Torino park will take almost all of PSL's recreation cash

By HILLARY COPSEY
A $12 million regional park in Torino will take almost all the city's recreation cash for the next four years, the City Council decided Thursday.

The city included $5 million in the 2006-07 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, to design and construct a four-field softball complex on a 139-acre parcel between West Blanton Boulevard and North Torino Parkway. By 2010, the city aims to spend an additional $7 million to transform the empty land into a regional park.

"This will be the single-largest parks improvement ever undertaken in the history of the city," Parks Project Manager Brad Keen said. "There may be smaller projects that we can get done, but this will be the major thrust for the next four years."

The city typically has built parks in phases, building a section one year then waiting several years before finishing the project. Often, there simply wasn't enough money to finish things at once, Parks Director Chuck Proulx said.

But since 2003, the area's growth has provided a steady income of parks impact fees from developers and a special parks tax. That, combined with ever-increasing construction costs, makes building all at once a better option.

"We have not had good experiences piecemealing our parks," City Manager Don Cooper said. "To be frank, it tends to cost us more money overall."

Many recent parks projects have run over budget and over schedule. Unexpected building needs and increased costs delayed the Torino field complex for three years.

Now, Torino could delay for four years the construction of regional parks in the eastern and southwestern areas of the city. Cooper said the city might be able to build Torino faster by borrowing the funds.

Impact fees and parks taxes will pay for the debt, Cooper said.
But first, the City Council must approve a master plan for the park. The city plans to host public meetings to gather residents' suggestions.

With the $12 million, the city hopes to build as many as eight baseball or softball fields, several other athletic fields, a playground and walking trails. Eventually, Cooper and Keen said the city might consider building a pool or community center at the site.

TORINO POSSIBILITIES
• Eight or more softball and baseball fields.
• A rugby field.
• Soccer fields.
• Tennis courts.
• Playgrounds.
• Pavilions.
• A fishing pier.
• Walking trails.

THE BUDGET
• City Council members Thursday unanimously set a property tax rate of $4.44 per $1,000 of taxable value for next fiscal year.
• The rate is a drop of 25 cents from the current year. A homeowner with a homestead exemption and a house with an assessed value of $200,000 would pay $804 next year, a reduction of $17 from the current city tax bill.
• Public hearings to finalize the tax rate will be held at council meetings at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11 and 25 at City Hall.
• Residents also will see a $9 increase in stormwater fees and 1.5 percent increase in water and sewer rates.
• Key budget items include hiring 34 additional police officers.

OTHER RETREAT ACTION
• The City Council received an update about a new road maintenance system designed to spend paving dollars where they are needed most.
The new system analyzes the condition of each road in the city,
Public Works Director Don Freedland said. Instead of paving whole sections of the city in a rotating schedule, workers now will pave individual roads based on need.
The system, which is used in Tampa, Orlando and Lakeland, should make the most of the city's annual $2.4 million paving budget, Freedland said.
• Council members decided to consider a 2.5 percent to 5 percent increase in rental fees for parks and recreation facilities.
"If they go up, you're talking about dollars, probably," Parks Director Chuck Proulx said.
Still, an increase in operating costs and employees needed to staff the facilities makes the cost necessary, Proulx said. He asked council to consider creating a yearly increase after the initial price hike to adjust for cost-of-living.
• Communications Director Wayne Larson updated the City Council on the city's marketing plan, which includes an upcoming survey of how residents get information.
Several council members criticized PSL TV-20, the public access channel, and the Community Relations Department, pledging to nix any requests for more money until programming improved.
But City Manager Don Cooper said the city must concentrate on improving its Web site, PSL TV-20 and other communication systems to market itself to big business.