Public Priorities and the Parks Budget meeting tonight
Sorry about the short notice on this one. There is a meeting tonight:
Community Budget Information Meeting to discuss the FY 2010-2011 parks budget. I asked if we should show up to talk about our priorities and they said no.
I have heard otherwise. Here are some talking points:
• Thank Commissioner Fish and Parks Director Zari Santner for their commitment to serving Portland’s youth through the development of public skateboard parks,
• Gently reminding them community need is far from met.
• Portland’s skaters understand the economic downturn means resources are not immediately available for skatepark development as they were in 2006 and 2007. As a result,
• Skaters understand the pace of skatepark development has needed to slow. But,
• We look forward to supporting passage of the Parks levy intended for 2010, which will include dollars for the Steel Bridge project as well as skatespots.
Details after the jump.
It is not clear if this is the right place for a bunch of skateboarders to show up to advocate for skateparks to be included in the proposed parks levy but we know what our budget priorities are.
Public Priorities and the Parks Budget: Community Budget Information Meeting
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on November 30 to discuss fiscal year 2010-11 budget. Benson High School, 546 NE 12th Avenue.
Community Budget Information Meeting on the Portland Parks & Recreation budget process for fiscal year 2010-11
The public is invited to join Parks Commissioner Nick Fish, PP&R Director Zari Santner, and senior PP&R managers in a discussion of the budget process
As Portland Parks & Recreation starts the budget planning process for fiscal year 2010-11, the City of Portland continues to face uncertainties from the ongoing financial crisis, including reduced state and federal funding and reduced General Fund discretionary dollars.
As with the development of the current year’s budget, the City will take a conservative approach in preparing next year’s bureau budgets.
What does that mean for Parks? It is likely, given the financial climate, PP&R will be asked to prepare reductions from ongoing operations. Last year the bureau reduced its General Fund discretionary budget by 5%, or approximately $2 million. That reduction translated into the loss of twenty positions, including three park planners, as well as increased program fees.
This year’s financial forecast could require looking at a similar level of reduction from the already reduced budget. Commissioner Fish and Director Santner are seeking the public’s input and ideas for where the bureau can identify priorities, save money through efficiencies, increase revenues, or make reductions.
Childcare is available at the meeting by calling 503.823.5113 before November 25.
Current information on the FY 2010-11 budget planning process for Portland Parks & Recreation can be found online at www.portlandonline.com/parks/budget.
So can public parks be built by the public? Could a group of local residents provide the labor to build a skatepark in their own neighborhood? Think about it. We could build a volunteer public skate park service core to put folks back to work building infrastructure in their own neighborhoods. The New Skate Park Deal.
I was thinking about this yesterday as I was watching this little kid try and skate around the perimieter of Holy Farm. She must have been around 6 or 7. Just trying to push and ride up and down the micro trannies. She doesn’t need 12′ bowl at this point. Not all skateparks have to be so grandiose. Some skaters would be happy with a smooth flatground area, a mellow bank, a ledge and some open space. (Think WL 2). All we need is the desginated areas. Save some $ and get some modest spots built that everyone can enjoy.
Thankfully, we’ve already secured the deep and steep.
check out http://www.austinskatenotes.org story on local ditch done by contractor,for skating.I think first in the country.ditch is in El passo tx .and san marco tx has starting talking about skate spots too.small spots in the neighborhoods.oshit andd check out texas new jewel lockhart tx new park .the shit.
if you guys want a good example, google Bennett Colorado & check out that park
I agree with Pete some diversity in park design and areas that are more accessable to younger folks and beginers. The big steep parks and crowded parks can be very intimidating for a young child just starting out, or even for some one older just starting out. I would definitely like to see something for them. It would be relatively easy to set aside room designated as a beginnners area in future designs.
Richs Idea of public donating the labor I like also, I brought that up at the meetings for the Gresham park and they said that due to liability reasons it had to be build by a licensed contractor. I am not sure if Portland has the same issues. They would probably have to donate the land and allow DIY to work around that issue i would think.
Little kids can still skate the big stuff, just not in such a big way. For example, If you happen to be into rails and ledges and such you probably ollie to them, but a little kid can jump to them. The kid might not hit the top of the deep end at your favorite bowl, but he can learn to carve, slide, etc. Make these parks as gnarly as possible! Little kids can still skate them. Then once they get older and better they’ll have it down. They don’t have to drop into the deep end to learn to skate. Jump down there and push! The idea of beginner areas scares me. Go ahead and make a beginner area but don’t go too beginner if you know what I’m saying. Oh, and there is never enough steep and deep!
