2020/12/16 Council Agenda Packet

RFP #2020-073 • CITY OF EVERETT PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE PLAN to address quality, distribution, access, level of investment, maintenance, and programming. Benchmarking to national standards and peer communities is also instructive, but unlike the historic NRPA approach, the NRPA now recommends targeted benchmarking with alike jurisdictions. The BERK team will describe level of service options by illustrating the pros and cons of each, evaluating the long-term implications, and responding to the strengths, challenges, and opportunities specific to Everett. BERK will identify the level of service needed to serve Everett's projected growth and to ensure access for the community now and in the future. We will identify conceptual minimum standards for parks and trails and identify a range of potential maintenance costs. The BERK team will build on the inventory work in Task 2 to determine how existing amenities conform to the City's current LOS standards and make recommendations based on the projected population and community makeup as reflected in the Community Profile, visioning - focused community engagement, and input from the City's current and potential partners, advisory groups, boards, and commissions described in Task 1 As part of the benchmarking, we will create a comparison table of similar -sized cities, comparing baseline demographics (population, median income), inventory, budget, levels of service, and recreation programming. Task 4. Funding and Partnership Recommendations Understanding the City's funding and financing options, including current available revenue sources and how these revenues are expended on capital, programming, and maintenance and operations is critical to creating an implementable PROS Plan. We will develop a clear strategic financial path for the City to accomplish a prioritized Capital Improvement Program (CIP) consistent with RCO requirements. BERK will identify funding options for fulfilling anticipated needs. As noted under `Organizational Capacity," we will review volunteer and partnership management frameworks cis part of this work Additionally, BERK teammate Forterra will bring its experience with Seattle on private funding approaches to acquisition and stewardship of parks. They will consider if a similar approach could be replicable in Everett, opening up new revenue streams that augment public sources. A small investment in attracting private funding could potentially bring large returns and free up resources for the City to use elsewhere. Revenue and Partnership Evaluation. The BERK team will identify potential additional revenue sources, using criteria, such as the relative magnitude of expected collected revenues, ease of implementation, and connection with competing needs to evaluate t PROPOSAL • SUBMITTED OCTOBER 27, 2020 21