Fiscal Note
The Parks Division’s 2024 Adopted Capital Budget included a privately funded water play feature at Rennebohm Park and authorized the acceptance of $250,000 of private donations from the Madison Parks Foundation. The project has been designed and is estimated to cost $550,000. The proposed resolution amends the Parks Division’s 2024 Adopted Capital Budget to increase the Park Land Improvements Program (Munis #17421) and accept additional private donations of $150,000 from the Madison Parks Foundation, increasing the total to $400,000 of private donations authorized within the project. In addition, existing budgetary authority of $150,000 from approved projects that have been completed or are no longer planned within the Parks Land Improvements Program will be used to supplement the private donations. No additional City appropriation is required.
Title
Amending the Parks Divisions 2024 Adopted Capital Budget to accept an additional $150,000 in Private Donations from the Madison Parks Foundation for purposes of constructing a water play feature at Rennebohm Park. (District 11)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Madison Parks Division currently offers three splash parks across the parks system, which is not sufficient to meet the long-term recreational needs of the growing community as the region continues to experience more extreme summer weather conditions; and,
WHEREAS, splash parks and water play features provide free recreational activities to youth, which promotes equity and well-being during heat of the summer months; and,
WHEREAS, the Parks Division is encouraged to pursue alternative funding sources to the extent possible in seeking to improve the parks system; and,
WHEREAS, in 2024 the Madison Parks Foundation raised philanthropic funds to support the planning, construction and an ongoing maintenance endowment of a water play feature at Rennebohm Park; and,
WHEREAS, the 2024 Adopted Capital Budget authorized the planning and construction of the project to the amount of $250,000; and,
WHEREAS, project planning and design is underway to design a quality water play system that can be effectively replicated in other parks using a public/private funding model; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison competitively procured a design consultant to create construction and bidding documents to construct the water play feature, which is estimated to cost $550,000; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Parks Foundation and Parks Division have agreed to reduce the project’s maintenance endowment in order to utilize an additional $150,000 of the original private donation to fund construction of the project; and,
WHEREAS, the Parks Division has determined sufficient funding remains within the Parks Division’s 2024 Adopted Capital Budget from projects completed or since adjusted within the Park Land Improvements Program (MUNIS Major #17421) in the amount of $150,000 without requiring any additional City appropriation; and,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Parks Division’s 2024 Adopted Capital Budget be amended to increase the Park Land Improvements Program (MUNIS Major #17421) to appropriate $150,000 in additional private donations from the Madison Parks Foundation.