By Krista Bouchey
At the public meeting of the Orcas Park and Rec District (OIPRD) on Thursday, May 12, the five commissioners discussed various aspects of beginning official operations.
The commissioners discussed options for interim funding. They have considered taking a loan from Cashmere Bank, which loans to taxing districts. However, they are also actively seeking a loan from the Port of Orcas. The Port of Orcas does not have the same restrictions as Cashmere Bank, could lend at better terms, and it is potentially beneficial for both the OIRPD and the Port.
The OIPRD real estate committee is drafting a letter to be distributed to landlords in Eastsound, stating that OIRPD is looking for office space and has a specific set of criteria and goals.
The financial oversight committee sent out a letter about the Park and Rec District’s budget plans to various qualified community members. The commissioners will review the comments and discuss at next meeting. It was noted that every person who commented was in favor of the district borrowing to begin operations.
The district is pursuing a unique grant opportunity through the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to repair the Buck Park tennis courts. The grant, which is available only to Park and Rec districts, makes it possible to refurbish three of the tennis courts in Buck Park for less than what they thought they would need to spend to get only two of the courts in working order.
OIPRD will pursue this grant as long as they are able to negotiate usage or lease agreement for Buck Park from the school district; and that they receive funding from a lender.
During the public comment section, Pete Moe, Executive Director of The
Funhouse, gave a PowerPoint presentation about how The Funhouse and
OIRPD could work together over the next 12 months and then on into the future.
The presentation discussed interim management, office space, and vision for the future with the goal to create a central, efficient location for all youth and adult recreation programs.
Marian O’Brien, community member, advised the board to make a “clear paper trail” in all the decisions they are making in the coming weeks. A lot of the upcoming decisions are pending on funding for the district.
The meeting was ended with a discussion of acquiring the equipment that
belonged to Orcas Rec. The equipment is currently in the hands of the county.
Disclosure: Krista Bouchey is a member of The Funhouse staff.
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