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Council approves upgrades for Pavillion Park, ballfields
2/25/2015 1:02:35 PM

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor 

It began as a presentation about lack of adequate storage, progressed into a squabble over long-range vision and culminated in a narrow decision on a funding compromise that will bring improvements to a pair of Liberty Lake greenspaces. 

While it was far from simple, City Council eventually voted 4-3 on Feb. 17 to support a budget amendment that will fund a permanent concession stand, additional storage space and an expanded women's restroom at Pavillion Park. The vote will also mean the construction of a storage facility and restrooms at the Liberty Lake Ballfields.

Council had already agreed on $245,000 for upgrades to the ballfields this year. City staff came back with a reduced amount of $136,000 for a revised version of the project. The addition of amenities at Pavillion Park brings the total expenditure to $388,000 with the money slated to come out of the city's Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) fund, reserved for capital facilities. Taking into account the previously approved $245,000, the budget amendment translates to an additional $143,000. 

The breakdown of costs at Pavillion Park includes $160,000 for the restroom, $56,000 for the concession stand and $6,000 to cover the installation of electrical outlets for events. Another $30,000 will be set aside for design procurement and contingencies. 

"Seeing what we're getting now, I'm thrilled with the planning process," said Council Member Hugh Severs, who applauded city staff for dramatically reducing the ballfield costs with a utilitarian storage shed and bringing the renovation of the Rocky Hill barn - also to be used for storage - in at $40,000 under budget. 

Others around the dais, like Council Member Odin Langford, were not as enthused.

"When the mayor introduced $85,000 just for a concession stand (at Pavillion Park) last year, there was no mention of a bathroom," he said. "Now we absolutely need a bathroom. This is great planning. I bet if we took a couple of more months, we could run it up to $1 million." 

Langford, Keith Kopelson and Bob Moore voted against the funding measure. Cris Kaminskas, Dan Dunne, Shane Brickner and Severs cast affirmative votes. 

Jennifer Camp, parks and open space superintendent, told council that lack of storage room is becoming a serious issue with the main space at City Hall now overflowing. The addition of the ballfields and Town Square Park last year meant the city bringing on more maintenance equipment. 

Decentralizing storage by moving equipment to, or at least nearer, the respective site that requires maintenance would increase efficiency, safety and productivity, Camp said. 

"It would help to go from centralizing storage like we are now to divvying it up to the places we need it the most," she said.

Kopelson expressed concern that the proposed expenditures were not brought up during the 2015 budget planning process last year. 

"What happened in the last six months to make this a priority?" he said. "I find it frustrating. It seems like whatever direction council gives, it doesn't matter." 

Moore said it appeared the city "is in a reactionary mode rather than being proactive" while adding that "council and staff are both responsible for this situation." 

"Why don't we consider beforehand what the maintenance and facility needs are going to be?" he questioned.

City Administrator Katy Allen said there has been a pragmatic evaluation of existing storage scenarios and potential solutions.    

"I think we've done a pretty good job assessing what our needs are," Allen said. "This came about because of a combination of new facilities coming online and seeing how much more efficient and responsible we can be with the addition of the barn."

Predicting the requirement of future provisions is far from an exact science, Mayor Steve Peterson emphasized. Pointing to the example of Trailhead Golf Course and the increased utilization of the venue over the years, Peterson said "the issue here is more from a perspective of management and the allocation of funds."

"The point is we are looking ahead," he added. "The plan we came back with pretty much meets our basic storage needs."

Council receives encouraging financial report
Liberty Lake Finance Director R.J. Stevenson strides to the podium at City Hall with an air of confidence these days, and the first council meeting of February was no exception. 

Hired by the city in 2011, Stevenson arrived at a rare time of fiscal turbulence for Spokane County's easternmost jurisdiction. A year earlier, staff had raised the possibility of a $700,000 deficit going into the next budget cycle along with proposed cutbacks at the municipal library and city-owned golf course. While coping with drastic declines in sales tax revenue, the city implemented a controversial 6 percent utility tax on phone, cable, gas, electric and garbage bills in late 2010 to offset the anticipated losses.