Two words for public works projects. Prevailing Wage. City jobs are bid by it, come Tommy, you know that. If they could just call it an art project and then people could skate it, but then liability again.
we can talk all we goddamned want about elements what the parks should be composed of, but it don’t mean a damn thing without funding.
if/when the next park happens, thank Mark, Rich, and the 3 other dudes that I didn’t know who showed up to this thing.
In a room of about 30 people, there were 6 skaters. While that is a pretty good number, if half of the Portland area skaters that read this would have showed up, they would have had to turn motherfuckers away at the door – which would have made a statement.
Glad to hear there was a good representation of skaters there. If I didn’t have class around that time I would have been there.
Is that DaddyBlow in the picture? Its how I picture him. This is just inviting that idiot to push ‘his views’ on us once again. I can’t wait to read his non-sense.
Man, that’s Jack Grover. That dude has everyone all worked up.
There will be additional public meetings. I made some good contacts. The meeting was about what they’ll need to cut next year (before the next Parks bond/levy). Thanks to all the skaters who showed up, they noticed. I hope they use our suggestions.
EGhost – that is a mirror you are looking in. Skaters are the poopy diaper cry babies. I am an adult.
Thanks for this topic. I am starting some work of my own to establish a Portland-like skatepark advocacy committee within the Metro Nashville government. I don
Conahan seems like a reasonable person to take this on.
as far as dontating labor goes, it’s going to be a city by city basis. and yea, maybe a licenced contractor needs to be the forman or something. i’m currently part of a ragtag crew donating labor to ad on to the Kettle Falls WA park. we have the steep and deep gnarly bowl, and a vacant lot set aside for more park when the city came up with cash. the ciy came up with a few thousand $ that needs to be spent by the end of the year.
my friend William Emfinger is a licenced concrete contractor (he used to work for grindline) both he and I told the city when they had cash we’d donate labor just to get it done. so thats whats happening.
I don’t think every park should be built this way, but it’s sort of refreshing that there is no real plan or design, no voting or bickering. we are just winging it. kids who show up to skate are pitching in and helping when they can.
so we have a licenced contractor working for free, but alot of the laborors don’t have drivers licences yet! skatewise it’s not going to be anything too special, sort of basic. what is special is the economics of it.
Sorry Jack, didn’t mean to insult you. I was just wondering if it was…………
I live in Michigan, in a very pro-union environment, but didn’t have any problems with the so-called thugs the daddy thing refers to. Our city wanted us to raise $ for our park so we did…when they chose a designer I didn’t like(Zach Wormhoudt), I addressed our city council and invited Mr. W to a public discussion on skatepark design. He declined and we proceeded to push for the recognition of Team Pain as a “sole source provider”, meaning that we wanted specific custom work that only they could provide. That’s how we got around the rules favoring local unqualified firms who were trying to insist the job be put out for bid. Later a small city nearby awarded a contract to one of the aforementioned local firms, and I got a chance to attend a special meeting of their city council with the ad hoc committee whose skater members had questioned that company’s qualifications. I, along with one other experienced older skater, accused reps of that firm of “taking public funds to practice building skateparks” when there was a highly qualified group still in town finishing our park. Local firm’s owner came to my town to watch Team Pain finish our park, and very righteously admitted his guys couldn’t do that work, and sub-contracted the crucial parts of the job to Team Pain… this is the short version of a long story, but the point is there are LOTS of different ways it can happen. Be stubborn, keep trying all avenues…Oh, Pepsi gave us $100,000 in return for letting them place five vending machines on the site for five years, and that’s how we got half of the money we raised.
Are people out there really running out of spots to skate? I travel 45-120 minutes out of my way to get to my “home park” that I’m stoked I have to skate. The best park in MN is closed 4-6 months of the year because of snow. How many of these communities have a budget surplus? I will never be a part trying to get the government to spend money it doesn’t have. Is the logic that these kids you claim to help are the ones stuck with the bill in the long run so who cares?
With all due respect.
DA
More reasons why I’m bombing hills by myself these days, skating the curbs up the street, and rolling around in the pouring rain. I’m exhausted by the thought of design-debates, skate-politics, crowds, funding, other people…
The truth is, I don’t care who builds what, where, or why. I’ll skate it in my own time, form my own opinions, and that’ll be that.
Hat’s off to those of you with the energy to keep wading through the process, and keep pushing for better builds, and more of them. It looks pretty thankless, so thank you again.