The combination of increased public demand for programs and services and reduced funding requires a long-term, sustainable solution that will enable Seattle Parks and Recreation to pay for facilities in order to continue to contribute to the strength and vibrancy of our community.  Parks absorbed a $10 million budget reduction in 2011, and new revenue sources are severely limited due to legal caps.

The Seattle City Council tasked (“SLI”) the City Council and Seattle Parks and Recreation with engaging in a city-wide, in-depth dialogue about its community centers, and how to continue to deliver the programs and services citizens expect and cherish in the face of staggering budget cuts.

This SLI is aimed at reducing Parks’ dependence on the General Fund while supporting new funding strategies for the future.  The current recommendation will result in an immediate impact to the community in the form of a reduction and elimination of Parks services, as well the loss of Parks jobs.

Specifically, it was announced that Parks will:

• Create five geographical service areas, each with five community centers in it. Based on the condition of the building and the cost of maintaining it, past use of the building for drop-in use, paid use, and rentals, and the number of patrons served by scholarships, each will be assigned a service level: 1, 2a, or 2b.  This includes the heavily used downtown areas around Pike Place Market.
• Raise the number of hours for Service Level 1 centers and adjust them upward or downward for Service Level 2a and 2b centers.
• Eliminate approximately 13 full-time equivalent (“FTE”) jobs to save ~$1.25 million and will affect 75 employees with cuts in their working hours.
• Hold public meetings later this year to determine what programming the communities within each service area would like to see at their centers.

While budget cuts are inevitable in this economy, the impact to Parks and Recreation is especially critical because so many families who are already struggling rely on the Parks for a variety of social services at little to no cost.  These services range from childcare and youth programs (e.g. before and after school programs) to senior assistance programs.

Many of these programs will be cut, or operational hours will be reduced, creating additional burdens on the City’s social services (police, human services, etc.). Now that students are back to school and the winter months are approaching, the demand for these services will only grow.  The linked Parks fact sheet provides an overview of the Parks’ footprint in our city and its impact on Seattle’s jobs, income and quality of life.

Lower Woodland Park

Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Green Lake community and sportsfield users are celebrating the renovated Lower Woodland Park fields #2 & #7 on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 9 – 11 a.m. The event will include a special soccer clinic and games hosted by current Major League Soccer players and professional trainers, and a ribbon cutting ceremony. The fields’ inauguration is co-sponsored by Seattle Youth Soccer Association and Woodland Soccer Club.

The fields now have new green synthetic turf with markings for lacrosse, Ultimate Frisbee and soccer. As one of Mayor Nickels Seattle Jobs Forward projects, these two fields were planned, designed and constructed in less than one year.

“The local sports communities, and especially our youth soccer association, have been working hard for many years to get these fields renovated and into great playing condition,” said Ed D’Alessandro, Executive Director of Seattle Youth Soccer Association. “We are happy with the quick construction time and excited to have them back in play.”
The Seattle voters approved the Parks and Green Spaces Levy in November 2008 and this Levy provided the funding for the renovation. The original Olmsted design included playfields that have been a vital part of Woodland Park throughout its history.

For more information, please contact Parks Project Manager Ted Holden at (206) 684-7201; e-mail ted.holden@seattle.gov.

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