Minutes 06-09-2022 Budget Work Session

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18 No Commissioners expressed opposition to budget amendment 22-23CIP-004. Chair Price reviewed budget amendment 22-23CIP-001. She said this would turn some county owned park into a mini park for a neighborhood. She said that David Stancil said it would cost around $100,000 to $120,000. Commissioner McKee said this is a lower wealth community without many amenities. He said the area is a bit of a depressed area. Commissioner Greene was curious if it had gone through a staff review. Chair Price said she spoke with the DEAPR director, David Stancil, and held a zoom meeting with the community members. Commissioner Greene said what she needed to hear is that David Stancil was on board with the plan. Chair Price said that he was and even made some suggestions on options and design for the park. Commissioner Bedford asked if the parks advisory board would have ranked that first. Chair Price said it was a request from the community and would not have gone before the parks advisory board. Commissioner Hamilton asked what the usual process is when a park of any sort is recommended. Chair Price said this is an unusual request. She said the county does not generally do mini-parks but this is recognizing that smaller communities built in the 1950s and 1960s don't have a lot of amenities. Commissioner Greene asked how the county came to own the land. David Stancil said the property came to the county's ownership in the 1980s through a tax forfeiture or a similar arrangement. He said it is currently a vacant lot. Commissioner Richards said there is a significant amount of money in the Parks' budget. She said this seems like a small amount of money they could possibly find. David Stancil said that $100,000 will not build a lot but it will create an opportunity for recreation. He said that it might include trails, a small play area, some picnic tables and benches. He said it is a 2-acre lot in the middle of a subdivision that does not have amenities. He said that it meets a need for a community that seems to have one. Commissioner McKee said that there is a similar small pocket park in Hillsborough. Commissioner Bedford said other communities do not know that this could be an option. She said that it does not seem like there has been a prioritization of funding. David Stancil said that the Parks and Recreation Council said that they will be spending the next year to review the 2014 Master Parks and Recreation Plan using the equity lens. He said there are some places like this subdivision that do not have recreation opportunities within them. He said that will likely be part of the conversation. Bonnie Hammersley said this is a county-owned parcel, and the county is only developing its own property. All of the Commissioners were in favor of budget amendment 22-23CIP-001, which would allocate $100,000 to create a small park in the Perry Hills community. Commissioner Richards reviewed amendment 22-23CIP-003. All of the Commissioners were in favor of budget amendment 22-23CIP-003, which would add $115,000 to the CIP in order to convert nine vehicles recommended for replacement to electric models, and to convert two vehicles recommended for replacement to hybrid models, as well as adding $6,000 for installation of charging stations. Commissioner Fowler said she had to leave the meeting early but indicated approval of all of the remaining amendments. Commissioner Fowler left the meeting at 9:19 p.m.