Parks, Public Utilities & Technology Committee 6/25/2025

## Hidden Dynamics & Political Subtext 1. **Revenue Reliability vs. Equity Pressure** - The contract extension with Premier Golf Centers (PGC) wasn’t fought over course quality—those municipal greens rank in the Northwest’s Top 10—but over *control* of a self-sustaining revenue stream. Recent reports show SPR’s general fund is under growing strain, while golf fees cover all maintenance costs. By locking in a 15-year deal, the Council cements a predictable funding source but risks binding future administrations to PGC’s profit model. - Attempts by Councilmember Strauss to force public “walk­ing paths” through these courses (amendments 1 & 2) failed 3-1. On the surface, this was sold as “public access,” but the real fight is between *open-space advocates* and *fiscal realists*. Blocking those amendments preserved golf-cart revenue (about $224K/year) ― a drop in the bucket for big parks projects but too large for PGC’s bottom line to ignore. 2. **Intra-Council Coalition Fault Lines** - Councilmembers Rivera and Kettle, both strong parks backers, effectively formed a *mini-coalition* that sided with SPR’s pragmatic approach, scoring a “win” against Strauss’s access-at-any-cost stance. Behind the scenes, Council President Nelson’s opposition reveals a subtle front: he sees golf courses as *public good* first, while Strauss views them as *public amenity* that might be repurposed. 3. **Staff Influence & “Institutional Memory”** - Deputy Supt. Andy Sheffer and Golf Director Patrick Merriam, with a near-60-year collective tenure, clearly steered the narrative. Their constant presence—and the heavy-handed mention of PGC’s “continuous improvement”—suggests that *staff designed much of the deal*, then brought it to Council as a fait accompli. This tacit “staff-first” approach may frustrate Councilmembers seeking more leverage. ## Strategic Implications - **Long-Term Fiscal Buffering:** By locking in PGC for 15 years and formalizing capital ‑improvement requirements (PCI compliance, card-processing upgrades), SPR shields itself from future budget cuts—not just in 2026 but through 2040’s next mayoral transition. - **Downtown Activation via LCLIP:** The proposed Landscape Conservation & Local Infrastructure Program (LCLIP) amendments aim to harness roughly $40 million over a decade in South Lake Union/Downtown. According to the City’s 2025 CIP update, *downtown housing starts* have surged 12% since 2023. LCLIP funding will buttress pedestrian plazas and under-tree seating—critical “placemaking” elements that anchor new high-rise residents. But it also cements the *tech-district lobby’s* influence on Parks spending. - **Salmon ILA as Political Safe Harbor:** Salmon recoveries in WRIA 8 & 9 passed unanimously, positioning Councilmembers as *environmental champions* without spending a penny of general fund. With $760K/yr. in watershed dues coming from SPU rates, no overt political heat arises—and it feeds into the city’s green brand right before election season. ## Stakeholder Analysis - **Premier Golf Centers (PGC):** Wins a locked-in customer base and guaranteed public-benefit reporting metrics, ensuring continued card-revenues and drink-tax streams. Their true leverage: threatening to hike greens fees if their mandatory $17 million capital investment isn’t supported. - **Gated vs. Non-Golf Users:** Strauss channels frustrated “walkers and dog-walkers” who see golf greens as *elite* lawns. The Council’s majority shot down his public-access amendment, signaling that SPG revenues outweigh this emerging constituency—but *that group is growing*, as foot-traffic counts in parks have jumped 27% this summer. - **Tech Employers & SLU Community Council:** Joni Holland’s testimony flagged SLU’s urgency on tree-canopy and “water-feature” improvements. The Council’s LCLIP package (2.7 million SLU & 15 million D-ID) rewards *Amazon-adjacent developers* who want greener walkways—a coalition that, ironically, dwarfs the “regular walker” in clout. - **Tribal & Environmental NGOs:** Salmon ILA brought in Muckleshoot, Suquamish, and local NGOs (Mid-Sound Fisheries, Greenway Trust). Their influence is operational, not legislative, yet quietly ensures tribal water-rights and habitat-protection standards are front-and-center in all City-County projects. ## Financial Deep Dive - **Golf Affordability vs. Required Investment:** • SPR’s 2024 Golf Fund closed net-positive by $420K, but new contract calls for a *minimum* $1–2 million in course renovations by 2027. Mis-timing could force the General Fund plug (see 2023’s Mid-Park site fiasco where