By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With nearly 400 acres of parks, free to public use, 365 days a year, Bowling Green provides something of value to local residents, according to Parks and Recreation Department Director Kristin Otley.
“It’s really a quality of life issue,” Otley said. “We think the parks provide a great value to citizens. They are open to everyone.”
The parks offer miles of trails, acres of flowers, ball fields, pickleball courts, youth nature camps, a community center, a pool and dog park.
“Life moments happen in the parks,” Otley said, listing off longstanding lunches and concerts in the parks, rental of shelterhouses for reunions and family celebrations, and an annual pet show that has been held the last 65 consecutive years.
For 10 years, the millage of the park levy has been 2 mills – but this year, the city is asking for more to help maintain the parks, buildings and programming.
The levy committee faced the economic reality that despite making cuts to expenses, the parks and rec department has been encountering more expenses, and consequently has been operating with a deficit budget for the last three years.
“You can only tap into your reserves for so long,” Otley said.
So the levy committee – led by board members Tom Ross as chairman, and Emily Keegan as vice chairman – came to the conclusion that the park board should seek a renewal of its existing 2 mills, plus ask for an additional 0.95 mills. The 2.95-mill levy duration would be five years.
The existing 2-mill levy generates $1.197 million annually, costing the owner of a home valued at $250,000 approximately $132 a year. If passed by voters, the new 2.95-mill levy would generate about $1.869 million annually, and cost the owner of a $250,000 home approximately $222 a year.
The decision to ask for additional millage was made after much deliberation, Otley said.
“It is a renewal with an increase. We don’t take that lightly,” she said. “We are very cognizant of the impact it has on property taxes.”
The levy provides about 40% of the revenue needed to operate the parks and programs. While the millage has been stuck for 10 years, some program fees have inched upward to help pay for expenses.
Otley said that aside from the pool rates, no other program or rental fees were increased this year. The fees in place are “extremely reasonable” and comparable to those in other neighboring communities, she said.
Otley said the parks and rec department has to engage in a delicate balancing act – not wanting to increase fees, but wanting to provide quality programs in well maintained parks and facilities.
The city will continue to offer reduced rates to families in need, with a “splash fund” created specifically for that purpose, she said.
Meanwhile, the parks and rec department has dealt with higher gas prices, minimum wage increases, growing expenses for materials and supplies, and mounting maintenance costs. The 14-year-old pool and waterpark is requiring more upkeep. Plus, positions previously held by volunteers (like parents coaching teams) often have to be filled now by part-time paid staff.
“Just like everyone else, our costs have gone up,” Otley said. “We have to look at how we can keep providing what we do.”
Otley stressed that the city parks partner with nearly 50 nonprofit and community organizations to co-sponsor recreational programs. Local businesses donate more than $22,000 to support special events and youth sports. And a corps of volunteers help maintain the parks and assist with programming.
Bowling Green City Parks and Recreation Department operates nine parks covering 393 acres, plus the community center with new outdoor pickleball courts. The parks, which are spread throughout the community, are settings for sports, nature, gardens, swimming, playing and gathering for special events.
The park sites include two small pocket parks – Bellard Park and Raney Playground – that provide some green space for neighborhood kids to play, butterfly gardens and benches.
Other larger parks are:
- Carter Park, which includes several ball fields for young T-ball and softball teams, a disc golf course, and an inclusive playground for people of all abilities.
- City Park, which features the city’s swimming pool, a skatepark, basketball court and ballfield, plus a playground and walking path around the drive circling the park. The park also offers the Veterans Building, Needle Hall and several shelterhouses for rental.
- Conneaut Park, which provides a sledding hill for winter activities and open space for youngsters to practice athletic skills the rest of the year.
- Dunbridge Road soccer fields, where youth and adult teams compete during warmer months.
- Ridge Park, which offers a playground and open space for play, and which now has a new dog park open to the public on the northern section of the property.
- Simpson Garden Park which includes a walking path meandering through gardens, past sculptures and water features. For children, a portion of the park was restored last year for exploration and play. The building at Simpson is also used for many community and family occasions.
- Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve offers trails through woods and prairies, providing space for people to view native plants and wildlife in the region. The park provides opportunities for many nature programs for children and adults during all seasons of the year.
