Drafter
Clerk 11/01/2002
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the transfer of King County parks to cities; permitting the imposition of differential fees for nonresidents.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings.
A. The county faces a fiscal crisis that is forcing major cuts in all nonmandated government services funded by the county current expense fund in 2003.
B. The provision of park and recreation services is not mandated by state law.
C. Consistent with the directives of the growth management act and the adopted countywide planning policies, the county has for many years been engaged in transferring to cities the ownership of the county parks and pools located within cities.
D. Over one hundred such transfers have been accomplished in the last ten years.
E. Transfer negotiations are ongoing with nearly two dozen cities in an effort to convey to cities the remaining local county parks and pools that are located within city boundaries.
F. Negotiations are also ongoing with some cities to convey to cities the county parks located in city potential annexation areas, to promote the future annexation of these areas and to reduce non-mandated county expenditures.
G. The county expects to save over six million dollars in operating costs in 2003 if it is successful in transferring the remaining in-city parks and pools to cities.
H. The cost of operating, maintaining and improving city parks and pools is borne by city taxpayers except to the extent such costs may be offset by user fees charged at the facilities or other nontax revenues.
I. Some county park acreage was purchased as open space with funds from sources such as the 1989 open space bond and the conservation futures program, and were intended to be used for open space purposes, which purposes allow passive recreation but prohibit active recreation.
J. Interlocal agreements and the associated deeds providing for the transfer of coun...
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