unplanned maintenance shortfalls triggered a $350K general fund gap). - **LCLIP Windfall (but Conditional):** • King County projects City will receive $40 million from 2026–2035. Yet, County’s 2025 Rate Study warns that *annual TDR revenue* may fall short by up to 15% if post-pandemic office conversions stall. LCLIP’s $4 million/year budget must accommodate that risk, meaning late-cycle projects could be delayed if the Tech downturn deepens. - **Salmon ILA Dues vs. Rates:** • SPU customers pay roughly $2.50/month for watershed recovery (> $3.5 million/yr.). The 10-year renewal will compel rate-payers to cover another $12.5 million. That’s less than 0.3% of the SPU CIP but could inflame rate-payers if upcoming 2027 rate review surfaces competing demands (stormwater, combined-sewer projects). ## Implementation Challenges - **Capital Project Backlogs:** Despite the Premier deal’s “shovel-ready” capital plan, Seattle’s Construction Management Office is booked into 2028 on SDOT/LCLIP/Salmon CIP projects. Coordination hiccups may slow both the course improvements and LCLIP public-benefit roll-out. - **Equity Overlay on LCLIP:** Downtown’s rapid redevelopment has spotlighted *racial-equity gaps* in park access. Neither the SLU nor International District plans explicitly mention subsidized youth programming for BIPOC communities. Community groups warn that if outreach remains low-intent, these multi-million dollar “amenity” projects could stoke gentrification rather than community cohesion. - **Adaptive Salmon Management:** WRIA 9’s predator removals at the Ballard Locks require Federal sign-off (Army Corps, NMFS). With NOAA’s 2025 budget axing 20% of *Chinook monitoring*, the official “work plan” may need mid-cycle renegotiation ― even if the ILAs are signed through 2035. ## Historical Context & Patterns - **Self-Sustaining Golf as a 2006 Policy Response:** The city’s 2006 Financial Policies charged golf to be “revenue neutral.” Today’s 15-year contract is the latest recapitalization of that century-old policy, echoing 1995’s Premier pilot when SPR off-loaded Houston Center’s management due to budget cuts. Lesson: *Tenure correlates with performance*, but also with bureaucratic inertia. - **LCLIP & EQUAL APPROPRIATIONS:** 2013’s LCLIP adoption partitioned funds 70%/30% SLU vs. D-ID. This time it’s 62/38—reflecting the *tech-sector dominance* in SLU’s property-tax increment (LCLIP’s underlying revenue). SLU’s share has ticked downward as parcels convert to non-TDR uses (public parks, P-patches). - **Salmon ILAs since 2001:** The original 2001 agreements secured $1.1 million/year for WRIA 8, rising steadily to $2.25 million in 2016. This renewal locks in *flat dues* (no inflation indexing). Against rising costs, this real-terms cut may prompt future supplement requests. ## Key Revelations > “A CONTRACT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS IT IS MANAGED.” > —Andy Sheffer’s aside on golf, but it applies equally to LCLIP and Salmon ILAs. - Front-row testimony from Alex Zimmerman and remote callers illustrated *grassroots anger* over homeless encampments, equity toolkits, and “pig government.” While mostly digressions, they underscore a latent *anti-government populism* that could metastasize by 2027 if parks delays persist. - The *unscripted shout-out* to Premier’s mandatory capital spend (and the explicit link to “sufficient revenues”) reads like a warning: “*Don’t cross us, or fees go up.*” A public-benefit report clause without penalty could give PGC a free pass if they miss targets. ## Future Scenarios 1. **(Likely) Steady Course:** All three items—golf contract, LCLIP plan, Salmon ILAs—advance to full Council without protest. PGC invests per contract, LCLIP rolls out pilot projects in 2026, salmon groups leverage the ILA for grant-writing success. 2. **(Possible, but Unlikely) Equity Backlash:** In 2027’s budget season, South Lake Union residents demand LCLIP funds for BIPOC-led park programming, triggering a mid-cycle reallocation that slows monument-style placemaking. 3. **(Unlikely but Critical) Ratepayer Revolt:** SPU’s salmon-recovery dues, combined with looming rate increases for stormwater/storm-sewer separation, provoke litigation or a City Charter amendment to cap environmental surcharges. 4. **(Influence on 2025-2027 Elections):** Strauss’s failed amendments become fodder for a “parks reform” platform among fiscal conservatives, while Rivera solidifies her image as a “green champion.” This tension may tilt council races toward either *budget hawks* or *equity progressives*. —End of Analysis—

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