News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The financially troubled Sisters Park and Recreation District (SPRD) may shut down for a three-month period in an attempt to regroup financially and "reinvent" itself.
The organization's board of directors decided last week that a shutdown was necessary. They were to decide Monday night when the shutdown would take effect. However, the Monday discussion proved inconclusive and the board delayed a decision until August 24 to give the public more notice and to allow for further input.
The organization has been facing declining financial fortunes for many months, with lower enrollment in programs and a falloff in grant and donation funds.
SPRD has a tax base of 22 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. However, according to SPRD executive director Carrie Ward, most of the $200,000 received through tax funds is quickly eaten up by overhead.
Board chair Peggy Tehan calculates that $149,000 is spent on Ward's salary, the salary of a part-time office manager, insurance and utilities for the Coffield Community Center.
The board met on Tuesday, August 4, and unanimously agreed that a shutdown is necessary.
"It's not a question of saving money," said board member Mike Morgan. "We've got to find a way to focus resources on turning this organization around, not just managing the continual downward spiral."
Tehan argues that, as a partially taxpayer-funded organization, at least some basic services should be continued.
"I feel an obligation to at least keep the building open," Tehan said in the August 4 meeting. She reiterated that position in Monday's meeting.
She acknowledged that the district has a cash flow problem that could cause the district to run out of money before it receives tax collections in November.
Board member Jeff Campbell noted last week that the organization will have to rebuild trust and confidence among the public. He said that a three-month shutdown would allow SPRD to seek public input on what the community needs from a park and recreation district - if anything - and allow the board to determine a new direction.
Parents and interested community members attended the Monday night meeting. All recognized the difficult financial situation, but several expressed hope that popular fall programs such as flag football could go forward.
Fall programs are among SPRD's most popular and basketball tournaments that bring revenue to the district are set to start in November. Approximately 35 children currently avail themselves of the Teen Center and afterschool programs.
The board must decide if it will shut down completely for a quarter or if it will try to keep some minimal program going while seeking public input and support and creating a turnaround plan.
Morgan urges a shutdown and a turnaround program as soon as possible, noting that, "usually in turnarounds you only get one chance."
Longtime board member Bonnie Malone agreed last week that significant steps need to be taken if SPRD is to have any future.
"I would rather see us do some very dramatic, very risky things than just see us lock the doors (permanently)," she said.
Morgan told The Nugget that he challenged the interested public to bring some source of money to the table if SPRD is to avoid a shutdown.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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