PenMet parks adopts $7.5 million budget; Rec Center is biggest project in its history

The Peninsula Metropolitan Park Board adopted a $7.5 million budget last week, a figure its executive director said makes it clear that PenMet parks is “growing up.”

The 2020 budget, about 7 percent larger than the previous one, includes two of the largest capital projects since PenMet was created in 2004.

The first project is the Community Recreation Center. PenMet Parks allocated $3,146,381.76 toward the design of the rec center.

The second is Hales Pass Renovation, an historic school house owned by PenMet Parks. The board allocated $521,986.25 toward this project.

The budget approved Nov. 19 also included $100,000 for strategic planning, along with a chunk of money for consultants to aid the district with a communications, a comprehensive plan and a fee study of the district.

“All of this is focused on the idea that PenMet is growing up,” said Glenn Akramoff, the interim executive director. “Let’s look at this stuff again, some we haven’t looked at since our formation.”

Akramoff said on PenMet first needs to own the desired property, located at 2416 14th Ave Northwest, before the design can begin. He expects PenMet to own the property before the end of 2020, with the design process taking place immediately after the property is purchased.

“The bulk of the design work will be done in 2020 although it will go into 2021,” Akramoff said.

The Hales Pass schoolhouse is also an important project for the district.

“It is a great asset and the community loves it, but we know it could do so much more if it had all the new amenities in it,” Akramoff said.

The renovation project includes plumbing updates, disabled accessibility improvements, and other safety upgrades.

Elaine Sorensen, the deputy executive director and finance and human resource manager, said the increased budget was made possible by voters who approved lifting the levy lid in November of 2017.

Like other taxing districts in the state, PenMet Parks is subject to a one-percent lid, or maximum increase in annual tax levy, imposed by initiative in 2015.

At the same time, because of the growing population and the increase in requests for parks and services, operational and maintenance costs are growing at a rate of two percent a year, she said.

PenMet Parks has an approved property tax levy of 75 cents per thousand of assessed property value. The one-percent per year levy lid had reduced the effective levy rate to 56 cents per thousand.

The 2020 budget has also adds staff, specifically a recreational assistant and an intern in communications.

Since the former Boys and Girls Club building was purchased by the Peninsula School District, the budget includes extra money so the recreation department can rent facilities for events that used to be held there.

“We have around 500 basketball kids,” Sorensen said. “We need a lot of courts.”

The budget also allocated money toward maintenance.

“There were a lot of trucks dying or not running well at all,” Sorensen said. “We also purchased snow equipment. We were not prepared last February for that weather event.”

This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 12:00 AM.