Parks Forum at Red Rocks

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Saturday, October 13, 2007

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Free refreshments and music!

Celebrate the Denver Mountain Parks Legacy!

Share your ideas for the Denver Mountain Parks and Jefferson County Open Space Master Plans!

Red Rocks Visitor Center Terrace at the Top Circle Lot

Parks will Rock at Open House Forum on October 13, 2007

Red Rocks will be the spectacular setting for an informal open house on Saturday, October 13th, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to celebrate the legacy of Denver Mountain Parks and Jefferson County Open Space. Together, Denver Mountain Parks and Jefferson County Open Space provide more than 60,000 acres of open space parks to the public. Both Denver and Jefferson County want public feedback on their master plans for park, open space and trail improvements.

Peter Wernick, “Dr. Banjo” of Hot Rize and Flexigrass Band fame, will give a free performance on the Visitor Center Terrace at the Top Circle Lot. Residents from across the Front Range are invited for the music, food, and a chance to offer their thoughts about the parks, open spaces and trails in Jefferson County.

The City and County of Denver began its 14,000-acre, historic mountain park system in 1912 after the public passed a small tax to purchase land and build roads so that all residents could “escape” the city and join tourists in the cool mountains. By 1939, Denver had built the bulk of its system, its iconic stone picnic shelters and parks in three counties: Jefferson, Douglas, and Clear Creek. It built Winter Park Ski Resort, in Grand County, in the 1940s and the Newton Group Picnic areas in the 1970s.

Today, the Denver Mountain Park system stretches from the highest city park in the U.S., Summit Lake at 12,800 feet on Mt. Evans, to the sumac and scrub oak foothills at Daniels Park near Castle Rock. It boasts Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, Evergreen Lake in Dedisse Park, and a string of popular picnic parks along Bear Creek. The current Master Plan, partially funded by Great Outdoors Colorado and expected to be completed by the end of the year, intends to take the 1912 vision into the current century, especially for recreation trends, natural resource protection and stable funding.

Jefferson County Open Space began its nationally-known open space system in 1972 with a one-half of one percent sales tax which it supplemented with a bond in the 1990s. Its over 50,000 acres of open space range from historic sites such Hiwan Homestead or Flying J Ranch to pristine tops of peaks. Known for their extensive multi-use trail system, the popular Jefferson County Open Space parks, like some Denver Mountain Parks, face heavy use.

Jefferson County citizens are known for their strong support of open space conservation and the Open Space department updates their community-drive[driven?] master plan every five years. The information and input at the Red Rocks Open House in October will be a kick-off for their current update.

Jefferson County Open Space and Denver Mountain Parks together provide a regional system of parks and open spaces for people, wildlife, and water without regard to political boundaries. The two counties work together for the preservation of these open spaces, such as the recently completed trail head on the Lariat Loop on Lookout Mountain, built by Jefferson County, that connects people to Denver’s historic Beaver Brook Trail.

For information on the two master plans or the October 13th Open House, please contact Susan Baird at Denver Parks and Recreation (720-913-0617) or Thea Rock at Jefferson County Open Space (303-271-5902) or www.denvermountainparks.org. 

Open Space 2008 Budget

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by Marilyn Mueller

Open Space’s procedure to prepare the budget on a five-year time line has proved to be a very good instrument, not only to plan for programs and capital constructions in a timely way but to stay within projected, (and later, actual) revenues. This method has been so impressive that the BCC is considering having all departments preparing their budgets with a five- year format.

REVENUES

After 6 years of an average 0.5% annual sales tax increase, revenues have increased thus far in 2007 by about 3%. The 2008 budget is based on a 2.5% increase plus a carry forward fund balance of $24.13 million. Because the revenue increase was so low in the early 2000’s, budgeting is approached very conservatively so that expenses plus debt obligations will not exceed revenues.

The accompanying table compares the actual 2006 expenditures with the 2007 budgeted expenditures and the 2008 budget. The revenue for 2007 includes: $4 million from GOCO for the Coors property on South Table Mountain; and $1.8 million received from the sale Bergen Land LLC land on the East side of C-470. The 2008 revenue includes another anticipated $1 million from GOCO.

There still is approximately $22 million remaining in unspent SOS Bond Funds, including earned interest. Up to $5 million of this is expected to be spent on acquisitions by year’s end.

The County receives around $1.26 million a year from the lottery. This money must be used for recreational type uses. For the past few years the majority of the funds have been used on the Fairgrounds and Boettcher Mansion. Open Space has been distributing $150,000 per year to recreation districts and appropriate Section 501(c)(3) organizations. Improvements to the Fairgrounds and Boettcher are almost complete and the Commissioners may assign more of these funds to Open Space.

EXPENSES

The balance of the $200 million bond funds are to be paid back over the next 14 years. For the next few years servicing the bonds will take $13.21 million per year and then will decrease.

O&M costs include, $975,000 paid to other County departments for County Attorney, Facilities and Construction, Management and Information Technology Services, Human Resources, Purchasing, Accounting, Budget, Procurement, etc.

In spite of 25,000 acres of increased open space land since 1998, only 4 additional full time employees have been added to the Park Services staff. This has been made possible by using seasonal employees and the use of many volunteers. The number of volunteers averages 700 but at times, with special projects, has gone as high as 1200.

