The South Suburban Parks and Recreation District’s 2014 budget continues where the last one left off, with more maintenance of existing properties and not too many big capital improvement projects.
Hospitality projects are planned at the Lone Tree Golf Club & Hotel, including the formation of a new hospitality department that will be installing new carpet in all 50 hotel rooms; adding sound barriers between the restrooms, event rooms and kitchen; and adding an outdoor wedding venue.
The proposed budget, released to the board last week, shows $52 million in expenditures with $49 million in revenue, with $3 million as a carry-over from last year.
Steve Shipley, finance director for South Suburban, said the higher expenditures also includes $6 million in contingency funds.
“Of the $52 million in expenditures, some of that includes a contingency fund, so we don’t really intend to spend that but we have that if a boiler goes out or some type of emergency,” Shipley said. “We need a fairly good contingency because our facilities are aging.”
Some of the district’s facilities are 40-50 years old.
Next year’s expenditures also include upgrading old irrigation systems in parks and replacing outdated heating and air conditioning units in some facilities. Shipley said while the district is seeing a 4.1 percent increase in revenue from assessed valuations, the district staff still has a $4.6 million laundry list of unfunded priorities at parks, trails and facilities. He said the district’s basically been trying to catch up from decreased tax revenues since 2008.
He said golf revenue was great in 2012, but this year the season started off with a lot of rain and “you really don’t pick those up.”
Proposed capital improvement projects that total about $3.5 million include a $200,000 replacement of irrigation systems at Arapahoe Park (with part of the funding covered by Centennial), $300,000 of a $3.2 million maintenance project on the South Platte Trail, $500,000 on the South Platte River reclamation project, $290,000 on repair and replacements of golf carts at the district’s golf courses, a $75,000 refurbishment of the Walnut Hills tennis courts (costs shared with Centennial) and $45,000 for laying asphalt for BMX tracks at Dave Lorenz Regional Park.
“These aren’t really flashy projects that the citizens are going to notice a difference, but it’s just to maintain our facilities,” Shipley said.
One project residents might notice is $312,000 for six new proposed pickleball courts at Cornerstone Park to meet the growing demand for the popular sport. Shipley said the district would most likely apply for Arapahoe County Open Space grants to pay for the courts.
Dave Lorenz, South Suburban executive director, said residents should see no difference or decrease in the quality of service despite the unfunded needs.
“There’s always an unfunded-needs list; it’s just this year it’s longer than it has been in previous years as those needs grow just to maintain what we have,” Lorenz said.
He said in the next two years the district should see a bump in revenue as tax assessments will be going up.
It’s also harder to maintain parks and trails, which bring in no revenue and take $1 million a year to water and maintain, but are used by 80 percent of residents in the district.
The South Suburban Parks and Recreation District Board of Directors will have a public hearing on the budget in December.
This year, Lorenz said the district is looking for residents to join its citizens planning committee to help the district identify projects.
For more information, contact Lorenz at davidl@sspr.org or call 303-798-5131.
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2671, cwoullard@denverpost.com or
