Kevin Atkins asks Julie Ryan…

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Paying for Parks and Recreation

Appreciate your answer to HCSD taking on Parks and Recreation powers. How would you propose these additional powers be paid for…increased taxes?

— Kevin Atkins

Response

Julie Ryan

Hello Kevin, 

Thank you for your question. Budgeting is an important piece of running any organization that serves the community.  As someone who has worked in the non-profit sector, I have observed that a diversity of funding sources is necessary to keep programs going. I would not tax HCSD ratepayers, especially at a time when so many are impacted by the high costs of food and fuel. As a social service provider, I work directly with families living paycheck to paycheck and seniors living pension check to pension check and see that there are many hardworking people who need a break. 

In order to take on a new project like parks and recreation powers, I would get a team together and do research in order to make thoughtful decisions.  Land, permits, actual park infrastructure, and living wages for workers do cost money. Preliminary research demonstrates that there are grant funds available for parks. I also know that our community is generous when it comes to youth and children, so I suspect there is at least one well-heeled property owner out there who would like to donate a little plot of land for a park.  

I want to  leverage assets in order to keep costs of utilities down and free up HCSD funds. There are grant funding opportunities, Build Back Better etc, to do infrastructure improvements like  solar microgrids to offset the cost - and dependence on PG&E -  to power the streetlights and provide backup power during disasters and emergencies. 

It takes  a variety of skill sets and elbow grease to make things - like parks- happen. I know from my experience that our community has plenty of each!