Electric City approves scaled-back version of city park

Electric City's first-ever city-owned park may open this year on a parcel of city land behind the fire barn, capping off years of planning and discussions going back nearly a decade. 

The city council May 14 voted to approve the park committee's proposed plan, scaled back from some of the original proposals.

The fenced, rectangular park will include a covered picnic shelter with tables and charcoal BBQ, a vault toilet, a walking path around the perimeter, irrigated lawn, a water fountain and what's known as a parcourse: outdoor fitness equipment for community use.

The idea is to start simple rather than wait for grant funding for a grand vision to materialize.

"Everyone was so gung ho," said Park Committee Chair Mark Payne, who is also Electric City's fire chief. "We all had these grand, almost 'Hollywood' glasses on, and that grants would just be there for us. And then reality: We spun our wheels for a long time, realizing we better work with the money we have to get out of the ground. This is just to get going."

To build it, the city is making use of a state law the legislature updated in 2023 that allows cities to contract with nonprofit organizations to develop and enhance local parks.

Electric City will contract with Run the Dam, which hosts the annual race over Grand Coulee Dam as well as a turkey trot fun run on Thanksgiving.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Run the Dam can recruit volunteer labor, solicit tax-deductible donations, and circumvent the competitive bidding process for excavation and other heavy-duty construction work that public entities are required to follow, according to Run the Dam Executive Director Kelly Buche. Buche's husband, Brian Buche, is an Electric City council member and serves on the park committee. 

Though not a park committee member herself, Kelly Buche has been attending the meetings and putting together a budget, and was part of the committee's presentation to the city council May 14. 

"The committee has put together the [budget] items that are for infrastructure," Kelly Buche said. "It's the most important thing to get this ball rolling and to make it a usable park in 2024."

The city has currently committed $120,845 to the park's development, which comes entirely from fundraising and donations rather than tax revenue and tourism dollars, according to City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal. The total projected cost to develop the park is $247,597.10, with $10,000 committed from Run the Dam. The city would look to cover the remaining budget with grants and tax-deductible donations.

The city's contract with Run the Dam will be $70,753.10 for 2024.

State law allows cities to contract with service organizations to reimburse up to $75,000 for improvement of parks and public spaces, as long as the organization returns at least twice the amount in value, whether through development of amenities, public art or other public benefits. The law was updated last year to acknowledge shrinking public budgets for parks, while park use all over the state has grown significantly, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leavenworth and Wenatchee have developed parks through similar arrangements, according to Buche, who learned of the concept from Electric City's planner, Kurt Dannison.

Even though Run the Dam has had a harder time recruiting volunteers recently, just like many other organizations, Buche said she is optimistic.

"We are blessed to live in a community where just a few phone calls can lead to a full team," Buche wrote in an email to The Star. "We know many area landscapers, contractors, gardeners, businesses with resources, and friends of the Coulee that usually answer the call. We also hope that community members can pitch in to give a few dollars or lend a hand when the shovels hit the dirt.

"I think our community really wants this park, and I believe in our community."

Eventually, the hope is to install playground equipment and perhaps additional features, such as a pickleball court, if additional funding comes through.