Who decides what projects the funds are spent on?
While the City Council will make the final approval of individual projects during its regular meetings, which are typically held on the first and third Monday of each month, these decisions take residents’ feedback and needs into great consideration. The listed projects below were prioritized by community members over several years of feedback and engagement opportunities as part of the 2020-2024 Parks, Recreation and Non-motorized Plan.
What will the new playground equipment be made out of? What about maintenance costs? Will there be pickleball courts?
Specifics for each of the projects listed above, including the playgrounds and location of pickleball courts, have not been decided yet. The City will finalize the plans for each park and encourage the community to have input prior to have final adoption. Long term financial sustainability is an important factor for any investment by the City Council and staff.
Why hasn't Rayner Park Playground been maintained better, so we wouldn't have to replace it?
The company that installed the playground in 1993 recently did a review of the condition to determine their recommendation. They noted that the average lifespan for that type of playground is 20 years with proper maintenance and specifically noted that this playground has been well taken care of. The playground is now 28 years old and these types of playgrounds are being removed all over the country due to the how the wood was originally treated. It also no longer meets playground safety and accessibility compliance. If the funding is available, the City hopes that the replacement playground will include a community build to ensure that our residents continue to be connected this resource.
Can the city to afford to maintain these improvements?
For each project, long term maintenance will be evaluated and determined if it can be funded within the existing allocation of funds for staff or not. The Council will ultimately determine if staff resources should be increased based on expectations for the parks, but many of these improvements will likely reduce maintenance for our staff. The staff will be developing an asset management plan for all parks as part of this process to ensure we can maintain the improvements into the future, until they reach their lifespan for replacement.
Can funds from the approved millage be used to support recreation programs or City operations?
No. All money collected from the millage will directly fund the playgrounds and other projects listed above.
How can I calculate my specific cost for this millage?
Use the following formula: Taxable value X 0.001 mills = your annual cost
Examples below:
|
Home Value
|
Taxable Value
|
Annual Cost
|
Total Cost (5 years)
|
|
$250,000
|
$125,000
|
$125
|
$625
|
|
$200,000
|
$100,000
|
$100
|
$500
|
|
$150,000
|
$75,000
|
$75
|
$375
|
If passed, the Parks, Trail, and Pathway Capital Improvement Millage would go into effect July 1, 2022. It is estimated that 1.00 mill will raise approximately $232,220 when first levied in 2022.
If not passed, the City will reassess plans to determine which projects are feasible to accomplish with the available funding to ensure parks remain the vibrant.
If plans are approved, will all projects move forward?
Many of the projects will move forward, but this will not fund all the projects in the plan and they will not happen all at once. Based on prioritization, projects will be completed within 2-6 years, during which time individual plans may be altered based on additional community feedback and consultant recommendations.
After much discussion with residents and community members, the City and its consultants ranked residents’ top priorities as listed. However, specific plans for each individual project will be presented to City Council before moving forward. Large projects will include further community engagement sessions.
The City is anticipating that a renewal after five years will be required to finalize all the projects in the plan, but wanted to ensure the community had a say in extending the length based on the progress the City had made within the five years.
I already pay for Ingham County Parks and Trails; doesn't that pay for parks in Mason?
March 2020, Ingham County voters approved renewing the millage to support the development of a county-wide regional trails and parks system. The .5 mill levy will raise an estimated $4 million per year over the next six years.
Mason has been a successful applicant in seeking funding for eligible projects from this fund. Every project the City has applied for has received funding so far, but the eligibility is limited and doesn’t cover all the park improvements proposed in the park plan. The City will continue to apply for funds to leverage any funding we have locally.
