THE FUTURE OF MILWAUKIE PARKS
Why is Milwaukie so much more efficient at parks construction and management than the County? And what can we do to capitalize on our momentum, including our recent wins as a dedicated City Council and staff, to build and maintain our own open spaces and recreation department and be more self-sufficient?
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Those are the questions that we are looking to answer over the next several months. While NCPRD staff are a dedicated group of professionals, funding being controlled by the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners is oftentimes at odds with what we need as a City: responsive, progressive, and nimble action that meets our Milwaukie Community's current and future needs.
What happens next?
City Council is considering a number of measures to cement our ability to provide the very best parks and recreation services we can!
To provide the best parks and recreation service to our Milwaukie Community, the City Council is considering placing a small levy on the 2023 ballot so residents can decide for themselves if this is something they want to fund. We will not make any unilateral decisions, but we will present the facts, and leave it up to the voters to decide if a locally controlled, self-imposed, temporary funding source is in the best interest of the City.
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Over the next few months, we will be holding a series of open public forums to talk more specifically about the future of our parks and recreation budget and department, and we’re looking specifically for engagement so please come and make your opinions heard! See our "Public Events" tab for a full schedule of parks-related public meetings.
We know that there's concern about shared County/City areas like Milwaukie Bay Park and the North Clackamas Aquatic Park. Milwaukie has prioritized and funded, through our own means, the first two phases of Milwaukie Bay Park. While park planning proceeds, construction funding commitments from the County have been slowed. We are confident we can complete the park without County involvement.
While the City owns the Milwaukie Community Center, maintenance, program funding and staffing are controlled by the County. The City is negotiating with NCPRD on the future programming and operations for the Community Center as well as access to the North Clackamas Aquatic Park.