Nov. 17 Board of Directors summary
November 18, 2020
At its Nov. 17 meeting, the BPRD board of directors discussed affordable housing and system development charges, and approved a contract change for an upcoming Juniper pool renovation project. A recording of the meeting is here.
System development charges or SDCs are the main source of funding for the development of parks, trails and recreation facilities to serve growth. They support the district’s goals of maintaining the same level of service as population increases and to assure the benefit of having parks that past generations have enjoyed. Since 2003, SDCs have partially or fully funded 27 neighborhood parks, 15 community parks, expansions at Shevlin Park, Riley Ranch Nature Reserve and miles of trails.
Maintaining level of service as the community grows is important to district residents. Recent statistically valid surveys, done as part of the comprehensive plan update, indicate that Bend’s park system is highly valued by the community with 61% of respondents indicating they use district facilities or trails at least several times per week and 17% of respondents indicated their household uses the facilities once per week. Only 1% of respondents indicated they never use district facilities.
Over the next couple of months, staff are bringing information to the board about the district’s SDC program for review and discussion. These discussions are prompted by a request by the city of Bend that the district lift the 400-unit cap on the district’s adopted SDC waiver program for affordable housing projects.
During the Nov. 17 meeting, staff provided information about the history of park SDCs; how SDCs fit into the district’s overall funding for services and programs; how the district supports equitable and affordable access to a desirable quality of life; and a review of the 2019 new ordinance and methodology.
As part of BPRD’s SDC program update in 2019, the board approved a pilot program that allows for the waiver of SDCs for up to 400 units of eligible affordable housing developments. To date, the district has approved 380 waivers, nearly two years ahead of the scheduled sunset date. The value of these waivers is about $2.3 million dollars, which is roughly equivalent to the acquisition and development of a 4-acre neighborhood park.
At the next meeting on Dec. 1, City of Bend staff have been invited to share information about the city’s affordable housing program. Following this presentation and based on the board’s discussion and feedback, staff will prepare options for the board to consider in response to the city’s request.
In the business session, the board of directors approved a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for construction fees associated with a pool tank renovation project at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center.
Juniper’s indoor 25-meter pool and small children’s pool turned 40 years old in 2018. As one of the most heavily used assets in the district, the reliability and performance of the pools are critical to serving community need. The project includes renovating and resurfacing the indoor pool tanks, replacing the current deck to meet ADA standards, and upgrading the pool mechanical systems. The renovation will require a five-month closure of both indoor pools.
“This pool renovation is yet another incremental improvement to a centrally located staple of our park and recreation district,” said Nathan Hovekamp, board chair. “I’m pleased to see us taking care of it.”
The next meeting is Dec. 1.