Despite dark clouds of economic gloom, Stevenson found a silver lining in August 2011, shortly after his hire. 

"I'm enthused about the budget process," Stevenson said. "My goal is to provide a framework for what they've put in place and look at where the city wants to go financially."

Liberty Lake would gradually weather the storms of the Great Recession to see retail activity and construction return to pre-recession levels. The utility tax was eventually reduced to 3 percent across the board with funds now dedicated exclusively to street improvements.

While municipal finances may have stabilized in recent years, some on City Council expressed hope that city staff could provide a more detailed chronicling of the balance sheet. Moore, appointed to the governing board last June, brought an extensive background in banking and finance to his new role and requested that Stevenson lead the charge to gather and distribute regular updates on revenue and spending.

The latest report came on Feb. 3 as Stevenson provided a recap of December 2014 numbers, highlighted by revenue for the general fund and street budget coming in above projections at $6,736. The two funds draw income from property tax, sales tax and utility tax as well as other municipal revenue. Meanwhile, expenses from both funds registered below the projected $7,084 amount for the month at $6,534.

The December totals paralleled a trend for 2014 that featured total city revenues of $6.7 million eclipsing overall expenses of $6.5 million. The reserve fund balance now stands at $1.2 million. 

"We had an excellent year," Stevenson said. 

The numbers comprise a summation for council known as the "financial dashboard," a monthly check-in that premiered last November. The dashboard features a gauge of the latest state of the general fund and street fund that can range from the low end of "fundamental fiscal stress" requiring council action all the way up to "exceeding expectations." The city currently sits at the positive end of the spectrum. 

Sales tax revenue in 2014 was up 21 percent from the previous year, finishing at $2,582,630. Retail pillars like RVs, cars and housing drove the increase. Income from building permits weighed in at $384,703, up 8 percent from 2013, while property tax brought in $1,887,225.

Returns from the utility tax also soared in 2014. The total of $727,435 represented an upturn of just over $72,000 from 2013. Stevenson pointed to a trio of reasons for the increase, starting with a $25,000 windfall from the garbage tax the city received after Waste Management corrected a mistake in the application of the tax. A hike in natural gas rates and colder than normal temperatures also contributed to the revenue surge from the gas tax. 

Stevenson's presentation also included a look back at city projects from the past year, divided into work above and below $500,000. In the costlier category, the Liberty Lake Ballfields were completed on budget while Town Square Park came in below budget. 

A slew of remaining projects, including the shade structure and lighting at Pavillion Park, the library reading garden, roof at the library and police building, improvements to pedestrian safety and the banquet area at the Trailhead clubhouse were all completed at below the projected amount. Upgrades to the barn at Rocky Hill Park, translating into added storage, are nearly finished and on track to check in well below budget. 

"This was a report card," said Mayor Peterson after the meeting. "It shows good leadership and good stewardship of the citizens' money. Financially, Liberty Lake is doing exceptionally well. It's a ripple effect of a safe, clean and green city."

Pavillion Park Master Plan
With council mulling over the possible addition of the permanent concession stand and other amenities at Pavillion Park, the city provided a review of the master plan for the greenspace on Feb. 3. Amanda Tainio, planning and building services manager, led a presentation that included input from Mike Terrell, a Liberty Lake-based landscape architect who worked on Pavillion Park when it rose from an obscure patch of farmland in the mid-1990s.

The first phase of the park began in 1995, spurred by community advocates like Lud Kramer, Margaret Barnes, Jim Frank, Ross Schneidmiller and Leslie Zilka. The space where the trademark pavilion stands today was originally slated for the playground that now sits in the eastern part of the park. 

"It was the Friends of Pavillion Park saying the bowl area needs a shelter and a stage so we can have community events," Terrell said. 

While areas like the basketball court and horseshoe pits may not be utilized to the degree as tennis courts and the baseball diamond, the city received enough feedback to leave both in place when planning for the Air Force installment of the Fallen Heroes Circuit Course last year. 

Tainio said around 90 percent of the park is now built out, with the exception of a ruddy dogleg portion to the south. There has been talk of adding a community garden to the space. Recent improvements to the park include new lighting in the parking lot and along walkways, irrigation upgrades, landscaping features and replacement of the shade sails on the pavilion. 

