Local Parks

Arizona treasurer says changes needed for state budget to be fixed

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[Source: Parker Pioneer, John Gutekunst, 10-8-2009] — Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin said he hated to be the bearer of bad news when he spoke Wednesday evening at the Parker Community/Senior Center.  He said the state is broke, and he said bad decisions on the part of state officials had more to do with this than the recession.  He added the problems won’t be fixed without some fundamental changes in how the state does business.

Martin described his job as the banker for the state.  He manages the state’s funds and investments.  His office also handles investments for the state’s counties and municipalities.  Prior to being elected Treasurer, Martin served in the Arizona Senate, where he chaired the Finance Committee.  He said he felt frustrated by the lack of long-term planning and the fact there was no “early warning” system for when budget problems were on the horizon.

After he was elected Treasurer in 2006, Martin decided to see if the difference between daily revenue and daily expenditures could be an indicator of the state’s economic health.  By researching records back to 1990, Martin said the difference grew during the good times but dropped in bad times.  During the recession of 2001-02, the numbers actually were negative.  They became positive again as the economy improved.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Arizona state parks take big hit: Grant funding for outdoor capital-improvement projects at issue

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[Source: Independent Newspapers, Terrance Thornton 9-28-2009] — The Arizona State Parks Department found its expected $8.6 million general fund allocation this fiscal year on the cutting room floor due to a $4 billion deficit to the state budget.  In the face of such severe cuts, we just cannot continue to operate as we did before and as the public has become accustomed,” said Arizona State Parks Assistant Director Jay Ziemann in a written response to e-mailed questions.  “In 2010, five parks will be closed to the public — Jerome, Tonto Natural Bridge, McFarland, Oracle and San Rafael — and another 17 will have reduced or seasonal hours of operation.”

In addition to budget reductions, the state parks department is facing suspended grant programs, Mr. Ziemann explained.  Grant programs from the Heritage Fund and the State Lake Improvement Fund, which communities across the state have come to rely on, have been cancelled,” he said.  In Apache Junction, the Lost Dutchman State Park, 6109 N. Apache Trail, will at this point only have its campgrounds operated to meet seasonal demands, Mr. Ziemann said. [Note: To read the full story, click here.]

Sedona city staff finds home for previously spent Arizona Heritage Fund grant money

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[Source: Carl Jackson, Sedona.biz] – At last night’s City Council meeting, newly appointed City Manager Timothy Ernster explained to the council staff’s plan to redeploy a $586,000 Heritage Fund grant given to the City by the Arizona State Parks in 1995-96 to invest in the now defunct Sedona Cultural Park.  The center piece of the park was a 5,000 seat amphitheater named after St. Louis Rams owner and accomplished soprano, Georgia Frontiere, who helped launch it in May, 2000 with a $1 million donation.  A requirement of the grant was that the site be available to the general public for outdoor recreation use for a period of 25 years, and be subject to periodic on-site inspections.

After the park filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and the grant money was lost, the City faced a quandary: return the grant to the Arizona State Parks or find another qualifying public use.  In 2004, the City of Sedona commissioned a feasibility study for a Sedona Performing Arts and Conference Center that ranked the Sedona Cultural Park first in the evaluation, but the project never moved forward.

Officials: Vandalism in Yuma parks cost taxpayers $200,000

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[Source: Associated Press] — Officials say Yuma’s parks and recreation areas have seen a spike of vandalism in the past month.  Toilets are getting smashed, trees have been cut down, playground equipment is being taken apart, and even drinking fountains are being destroyed.  City spokesman Greg Hyland says there are about 80 drinking fountains throughout all the parks in Yuma and each one gets fixed about once a week — sometimes even daily.  Hyland says it cost city taxpayers more than $200,000 last year to repair property damage and clean up graffiti left behind by vandals.

Now with budget cuts, he says the city might not be able to fix everything at the parks, which are usually open daily from dawn to 11 p.m.  Since the parks belong to the community, city officials are asking for the public’s help in watching the parks more closely and reporting any acts of vandalism or graffiti they see.