Budgeting for Joint Venture grants to cities and recreation districts remains at $2 million. 2007, 2008, and 2009 include $600,000 each year for partnering with R-1 on installing artificial turf on reconstructed fields at six high schools. R-1 is making agreements with the appropriate cities and recreation districts to make these fields available year-around for organized public use when the school is not using them.

FUND BALANCE

At the present rate of expenditures, Open Space is spending about $3 million more per year than the revenue including grants, etc. The five-year projection shows the year end fund balance decreasing to about $13 million. The park development projects for 2008 include: Hildebrand Ranch, $1.5 million for a parking lot and improved stream crossing; White Ranch Park, $200 thousand to start a trail connection from White Ranch to Golden Gate State Park plus an improved upper entry road; Clear Creek Canyon: $750,000 for parking lots, trailhead improvements will come in later years. “(Consultants have indicated in a 2006 feasibility study that the overall project for Clear Creek Canyon would be close to $30 million, so partnerships grant opportunities and phasing of trail sections and amenities will be required.)”

The trails project for Bear Creek Canyon: budgeted at $1.26 million is shifted to start in 2009 and beyond. Consultants have indicated this is a $3.6 million project. That would need partnership and grant opportunities. Park Development is budgeted for an average of $2.0 million per year. Natural surface trails are budgeted at $250 thousand per year plus staff time.

Budget Item Actual
2006		 2007
Budget		 2008
Budget
Revenue New Revenue 34,985,751 39,929,304 34,390,328
Cities Share (10,134,419) (9,765,825) (10,009,971)
New Revenue to JCOS 24,851,332 30,163,479 24,380,357
Forward Fund Balance 29,733,649 28,934,209 25,250,000
Total Available 54,584,981 59,097,688 49,630,357
Expenditures Acquisitions 113,898 112,540
Foothills Building 239,339 258,482
Operations & Management:
  Admimistration 1,475,808 1,994,683
  Acquisitions 404,703 538,992
  Planning & Development 865,211 1,026,744
  Rangers 690,685 831,186
  Park Services 3,850,914 3,894,889
  Citizen Outreach 328,959 385,508
  Weed and Pest Control 120,268 130,600
  Hiwan Homestead 308,492 385,508
  Nature Center 484,267 526,675
Total Operations & Maintenance 8,529,307 9,656,666 9,670,000
Leases, General 10,000 60,000
Bond Service 12,938,228 13,150,000 13,140,000
Park Development 2,070,000 2,640,000 2,900,000
Hard Surface Trails
In-Park Trails (soft) 40,000 250,000 250,000
Joint Ventures 1,710,000 2,000,000 2,000,000
Carry-forward JV 5,120,000
R-1/Turf Fields 600,000 600,000
Total JCOS Expenditures 25,650,772 33,847,688 28,560,000
Designated Reserve 1,120,000 1,180,000
Carry-forward Balance 28,934,209 24,130,000 21,070,357

Note: Until the bond funds are expended, acquisitions are not included in the budget. The 2008 O&M budget is not detailed as charges from other departments, that have not been established, affect the line items. 

Joint Venture Grants

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On January 11, 2007, OSAC met to hear requests for Joint Venture Grants and Conservation Trust Fund Awards. Open Space budgets $2,000,000 each year to be used for Joint Venture grants with the cities and park and recreation districts. The Board of County Commissioners allocated $150,000 of Conservation Trust Funds (the County’s share of lottery funds) for OSAC to distribute to park and recreation districts and appropriate non-profit organizations.

2007 Joint Venture Grants include:

Arvada: $250,000 for Phase II soccer fields at Long Lake Park.

Columbine Knolls: $89,092 for pool house roof and \improvements and parking lot repairs.

Evergreen Park: $200,000 for Phase II recreation center renovation.

Foothills Parl: $330,233 for Clement Park repairs, playground replacement, and improvements to the Village Green at Easton Regional Park.

Golden: $147,250 for light at Lions Park and amenities at the new Rooney Sports Complex.

Lakewood: $400,000 for Phase I improvements to Ray Ross Park.

Normandy Estates: $20,000 for pool slide and water features.

North Jeffco: $75,000 for ADA renovations at the tennis center.

Pleasant View: $32,050 for a trail connection to the Community Park.

Prospect: $100,000 for Phase II of Crestview Park.

Westminster: $200,000 for restroom and trail at Standley Lake Park campground and trail improvements at Kensington Park.

Wheat Ridge: $116,375 for restroom and concession building at Creekside Park.

Conservation Trust Fund Awards:

Beaver Ranch Community, Inc.: $14,000 for fencing playground and flooring upgrades to lodge floors.

Friends of Dinosaur ridge: $20,000 for shelter on Triceratops Trail on Fossil Trace Golf Course.

Humphrey Memorial Park: $11,500 for restroom and event tent.

Pleasant View: $19,500 for park amenities.

Prospect Park: $15,000 for playground irrigation at Prospect Arena.

Senior Resource Center: $20,000 for parking lot renovation at Yellow House in Evergreen.

South Suburban Park: $10,000 for playground improvements.

The Butterfly Pavilion: $10,000 for plant materials for Discovery Garden.

West Denver Trout Unlimited: $30,000 for stream restoration of Clear Creek.