Parks board seeks funds for maintenance costs

The Sarasota Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection board is looking to the public for a way to maintain and upgrade city parks without a budget increase.

The board held a special meeting Feb. 20 regarding the potential outsourcing of payment for parks and recreation amenities, at which point the group decided to reach out to the community for assistance. Two representatives from the parks board spoke at this month’s Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations meeting to drum up community support for parks maintenance.

Before 2011, Sarasota County provided financial support for all of the city’s parks. The county entered a new interlocal agreement with the city in 2011, which included returning fiscal stewardship of almost all of the parks back to the city. Todd Kucharski, the city’s public works general manager, said the city has been struggling with park upkeep ever since.

“Turf maintenance has gone from being cared for to, now, we just mow it,” Kucharski said. “If it’s green, it’s green.”

Carl Shoffstall, a member of the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection board, said the group was looking at community-based options, such as forming a conservancy. Shoffstall said Friends of Sarasota County Parks has been in communication with the city parks board and has offered insight on how to potentially aid the funding of maintenance.

Carolyn Brown, county manager of parks and recreation, said Friends of Sarasota County Parks has been an invaluable resource. In addition to raising funds for various projects, the group has also volunteered to maintain or provide services within the parks.

“I cannot say enough good things about them, because they are just totally awesome,” Brown said.

Brown said the decision to return most of the city parks came as county revenues were significantly decreasing. The county still funds “regional parks” within the city, such as Arlington Park and Lido Beach.

“We were looking to define what regional park meant — those areas that basically serve the greater population, not the little pocket parks that might just serve a small group of people in a surrounding community,” Brown said.

The county stepping away from funding city parks upset several representatives at this month’s CCNA meeting. Cathy Antunes, a resident of Golden Gate Point, said city residents were county taxpayers, too, and the conversation should begin there.

“I don’t think we should be having a bake sale to fund our park maintenance when we’re paying (taxes) twice,” Antunes said.

Contact David Conway at [email protected]