But wait! there’s more!
Special OISD Board Meeting Monday, June 30 at 3 p.m. in the High School Commons
— by Margie Doyle —
A 3-to-2 vote in favor of signing an interlocal agreement with the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District (OIPRD) appears to have sealed the long-delayed transfer of Buck Park from the Orcas Island School District (OISD) to the Park and Rec District.
At the June 26 regular OISD Board meeting, Chair Scott Lancaster said he’d delayed the decision from last month’s school board meeting in order to give new board member Greg White a chance to familiarize himself with the transfer.
White said that after some study, his opinion was that, “in the school district’s version, the reversionary clause was in the quit claim deed; in the park and rec version, the reversionary clause is in the interlocal agreement which is made subject to by the quit claim deed. In my opinion the power of the clause is equally valid, the only difference being that the inter local agreement may be modified by the agreement of both boards. I see the ability to modify the agreement as a benefit because the needs of the school may change over time, or the document may need clarification. The only way the agreement can be modified is if both boards agree”
White also said that “We must trust the future school board to act in the interest of the needs of the future school.whether they signed the quit claim deed that the school board was willing to sign, or the interlocal agreement that the park and rec board offered instead, the ability to change the school’s ‘priority’ use of the park was the same in both agreements through a reversion clause, which takes effect only if both parties to the interlocal agreement approve a change.”
OISD Board members Lancaster and Tony Ghazel, however, felt the sticking point was that the historic priority use of the school district for the Buck Park fields and facilities must be preserved by signing the quit claim deed, as advised by the School District’s attorney. Lancaster said, “Our job is to watch out for the district’s long term protection and priority use.”
Board member Janet Brownell said that the two boards had come to a stalemate, and that it was in the best interests of all parties to move forward: “I feel as a school board, we’re protected in the interlocal agreement.”
Chris Sutton pointed out that in both documents, changes could be made only if both parties agreed to the change.
He surmised that 50 years down the line, the school district may not have an athletic program and the issue of priority scheduling would be moot.
Retiring Superintendent Barbara Kline suggested that the board table the discussion until its July meeting, as that would give new Superintendent Eric Webb a chance to familiarize himself with the debate. However, Brownell declined to withdraw her motion to approve signing the interlocal agreement.
Before the vote, Brownell suggested that the Park and Rec members, who were attending the school board meeting, be heard from. OIPRD Chair Bob Eagan said that he felt Lancaster and Ghazel misunderstood that the park transfer was a real estate negotiation, and the give and take entailed in such agreements. “It’s important to not have something in the quit claim that trumps future negotiation… How does the interlocal agreement not protect future use by the schools?” he questioned.
Eagan added, “We took care of the park when the district didn’t have the money to. ..[Park and Rec] is not going to change the way this park works after 24 years.”
In the end, Lancaster and Ghazel opposed the motion to sign the interlocal agreement, while Brownell, Sutton and White supported signing it.
Eagan said, “The community is a winner and the school is part of the community. That’s all the community does — is support the school,” he added with emphasis. After 24 years, “If park and rec didn’t support the schools, the community will tell us so, believe me!”
Update: However, because the changes to the agenda involving the Buck Park documents and a donation from OIEF were not publicly noted with 24-hours advance notice, the board has called a special meeting on Monday, June 30,at 3 p.m. in the High School Commons to:
*1.) Review and discuss Buck Park documents: Interlocal for Quit Claim Deed, Shared Use of Buck Park, Water User Agreement and WA State RCO documents.
*2.) Approve donation of $1000. from OIEF for 2 I-pads for the elementary school.
How long has this being going on ? over
a year +
This clearly shows that Park and Rec
should be in charge of Buck Park
The park transfer is a real estate transaction, and neither the School Board members nor the Park and Rec board members should have to try to figure it out themselves or proceed on feelings. Where are the lawyers?
The transfer of Buck Park from OISD to OIPRD has been 3 years in the making, and with more lawyerly input than should ever have been required. Some good; some not so good.
Many of us who use Buck Park on an almost daily basis have been eagerly awaiting this transfer so that we can finally have the security of knowing that Buck Park can be maintained and operated in the way it was originally intended. What OIPRD has done to the park in the last 2 years while they undid the previous decade of neglect inflicted upon the park by OISD has restored the park to the public park that it should, and was required by the original donors to be.
The fact that it has taken as long as it has to reach this end was unnecessary and unfortunate, but is also a testament to the OIPRD’s resolve to follow through on the directive of those who voted the district into existence. I would especially like to thank Bob Eagan for speaking honestly at the most recent meeting and accurately conveying the dismay and disappointment that many of us in the public have with the OISD’s handling of not only the transaction, but with the OISD’s treatment of the park over the last several years. It is only fitting that OISD and it’s administration dropped the ball again and failed to properly list the meeting, thus voiding the entire vote. Of course they did- why would we expect anything else.
Here’s hoping that Monday’s meeting will finally put this in the books. Bottom of the 9th… Two Outs… Lets close this out!