STANWOOD — Volunteers are needed to plan a future with more parks and trails around town and to look into options to pay for them.
The city of Stanwood wants a parks and trails advisory committee. The group of seven would work with the City Council on decisions about recreational areas. They also would research funding options, which could include putting together a tax measure for voters to consider as soon as next fall, city administrator Deborah Knight said.
Volunteers must be able to commit at least one year to the advisory board. Anyone who lives in the community and has used the parks and trails is invited to apply. Applications are due by Monday and can be picked up and dropped off at Stanwood City Hall, 10220 270th St. NW. The application also is online at ci.stanwood.wa.us/parksrec and can be filled out and emailed to Lisa.Sokolik@ci.stanwood.wa.us.
City leaders and volunteers have been working for a couple of years on adding and upgrading public spaces in Stanwood. Plans have been put together for two new parks along the Stillaguamish River, Ovenell Park and Hamilton Landing. A non-motorized trails plan was started last year and is scheduled to be reviewed by the City Council later this month and adopted in November.
“Now it’s figuring out how to pay for the items in the plan, and I think that’s what a lot of the discussion will be this year,” Knight said.
Building high-quality parks and a trail system for Stanwood is a priority for Mayor Leonard Kelley, he said in a news release. The mayor is expected to select the seven members of the advisory committee.
“We need people who care about our community to help make Stanwood a great place to live and raise a family,” he said.
City leaders have worried that Stanwood is falling behind in its appeal for young adults and families. A common feature people look for when deciding where to make their home is whether they can navigate the city by foot or bicycle and whether there are enough parks and recreation options in their neighborhoods.
“What we see is we’re lagging behind other communities in parks and trails,” Knight said. “It’s one of the things that the mayor and council have been looking at. How do we attract and support young families?”
Volunteers for the committee need to be willing to work as a team, respect others’ opinions, listen to the community and make time for discussion and research related to parks and trails. The committee would meet monthly, or more frequently if necessary, at least through December 2017. Dates and times for the meetings need to be decided by the committee once members are selected.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
