Recently there has been a community discussion regarding proposals to submit to the voters for their approval a Metropolitan Park District (MPD). In my view the problem we need to solve is that parks and recreation services and facilities in the Sequim community are underfunded and do not meet current needs or expectations.

This includes the traditional services such as city parks, a swimming pool, youth sports, educational enrichment activities, walking and biking paths for exercise, recreation, and transportation, recreation facilities and active recreation such as tennis and pickleball.

Recently it has become apparent that the board of Park District No. 1 of Clallam County representing the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center (SARC) and the Sequim City Council, while sharing a similar goal to solve this problem, have proposed conflicting visions of an MPD. Basically, SARC supports an August ballot issue to create an MPD narrowly focused on continuing the operation of the current swimming pool and recreation center, while the city council wants to propose a broader scope of services for an MPD that would meet community needs in addition to SARC’s swimming pool and recreation facility needs.

We have been told by the SARC board members that they cannot continue to operate the pool beyond December 2016 because their annual costs have been exceeding their annual revenue for several years. SARC estimates that its reserve fund will be depleted by that time.

I think we all agree that the community needs an indoor pool and the services provided by SARC. Closing the pool is not an acceptable option.

SARC needs a short-term and long-term solution to solve its operating deficit. One short-term solution might be to place a property tax levy for one-year only on the Aug. 4 ballot.

A one-year levy may be more successful than the six-year levy proposed on the February 2014 ballot. If this were approved by the voters, it could extend the SARC funding through 2017. This would provide some time for SARC to work with the city and others in the community to fashion a more thoughtful, broader solution to our parks and recreation service needs.

State law provides for an MPD as a new local government that has many of the same powers that the city, county, current SARC, school district and other local governments possess. These powers include the power to levy property taxes, condemn property, issue bonds and other debt. The city and SARC agree voter approval of a new MPD could be a good long-term solution; however this is where we differ.

SARC is proposing to place on the ballot in August an MPD that would support only the current pool and recreation center operated by SARC. The city prefers a more thoughtful and inclusive approach that will meet the broader parks and recreation needs in the community as expressed by members of the community in citizen surveys and at recent city council meetings.

The institutions in the community that currently provide parks and recreation-type community services that could be funded by a broadly based MPD include SARC, the Boys & Girls Club, the Shipley Center, the school district, youth athletic groups and others. It also could provide facilities for biking, walking, tennis, pickleball and other high-priority activities.

The city proposes to engage these groups and others in a conversation about unmet community needs. This would allow time for all interests to be considered and for a proposal to be crafted through an exchange of ideas and compromises. If there is a consensus about these needs and solutions, the city would work with the Clallam County commissioners, as is provided for in state law, to place a broad-based MPD proposal on the ballot in February 2016.

The creation of a new government with significant property taxing authority and the other powers it would possess is a serious policy issue that deserves a thorough debate before it is submitted to the voters.

We think this approach gives the voters a choice to save SARC in the short term and to consider approving funding for a broad range of needed services in addition to a pool.

Steve Burkett is city manager for the City of Sequim.