2009 Park Levy Information
History
The current 1.2 mill park levy will expire on December 31, 2009. It is a five-year levy that cost an owner of a $100,000.00 home about $30.11 a year. This levy financed the ongoing operations of all of Symmes Township’s parks. This includes Symmes Park, Hopewell Park, Stonebridge Park, Seven Gables Park, Blong Memorial Park, the Camp Dennison Nature Trail, and several green spaces. Funds that were not used for daily operations, upkeep, and improvements were used to purchase additional property for future park purposes in keeping with the purpose of the levy.
When the current levy expires in December and if not renewed, the Township will not have the additional funding required to continue the long-term operations of the park system in Symmes Township. When the money collected from the current levy is expended, we will no longer be in a position to operate our parks due to the lack of revenue provided from a park levy.
The Symmes Township Board of Trustees, after receiving a recommendation from the Township's Finance Committee and recognizing the current state of the economy, voted to place on the 2009 ballot a three-year 1-mill replacement levy to operate and maintain the parks for the next three years. A 1-mill replacement levy will cost the owner of a $100,000.00 home about $29.68 a year.
The Board is purposing a three-year levy to allow time for the Rozzi property to undergo initial development and become operational. At that time, Township staff will evaluate the operational cost of the new park so those costs can be included in the next replacement levy.
Below is a short history of the Township’s park levies and how the funds were used over and above the everyday operations over the last five years.
- Prior to 1998, Symmes Township had no parks in operation.
- In 1998 a 1.85 mill levy was approved by the voters. It generated about $870,000.00 annually.
- In 2004 a 1.2 mill levy was approved by the voters. It is our current levy and will expire on December 31, 2009. It generates about $506,279.00 annually. Approximately $331,320.00 is spent annually for general operations of the park and has supported the following projects:
|
Year |
Project |
Cost |
| 2005 |
Constructed Stonebridge restrooms |
$120,000.00 |
| Purchased two properties next to the Meade house |
$250,000.00 |
| Constructed the Maintenance Building at Symmes Park |
$600,000.00 |
| 2006 |
No major improvements were made |
N/A |
| 2007 |
Constructed Blong Memorial Park |
$632,000.00 |
| Purchased the Royal property on Union Cemetery Road |
$380,000.00 |
| 2008 |
Built dual function sports/parking "green" area in the Symmes Park Meadow |
$268,000.00 |
| 2009 |
Added restrooms, trails, bridges and a parking lot to the Meade property |
$365,000.00 |
The Symmes Township Board of Trustees recognizes the need for future planning in an effort to be good stewards of the public's money. With that in mind the Board instructed Township staff to put together a DRAFT copy of a Park Master Plan. Good planning enhances the probability of maintaining a park system we all can be proud of.
Below is the DRAFT copy of the plan the staff put together for review by the Board of Trustees. If you have any suggestions, please send an email to the Township Administrator at administrator@symmestownship.org. |
DRAFT
Master Plan for Symmes Township Parks
Priority
1=Needs to be done
2=High priority
3=Should be considered
4=Not that important |
Hopewell Meadows Park |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Make rubber surface repairs (holes under swings) |
Now |
$2,500.00 |
1 |
Build dog run area with 1500' fence and 4 benches |
$5,000.00 |
1 |
| Add rubber surface protective coating (cracks throughout) |
3 |
$3,000.00 |
2 |
Add 5 more picnic tables |
$4,500.00 |
3 |
| Seal parking lot & walking trail |
2 |
$6,500.00 |
1 |
Add 2 more benches around trail |
$1,000.00 |
3 |
| Seal tennis & basketball courts |
1 |
$4,500.00 |
2 |
Add 3 more fountains at far end of trail, by basketball court & in dog run (in house) |
$8,000.00 |
3 |
| Paint restrooms |
3 |
$1,000.00 |
3 |
After the rubber surface coating is completed, need to figure $2,000.00 every 2 to 4 years to recoat |
$30,000.00 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
Add small gazebo type shelter at playground area with picnic tables |
$10,000.00 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
Add storm water drain to drain water runoff @ baseball field (in house) |
$1,000.00 |
3 |
Blong Park |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Reseal parking lot |
3 |
$2,000.00 |
2 |
|
|
|
Meade Property |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Paint & repair soffits |
Now |
$30,000.00 |
1 |
|
|
|
| Repair window & shutters |
Now |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| Repair driveway |
Now |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| Reseal parking lot |
3 |
$2,000.00 |
2 |
|
|
|
Seven Gables Park |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Seal tennis & basketball courts |
2 |
$6,500.00 |
3 |
Add gazebo type shelter with tables at tennis courts |
$10,000.00 |
4 |
| Seal parking lot & walking trail |
4 |
$4,000.00 |
3 |
Add gazebo type shelter with tables at playground |
$10,000.00 |
4 |
| New sign needed |
1 |
$2,000.00 |
1 |
Run water to the shelter with a fountain (in house) |
$4,000.00 |
3 |
| Paint restroom |
2 |
$1,000.00 |
2 |
Add a small dog run area |
$3,000.00 |
3 |
| Stain shelter & repair trim boards |
2 |
$2,000.00 |
2 |
|
|
|
Stonebridge Park |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Reseal parking lot |
3 |
$3,500.00 |
2 |
Add gazebo type shelter with tables at playground |
$10,000.00 |
3 |
| New sign needed |
2 |
$2,000.00 |
2 |
|
|
|
Camp Dennison Nature Trail |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Reseal parking lot |
2 |
$1,000.00 |
2 |
Add picnic tables & small shelter |
$20,000.00 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
Add on to parking lot for cleanups |
$15,000.00 |
3 |
Symmes Park |
Maintenance |
Years |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
New Projects |
Estimated Cost |
Priority |
| Repair & reseal parking lot |
1 |
$5,000.00 |
2 |
Reconstruct the lake |
$30,000.00 |
4 |
| Reseal basketball court |
1 |
$1,500.00 |
3 |
Run water to all 3 shelters (in house) |
$4,500.00 |
2 |
| Replace the Deer Run playground |
1 |
$25,000.00 |
3 |
Replace roofs & put gutters on all 3 shelters |
$15,000.00 |
2 |
| Replace the Shady Ridge playground |
2 to 3 |
$30,000.00 |
3 |
Add water line to dog run area with fountain (in house) |
$2,500.00 |
4 |
| Replace the Leming playground |
2 to 3 |
$40,000.00 |
3 |
Divide basketball courts in half (in house) |
$ 3,000.00 |
2 |
| Widen & repair blacktop trails (in house) |
1 |
$10,000.00 |
2 |
Run water to the Meadow |
$10,000.00 |
2 |
| Repair Amphitheater floor (concrete) |
2 |
$15,000.00 |
1 |
|
|
|
| Make repairs to bird blind |
1 |
$1,000.00 |
2 |
|
|
|
| Replace culverts in creek with 2-48" pipe & headwalls |
1 |
$16,000.00 |
1 |
|
|
|
| Repaint restrooms |
2 |
$1,500.00 |
3 |
|
|
|
| Maintain bridges over streams with moving water |
3 |
$10,000.00 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
