Parks board reviews past performance; defends need for tax

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

The city's parks and recreation sales tax will expire in December and Mike Turnbull, parks board president, told the board during Wednesday's meeting that the department has almost finished the projects that were promised on the 1999 ballot.

Turnbull said workers are still "on target" to finish all of the projects by the end of this year.

"We have pretty well completed all but a couple of items that will be completed this year," Turnbull said.

There will be about $107,000 of sales tax revenues available to finish up the six-year program.

Another $50,000 that came from the sales tax was used to purchase the building where Loretta's Attic was located.

Loretta's Attic has recently purchased a new building and is moving, planning to open its doors at its new location at 615 E. Cherry in Nevada on Tuesday.

When the city purchased the property for the new senior center, the owner was unwilling to sell only the needed property, but also required the city to buy the remainder of the block along the north side of Hunter Street for $50,000 and allow Loretta's Attic to stay until they could find another location.

The city has the option of selling the property and using the money on the current community center or locating a new facility on that property.

That decision will come in the next couple of months after a feasibility study is done and voters decide if they want to extend the existing sales tax for another nine years.

The only major item left to be tackled is a large enclosed shelter house to be located in one of the city parks, Turnbull said.

Nevada city manager Craig Hubler said Thursday that he thinks a shelter house could cost about $60,000; however, the actual cost will depend on a number of factors -- including where it is located and whether it can use existing water and sewer connections or will require new services.

Carol Branham, parks and recreation director, told the parks board that so far the city has completed work on the new senior center, restoration of Radio Springs Park, improvements to Walton Pool, upgrades to playground equipment in parks, remodeling of the restroom at Walton Park to comply with ADA standards and to make the facility useable year-round and construction of the skate park. The skate park was funded by $39,000 from 3M payments made to the city in lieu of property tax payments as well as sales tax revenues.

The skate park fulfills the requirement for youth field enhancements promised on the 1999 ballot.

Branham said that workers have done some work at the golf course, installed an underground irrigation system at the football field at Twin Lakes and are in the process of developing a junior golf course.

In addition to these projects, Branham said Thursday afternoon that the city has made improvements at the Community Center.

The Channel 3 equipment has been upgraded, a new coffee maker was added, new tables were purchased for the meeting rooms and new tables and chairs were purchased for the activity room.

Normal maintenance was performed on the roof and on the building's heating and air conditioning system.