This discussion item is a continuance from the discussion occurring at the April 12, 2017 Commission meeting.

Included also in your packet is the draft 2018-2022 Park Improvement Fund Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that was reviewed during the April meeting. As a reminder, the city annually includes a five year CIP within the approved annual budget. A five year CIP will also be required to be included in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan update. 

The draft CIP shows the city's two newest parks, Marigold Park and Prairie Pines Park, being developed in 2019 rather than in 2018, which is a year later than what was discussed during the master planning process for both parks.  The reason for completing the improvements in 2019 rather than in 2018, is to allow an opportunity for the Park Improvement Fund (PIF) to build a balance.  This would then provide enough funding to be in place for improvements identified in the CIP to be completed in 2019.  It is unlikely there will be enough funds in 2018 for these two parks to be developed.  If dedicated funding is not put in place in 2018, then development of these two parks will likely continue to be delayed until there is sufficient funding in the PIF to cover the improvement costs shown in the CIP.

The CIP also follows the schedule of improvements shown in the long term financial plan of the PIF. The CIP currently shows, which is consistent with what is shown in the long term financial plan of the PIF, there are no park improvements planned in 2018, 2021, and 2022, which is purposeful to allow the balance in the PIF to grow.  It also so happens to be years in which no parks fall in the 20 year schedule to have improvements completed.  Please note this is only a draft.  Nothing to this point has been approved.

Because the process to begin to prepare the 2018 and 2019 requested budgets will occur shortly, the commission should discuss the park improvement project schedule shown in the 5 year CIP plan, and then make a formal recommendation to the City Council approving a final 2018-2022 CIP for the PIF.