for us.”
Mayor Aaron Huckstep noted that the town relies on grants to improve and maintain facilities and grants are not always reliable. “We have challenges. The hockey locker rooms and Nordic space is a big one. The skate park and tennis courts need a lot of work. These are all expensive projects and you never know when you can get a grant. We aren’t in a great spot. The department is funded primarily through the general capital fund and if we spend a lot of money for say the skate park, it puts stress on the other town departments.”
“I would like to see that if we increase the spending in the department by another $100,000 or $200,000 or $300,000 what that will get us,” said Councilman Jim Schmidt.
“If we are running out of space, perhaps the growth curve is naturally going to flatten out,” pointed out Ladoulis. “But what is the quantitative situation?”
“Just maintaining our current facilities has us on the bubble,” said Jones. “Replacing amenities at the end of their life, like the tennis courts and skate park, could cost $100,000 for each. The price tags are quite high.”
“Just maintaining the status quo is a big funding issue,” said Town Manager Todd Crossett. “The do-nothing approach means service will have to start ramping down. At the next meeting, we’ll look at the potential options in that area as well as look at other funding options.”
“The parks in town are one of the best things to have evolved over the years,” said Schmidt.
“If space is limited, maybe we need to look at the footprint outside the town boundaries,” said Ladoulis.
Jones said there were only a few open acres of potential development left in town and the department has utilized facilities in Crested Butte South, such as its ice rink and soccer field.
“When we start asking a price for some of this, then some of the ‘desire’ seen in the master plan will probably go away,” said Councilperson Glenn Michel.
“Ultimately it will be up to the community to decide what they want to do,” said Crossett.
“Philosophically and practically, what works in other places,” asked Ladoulis. “Sales tax? Real estate transfer taxes? Higher user fees? Can you come up with some examples in other communities?”
“I have several options that we can discuss at the next meeting,” responded Jones.
“There’s no silver bullet,” emphasized Crossett. “You need to weigh the options. Ultimately, any option needs to have community support.”
The council will tackle the next part of the discussion at a work session scheduled for March 3.