Council to rule on parks

The first step to possibly improving city parks and park facilities was taken Tuesday as the City Board of Park Commissioners met to discuss bonding capital fund projects.\nMayor John Fernandez has proposed that about $6 million in new bond proceeds be combined with grants to fund several major parks projects. The list of capital improvements to be financed by the bond includes a complete re-design and renovation for the Miller Showes park, Bryan Park pool improvements, renovation of Cascades park, re-design of the aquatic facility at Mills pool and partial funding for a skateboard park.\nThe city's annual budget cannot allot such funds because the yearly budget doesn't have enough money.\n"These projects are investments over five years," said Mick Renneisen, director of parks and recreation. "They have been long standing projects. They have surpassed our annual capital funding process."\nThe city plans to retire a 1988 city parks bond issue scheduled to expire in 2003 and restructure other existing debt so the new bond can be issued without raising the city property tax rate for debt service. \nThe bond to expand the Cascades Golf Course is being paid with golf fee revenues and is not affected by the proposal, according to a statement.\n"Investments in amenities such as our parks are important to the preservation and enhancement of our community character. Perhaps more than any other city enterprise, our parks contribute to our sense of place and our quality of life. They are clearly a community priority," Fernandez said in a statement.