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EVERETT 2044 <br />COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 6/17/2025 <br />COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br />PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ELEMENT <br /> Page 143 <br />The City of Everett and Everett Public Schools have a “parity” agreement about public use of schools and <br />parks. Both Everett and Mukilteo School Districts offers public use of schools when not in session for <br />informal drop in use of schools; groups may request facility use through either districts’ procedures. <br />The Carl Gipson Center under agreement with the City is operated by Volunteers of America. It offers a <br />lunch program and a variety of activities for seniors to gather and socialize. <br />Planning for the future <br />The City of Everett will continue to: <br />• Improve Existing Park Sites. <br />• Open Undeveloped Parkland. <br />• Coordinate with Everett and Mukilteo School Districts to provide after-hours access to school <br />site recreation facilities. <br />• Partner with City of Everett Surface Water Management to create Stormwater Parks. <br />• Strategically link and coordinate properties. <br />• Focus investments equitably in gap areas and growing areas. Each existing or new park should <br />be improved over time to achieve minimum standards or offer allowed uses to meet the needs <br />of the community and to provide for consistent and sustainable management and maintenance. <br />Funding and Capital Planning <br />The City has primarily funded its parks and recreation services through the General Fund and capital <br />needs from grants and real estate excise tax 2 (REET2) revenue. A minor recent funding source is from <br />street vacations. For at least the next five years, the City anticipates spending to outpace collected <br />revenues, which will increase competition for resources and likely reduce the amount of funding <br />available for parks capital. <br />To continue investment in parks, the City will need to identify and pursue alternative capital funding <br />sources. In addition to REET2 and grant funding, Washington State authorizes cities to use parks impact <br />fees, newly approved by the Everett City Council in November 2021, as well as a parks district or levy <br />funding mechanisms. <br />In addition to increasing or raising new revenue, the City is authorized to incur debt through financing to <br />fund capital needs.