Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation Takes Initial Step to Transfer Sports Park Control to City

Brownsville Sports Park

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation met Tuesday at the Purchasing Department Bid Room on the first floor of the City Commission building.

The only item on the agenda was the Brownsville Sports Park.



Rachel Flores, the Executive Director of the BCIC, opened the discussion by recapping previous board discussions concerning the sports park including the irrigation system, turf maintenance, concession profitability, concession menu, design, planting trees, accountability, additional investments, outfitting concessions and domes, etc.  She emphasized that the park is NOT self-sustaining and likely never will be.  There will ALWAYS be requests to the BCIC.  While one bond issue for $1,200,000 will be retired in 2018, the largest bond issue will not be retired until 2028.

Skate-Park

The board was presented with four options moving forward for supervisory control and management of the park.  Option #1, which involved transferring the control of the park to the City of Brownsville, was the most popular with the caveat that such a transfer would include an audit or assessment.

Other options included keeping the park under the control of the BCIC, but possibly adding a management team.  Board member C. Frank Wood stated:  "I'm not into park management.  I don't want to review a concession stand menu, hear about what's been fixed or needs to be fixed."

Rose Gowen

There was some discussion of separating the tournament and competition facilities in the park from those open to the community at-large.  City Commissioner Rose Gowen spoke about "deciding if we have a sports park or a community park with sports facilities."  All of the board members seemed resigned to continuing the annual $550,000 maintenance fee to the park in perpetuity, possibly even increasing that fee down the line.

There was a discussion of a carefully worded RFP or Request for Proposal to be drafted with respect to an audit of the park.  When it was suggested that all of Brownsville's parks be included in the audit, Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston objected:  "The City of Brownsville is not interested in a BCIC audit of all of the parks.  Those parks remain under the control and management of the city."  Gowen disagreed, stating that nearly all of the parks had come to the BCIC for various forms of funding and so, such an audit was appropriate.

Chris Patterson(with microphone)
At Oliveira Park Special Needs
Baseball Field

City Parks Director Chris Patterson called for a new master plan to be included in the audit of the parks:  "Our current master plan is five years old.  Our focus has changed somewhat.  Five years ago, bike and walking trails and fitness were  not part of the plan.  Obtaining grants requires a more up-to-date master plan."

We spoke briefly with Patterson after the meeting.  He characterized the meeting as "positive."  How would he feel about having management of the Sports Park added to the city's oversight?

"It's all about passion.  Whenever I drive through that facility, I see something that needs to be done.  It may not be something even noticed by the average observer."