"If done right, you can add a few more amenities," Tainio said.

• • • 

IN THE BOOKS, ON THE DOCKET
A look back and ahead at news from City Hall

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor

In the Books (February)
• Council heard a preliminary report on the idea of a community aquatic facility from Michelle Griffin, parks and recreation coordinator, and Amanda Tainio, planning and building services manager. The Town Square Park site was presented as the most feasible property for the pool while costs - a 12,000-square-foot venue runs an average of $3 million - were also discussed. The city is hoping to finalize the type of facility, location, master plan and grant possibilities this year. "We're looking at what kind of facility we want, how much we should spend and how do we pay for it," City Administrator Katy Allen said.

• Kevin Schneidmiller of Greenstone Homes presented an update on construction in the River District, the city's burgeoning northside development. Council unanimously approved a resolution that will utilize funds from the Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) to cover improvements in the area this year, such as the extension of Indiana Avenue east of Harvard Road and the addition of a new road (Wellington) east of Harvard, a new sewer lift station and other infrastructure upgrades. "I think it's important that Greenstone and the city continue to collaborate and communicate about these spaces because, at the end of the day, we all want to make it right," Schneidmiller said.

• Travis Montgomery of the Liberty Lake Municipal Library was selected as a presenter for the state library information technology training program.

• Council unanimously approved an ordinance that prohibits minors in consumption of marijuana connected to statewide Initiative 502 that took effect last year. The ordinance adds clarification to an existing law that prohibited minors in possession of marijuana. Police Chief Brian Asmus said the city's stance is being looked at as a standard by a number of other jurisdictions in Washington.  

• Council held a special meeting on Feb. 24 to review the municipal comprehensive plan. The gathering at City Hall featured an open house format with information on the plan's priorities and a review of the public participation process.

• Council voted unanimously to award the bid for equipment installation at the next Fallen Heroes Circuit Course to Wm. Winkler Co. in the amount of $73,688.36. The approval included a $1,300 contingency to be managed by staff.

• Ann Swenson, longtime city clerk, was named City Clerk of the Month for Washington state. 

• The city learned the Henry Road/I-90 interchange project, estimated at $26.5 million, has made the first round of cuts on the House Transportation Bill under consideration in during the current legislative session in Olympia. 

• Council voted to award a contract with Western Display Fireworks Ltd. for the city's July 4 celebration and authorized Peterson to sign an agreement for the festivities. Allen said the city was working with Denise Coyle, organizer of the established Independence Day fireworks display at the lake, to minimize conflict between the two events. (See separate story here.)

On the Docket (March) 
• The city will hold a workshop on the sign code at its March 3 meeting. Council has until April 1 to initiate the amendment process in the comprehensive plan to include proposed changes to the code, such as electronic changeable signs along I-90 as well as thoroughfares like Country Vista and Appleway. Similar signage operated by the city to promote community events has also been proposed along with a clarification of wall sign standards.

• Looking ahead to the spring, the city has announced a bulky waste cleanup event to be held Saturday, May 16, at Town Square Park. Sponsored by Waste Management, the day will include collection of collection of disposed appliances, mattresses and other large items.  

• Council will hear a presentation from city staff on the rotation schedule for municipal non-public safety vehicles at its March 3 meeting.

• A first read ordinance on interim zoning text amendment for mobile food vendors is scheduled for March 3, with Tainio making a presentation on the topic. There has been talk of allowing vendors to operate beyond the current zoning of special events. A public hearing and second read ordinance on the proposed amendment is part of the March 17 agenda. 

• Waste Management Inc., which was awarded Liberty Lake's waste collection contract last year, will provide an update on its commitment to provide a $5,000 community donation as part of its agreement with the city. 

• Council has voted to cancel its regularly scheduled April 7 meeting due to heavy agendas in March and spring break.

• Council will participate in a workshop discussion on the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Plan update on March 17. A first reading on adoption of the document is also on the agenda.

• Tainio will conduct a workshop on the Rocky Hill Park Master Plan on March 17.    


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