** Capital improvements will add to city’s burden, says councilwoman.
By Rory Brown
Almanac Staff Writer
Councilwoman Mickie Winkler says all the costs associated with Bayfront Park — the 160-acre park where the council is considering building a golf course to bring revenue to the city — are far higher than many people think.
“When the city took on Bayfront Park, it wasn’t expected to be the huge drain on city funds that it has turned out to be,” she said.
While many people have been focusing on the funds allotted this year to maintain the park — $187,000 — Ms. Winkler says the projected total costs associated with the park are closer to $736,000 a year — on average through 2015, citing a February memo from the city’s finance director, Carol Augustine.
“We have to decide if the costs of the park are costs the city really wants to absorb,” said Ms. Winkler.
She said the current proposal by the Buena Park-based company, Highlands Golf LLC, to build a golf course and three playing fields at the park are the city’s best option to deal with those costs.
“It’s a middle-ground solution,” she said. “We get the playfields, and we still get to keep part of the park as open space.”
The projection of $736,000 is broken out as follows:
** More than $400,000 are associated with landfill operations, and are covered by the city’s garbage rates. Rates were recently increased by 6 percent. According to Ms. Augustine, garbage rates will always be adjusted to cover landfill operation costs. Bayfront Park is built atop a closed landfill, and landfill operations include maintaining the methane plant adjacent to the park.
** The annual park maintenance cost, which is budgeted at $187,000 for the current fiscal year. These costs include the salary of a park ranger and cleaning the park’s restrooms, and are covered by a $1.6 million Bayfront Park fund. City staff says this fund will run out in six years.
** About $116,000 a year allocated for capital improvement projects, which include improving the park’s roads and paths.
But since the landfill was capped and the park was opened to the public in 1995, no capital improvement costs have been approved for the park, said Ms. Augustine.
The capital costs are “really rough estimates,” said Ruben Nino, the city’s director of engineering services. He added that the council would only approve spending for the projects if there is ample room in the budget.
“These capital costs have been delayed — they have to happen,” said Ms. Winkler.
Mr. Nino said it’s recommended the city undertake the improvements to “update the infrastructure of the park.”
Estimated revenue for the city from the Highlands golf course ranges from $24,000 per year for each of the first two years to as high as $260,000 per year after 20 years, according to the city’s projections.
Ms. Winkler acknowledged that immediate revenue from the golf course would cover only a small portion of costs associated with the park, but said the playing fields make the deal worthwhile.
“The fields do figure into this,” she said. “The city could get something out of this deal that would cost far more to do on our own.”
