PORT TOWNSEND — The five board members of the newly created Brinnon Parks and Recreation District were sworn into office last week, bringing what residents hope will be increased self-governance for the south East Jefferson County town.
Advocates of the measure voters approved in the Nov. 6 general election said the parks district could function as a legal entity that could apply for grants for community improvement.
Now, board members are looking ahead to firming up ideas of what Brinnon residents want — and to consideration of how to fund them.
“This is something where we can examine all the needs of the community,” said Bud Schindler, one of the commissioners, as they were sworn in Friday.
“We can help to renovate the community center, which is in sad shape, deal with fire flow, infrastructure and of course the parks,” Schindler said.
Other new commissioners are Nichole Black, Jacque Booth, Sue Bettinger and Doug Hixson.
Voters approved the creation of the parks district on Nov. 6 with 493 votes, or 61.62 percent, in favor and 307 votes, or 38.38 percent, opposed.
The election of the five commissioners was on the same ballot.
If the measure had been defeated, the park commissioners would not have served.
Hixson said before the election that no projects had been defined at that point, but mentioned community center improvements, the possible development of land along Hood Canal into a park and the fire flow issue.
Needed fire flow is the amount of water that should be available for providing fire protection at selected locations throughout a community.
“Whatever we decide on, the community will have input, and they will need to approve a levy in order for us to finance any project,” Hixson said in October.
The creation of the parks district and the election of commissioners required only a simple majority.
A property tax levy to fund the district would have a more stringent requirement for passage, needing a 60 percent supermajority.
The board can propose a property tax of up to 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, meaning that the owner of a $200,000 house would pay $120 a year if the maximum amount were levied.
Approval of that assessment would be through a ballot measure, with the timing determined by the board, either in February, April, August or November.
Schindler expects that the board will place a levy proposal on a ballot sometime in 2013 but said it first must be defined.
“We hope to get something going next year, but we want to give the community input into everything we do,” he said.
The first commission meeting will be in mid-January in the Brinnon Community Center, 306144 U.S. Highway 101.
Officers will be elected then.
Schindler said the board would like to hold a celebratory gathering but the timing for that event has not been determined.
The district follows the boundaries of Precinct 204, which had 959 registered voters as of Oct. 10, according to the Auditor’s Office.
The area is bordered by Hood Canal to the east, Mount Walker to the north and the Mason County line to the south.
It extends west into Olympic National Forest to Alta Creek.
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
