Rising Costs in Open Space Management
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Click to read the Open Space Program Report
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Twelve years of restoration in the City's 300+ acres of open space have achieved impressive results. Invasive plant cover has been reduced by half and native conifer regeneration is reaching recommended levels after starting from almost zero. Much of this progress was made following the 2008 Parks Operations and Maintenance Levy and the concurrent recession which provided a favorable market for restoration services.
More recently, our region's economic boom has affected the restoration business and contractors are now in high demand. Not only are costs escalating, but in some cases, contractors are simply not available. The City's previous budgets allowed Parks and Recreation to maintain open space and make some additional progress. Despite the booming economy, capital funding from Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET) was stagnant for several years because the housing market was so short on supply.
In 2017, the City had to make many cuts to the capital improvement program (CIP), including open space restoration. The combination of these cuts and escalating costs in the restoration market means that open space will be losing ground this year and in future years. In response, Parks and Recreation staff have been strategic in putting available resources towards high-value and vulnerable sites. They are also evaluating ways to make the funding stretch farther, such as using more in-house crews and volunteers.
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