It’s budget season, and not to be left out the Airway Heights City Council held a public hearing at their Nov. 2 meeting to review the city’s planned revenue and expense forecasts for 2016.
City officials are projecting current expense fund revenues at $6,196,485 while expenses will total $6,276,124 — a difference of $79,639 that will be made up by tapping into the $730,000 beginning fund balance. The city will also be drawing on reserves in several other funds to meet some public safety needs including hiring another police officer and replacing some critical equipment in the Fire Department.
One item not in the budget is the 1 percent annually allowed increase in the city’s property tax levy. City officials have decided to wait until after Nov. 3 general election to see if the proposed emergency medical services levy passes before deciding on whether or not to take the 1 percent.
The council also conducted a public hearing on the city’s proposed update of its Parks and Recreation Department’s master plan, something J.C. Kennedy, parks and recreation department director, said is required in order to continue to be eligible to apply for state grant funding.
With an annual population growth rate forecast at 0.99 percent, Airway Heights is projected to reach a population of 8,082 by 2035, an increase of 1,892 residents over 2015’s numbers. Kennedy said those figures do not account for the over 2,000 individuals housed in the Airway Heights Correctional Center.
“That is our own un-incarcerated population,” he added.
With a city standard of 10 acres of parkland per every 1,000 residents, Airway Heights’ current acreage of 23.11 leaves it short of the needed 61.90. The city does have 72 acres of undeveloped land set aside for parks, including 70 acres for a potential regional facility north of Northern Quest Resort and Spokane County Raceway that would push it well past the 80.82 needed by 2035 to meet city requirements.
“If that comes on line we’re sitting really good as a community,” Kennedy said.
As part of preparing the master plan, the city included a citizens’ survey in its March, June and September 2014 along with January 2015 utility bills, as well as handed them out at Yoke’s Fresh Market and going door to door. Of those, 228 surveys were returned, which Kennedy said the city’s consultant, Creative Research Systems, Inc., said provided a plus or minus accuracy of community opinion of 6 percent.
Notable trends in the survey indicated residents support the concept of a community recreation center with a swimming pool, activity rooms and space for senior and youth programs as part of the facility. Residents also place importance on natural areas, trails, picnic areas, restrooms and playgrounds as key components of parks and believe the existing facilities are inadequate, feeling a balance between maintaining existing facilities and acquiring new ones is needed.
In 2005, Airway Heights proposed a bond initiative to fund a similar community recreation center. The bond failed, but asked in the recent survey if the city should try again with a funding mechanism, 75 percent said yes it should.
When asked if they would support a tax increase to upgrade existing aging facilities while also developing a recreation center at the 70-acre complex, 60 percent said they would, while 26 percent wrote in saying they needed more information before making a decision.
Those upgrades and acquisitions could run over $22.5 million over the next 14 years, including a five-phase, 11-year, $20.9 million plan for the 70-acre facility.
Kennedy told the council the timeline was more of a placeholder rather than something actually projected to happen should the city go forward with the plan. The city’s park board must still adopt the master plan before coming back to the council in the form of a recommendation for adoption.
At the end of a discussion period, Mayor Kevin Richey expressed optimism for the plan, including a funding mechanism, and asked Kennedy if there were plans for a proposed recreation center.
“They’re 11 years old,” Kennedy said.
“Exactly,” Richey replied. “We spent money developing those 11 years ago. I don’t want to see that happen again. I’m very encouraged.”
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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