City set to kick in its share of NKREC funding

Published 2:00 pm Saturday, November 25, 2006

POULSBO — The Poulsbo City Council finally appears financially committed to the North Kitsap Regional Events Center, or at least its first phase.

At its Nov. 15 meeting, the council’s finance/administration committee affirmed its recommendation that the $300,000 requested by the Kitsap Public Facilities District to fund the center be split into separate $150,000 donations in the city’s 2007 and 2008 budgets.

“It seems to me this is exactly what we need to have to be able to swallow this pill,” said Councilman Dale Rudolph. “We have to put in our share or it goes somewhere else.”

Kitsap County has already committed its $300,000 to the project and the North Kitsap School District is donating $150,000 in addition to the project’s property, so the city must do its part to guarantee the first phase moves forward, Rudolph said.

While agreeing with Rudolph to fund the first phase of the NKREC, Councilwoman Connie Lord stated that the PFD needs to seek alternative stable funding sources if it hopes to push the $30 million project to completion over the next 20 years.

“I want to make it clear to the PFD that we are only committed to funding Phase I,” Lord said.

Finance Director Nanci Lien concurred noting that at some point in the future, the PFD will probably ask the city for additional financial support since the council has agreed to be a partner in the project.

One solution to meet the center’s long-term funding needs might be the creation of a metropolitan parks district, Lord said.

The taxing district, she said, would lessen the financial burden for the city, county and school district, all of which are facing fiscal challenges.

“At some point, someone is going to have to round up the rest of the North End and see if they want a parks district,” Lord said.

Rudolph agreed that a parks district could be the answer, since it is highly unlikely the city will be able to fund 20 percent of the entire project costs.

“If they want to ask for $30 million, they better come up with a metro parks district or don’t waste your breath,” he said.

Without a parks district to support the center’s operations and maintenance costs, the city will be in a position to deny any future funding requests, he said.

But in order for the parks district to become a reality, someone other than the city or county must lead the effort, he said.

“To get a metro parks district would take a champion, and right now there’s no champion,” Rudolph said.