Palmer requests title to borough parks

The Palmer City Council took a step towards taking control of the Mat-Su Borough parks within city limits at its meeting Tuesday.

The borough is responsible for developing parks in the city, and Palmer receives a stipend -- $10,000 this year -- for maintaining some of the parks.

The council approved a draft of a letter from City Manager Tom Healy to the borough that asks for control of Silver Tip, Leo Lucas, Lion's Kiddy and Dolphin Parks as well as the Little League ball fields just east of the borough office building. The letter also asks for title to the park properties.

Healy described the proposal as a conservative first step toward taking parks powers.

"This will remove a cloud over the city over what we are doing and what we intend to do with the railroad right of way and other projects," Healy said.

Public Works Director Rick Koch and Healy worked out the proposal, which originally excluded the Little League fields, the Sherrod Sports Complex and Matanuska River Park. The council added the Little League fields and discussed adding Matanuska River Park and the Sherrod complex as well.

Council member Pippel described the approach as "too conservative" and said that users, and not the borough, maintained the Little League and Sherrod fields .

Koch explained why Matanuska River Park and the Sherrod Sports Complex had been left out of the proposal.

"I do like the idea of having our arms around the whole thing," Koch said, "but the second thought is, 'Can we provide a better level of service?'"

Koch said the list came down to deciding park-by-park which the city could improve upon. The Matanuska River Park generates money from camping fees and the city hasn't studied how to take that over, Koch said.

A recent borough parks bond was approved for upgrades to the Sherrod complex -- both Healy and Koch recommended that the council not muddy the waters while the borough has unspent bond money for improvements to Sherrod.

Council Member Kathrine Vanover said it had been a long time since the city gave up parks powers.

"This is taking a small baby step. We can always come back and take a look at it again," Vanover said.

Council Member Steve Carrington favored a more aggressive approach.

"I would like to see us go for the whole ball of wax, but I'll go along with this," Carrington said.

The letter was approved unanimously with the addition of the Little League Field and the exclusion of the Sherrod Complex and Matanuska River Park. Council member John Combs asked Healy and Koch to research the economics of taking over Matanuska River Park and the time line for bond-funded improvements at Sherrod.

Some council members were concerned about keeping all of the Sherrod bond funds at Sherrod, but no one would predict what action the borough might take. Combs figured the letter ought to get some sort of reaction.

"If I were sitting on the [borough] assembly, I think it would be pretty clear to me what we're doing here," he said.