At the June 24, 2013 meeting, Council directed staff to prepare a Resolution that commits up to $30,000 of Council Contingency to a Centennial Park Master Plan amendment.  This action followed the Council's termination of the lease with the Billings Community Youth Foundation for approximately 8 acres in the southern portion of the park and freed it for other development.  The lease cancellation included instructions to the Park Board that it work with community groups to determine interests and to assess their resources for developing the park.  Prior to any alternative development, a park master plan amendment is necessary because the current plan does not allow for other uses.  PRPL staff developed the estimate by consulting with landscape architects about the likely cost for a plan amendment. 

The City Council may approve or disapprove the resolution.  Approving it will allow the Board and PRPL staff to develop the amended plan and submit it to Council for final approval.  Disapproving the resolution will force the Board and staff to find other resources for the plan amendment.  Those resources might come from groups interested in developing the park or from other PRPL sources that have not been identified to date. 

The City Council annually budgets $65,000 for the Contingency Account.  This account is a division in the General Fund.  If the Council approves this expense, the account balance will be $35,000.  The budget authority will be transferred to an account in the PRPL division of the General Fund and will be used only for this project.

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the resolution that allocates up to $30,000 for a Centennial Park Master Plan amendment.