Board summary for Jan. 2 meeting
January 3, 2024
The BPRD board of directors started the New Year with a look back at the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and approval of the design for the future Manzanita Ridge Park. A video recording is available.
Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
The annual report is required by state law for all municipal corporations and must be independently audited by Certified Public Accountants licensed by the Oregon State Board of Accountancy to perform audits of municipal corporations. BPRD has received an unmodified or “clean” audit opinion for fiscal year 2023 (and for all years prior since the district’s first audit for fiscal year 1976-77).
Manzanita Ridge Park
Manzanita Ridge Park is a 3.5-acre future neighborhood park for residents within the new Shevlin West development and to its surrounding residents. Following public outreach and input gathering, BPRD staff shared a park design concept that was approved unanimously by the board of directors.
The park design is an enhanced nature trail experience with amenities. The main activity in this park is exploring along trails that highlight the natural beauty of the site. A few concentrated areas are designed to focus play, activity, picnics, and small neighborhood gatherings, while a turf area provides flexible space for gathering or a pickup game of soccer. The park is estimated to be completed in fall 2025.
Community Needs Survey
The district recently concluded its Community Needs Assessment survey (starting on page 7), a reoccurring effort completed about every five years to measure the need for parks and recreation services and establish service priorities. The survey also asked questions related to community issues and funding priorities.
Highlights include:
- Trails, including both natural and paved types, are the most utilized recreational facilities, with over 90% of the Invite sample engaging with them in the past year.
- Respondents frequently use BPRD parks, recreation facilities, and trails, with about half of both samples visiting several times per week.
- Indoor exercise facilities are identified as the most needed recreation facility by respondents from both samples, followed by fitness centers/weight rooms and recreation/leisure pools.
- The top three community priorities for both samples include maintaining parks and facilities, conserving natural areas along the Deschutes River, and developing parks and trails in underserved areas.
Staff will use the data from the statistically valid survey to conduct the needs/unmet needs analysis and develop an updated capital project list by March.
Levels of Service
The district’s 2018 comprehensive plan identifies level of service targets for three types of park facilities:
- Neighborhood and Community Parks: 7.85 acres per 1,000 residents
- Regional Parks: 10 acres per 1,000 residents
- Trails: 1 mile per 1,000 residents
BPRD staff provided updates on current metrics toward these goals. There are 1,140 acres of regional parks, 797 acres of community and neighborhood parks, and 97 miles of primary trails. Regional parks exceed targets while neighborhood and community parks and trails are close to meeting goals.
The district also works to provide a park within a ½ mile walking distance to as many residents as possible. An estimated 63% of residents live within a park walkshed according to analysis.
Sawyer Park project
BPRD’s Bronwen Mastro, landscape architect and project manager, shared an update on the update project for Sawyer Park. She explained proposed adjustments to the design to mitigate impacts as a result of a cultural resources survey.
The survey resulted in expansion of the archeological site boundary and determined that the project design needed to be adjusted to avoid disturbing cultural resources. The final Cultural Resources Survey Report has been submitted to the National Park Service who will lead ongoing coordination and communication with Oregon State Historic Preservation Office and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to ensure the project approach will be satisfactory to all stakeholders. The project timeline aims to be completed by the end of 2025.
The next board meeting is Jan. 16.