Summary of April 16 board of directors meeting
April 17, 2024
At the April 16 meeting, the board of directors approved fiscal policies, and a design services contract for the future home of Park Services. A video recording is available. Director Cary Schneider was sworn in to begin the meeting. He will complete the term of service through June 30, 2025.
Budget committee appointment
With Cary Schneider’s appointment to the board of directors, he vacates a spot on the budget committee. The budget committee consists of five members, appointed by the board. Applications were accepted for two weeks, resulting in three applications for consideration. Abigail Schneider was appointed to the budget committee unanimously.
Future Park Services Complex
The board approved a professional design services contract for a future Park Services Complex. The district has executed a purchase and sale agreement (PSA) with the City of Bend for the purchase of their existing utility shop on Boyd Acres Rd. The complex is located on 5.08 acres and is comprised of four buildings that house office, shop and warehouse space. The existing Park Services facilities were built in the 1980s on a sloped site and sized to accommodate support services of the district at that time. It no longer adequately meets the needs of the staff or the size of the community being served.
The agreement allows the city to occupy the facility until their new facility is completed. However, planning and design for tenant improvements need to be timed accordingly with the anticipated vacancy of the city at the end of year 2025, so that work is ready to commence at their departure.
Fiscal policies
These policies are adopted by the Board of Directors as the basic framework for overall financial management of the district, to guide long-range financial planning and decision making, and to achieve financial objectives. The revisions included:
- Combining Board policies and administrative policies to have all our financial policies in one set of policies
- Updating of terms and acronyms regarding the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report throughout the policies
- Section 4 Fund Balance and Reserve Policy was updated to align with Resolution 2023-04, adopted May 5, 2023 that set the fund balance policy to align with best practices and a risk based approached
- Section 14 Capital Asset Policy the capitalization threshold moving from $5,000 to $10,000, this is due to inflation and changes in best practices Business Session Item 3 20
- Section 15 Grants Policy was updated to better address federal awards and to give better guidance regarding the application and administration of grants
System development charges
The district’s annual system development charges (SDCs) fee schedule adjustment becomes effective on July 1 of each year, corresponding with the district’s budget cycle. When the board adopted the new park SDC methodology in 2019, the methodology included data that enables the district to charge SDC fees for single-family and multi-family residential units by tiers and/or average rates.
In 2022, the City of Bend began a project to update the city’s SDC methodologies and associated projects lists and fee schedules, as well as their Municipal Code. The city met with district staff regarding the district’s park SDCs and possible areas of alignment for consistency of billing and for ease of SDC payers. Staff recommended changes to the annual fee index to align BPRD’s single-family tiers to match the city’s tiers that will aid in their billing and be consistent for developers. The index will be considered for adoption at the May 7 meeting.
Volunteer service update
Kim Johnson, community engagement supervisor, provided a review of volunteer service over the past year and the current opportunities for engagement. She also highlighted a few of the great people who volunteer and share how their support makes a difference for patrons, staff and our community. In 2023, more than 1,247 volunteers contributed time, effort and expertise, providing over 44,949 hours of valuable service to the district and our community. The service hours contributed are the equivalent of 22 full time employees (FTE).
The next meeting is a budget tour on April 26.