The Redding City Council addressed some issues Tuesday night that are connected only when looked at closely. A public hearing was held for considering an overhaul of the parks and recreation impact fees. The Parks Department is facing a budget shortfall after funds were diverted to maintain the officers of the Neighborhood Police Unit. The current park fund is 1.4 Million Dollars in the hole due to loans covering bond payments for the Redding Soccer Park. The council just cut the impact fees to residential building permits a year ago, hoping it would stimulate some development, but that didn’t really happen as hoped. The increase was approved Tuesday night.
In a separate agenda item, the council addressed the potential for funding new turf for the Redding Soccer Park. The facility opened in 2007 after being built with $8 Million worth of park development funds. It’s been operating as an independent entity, but apparently the Shasta Regional Soccer Association has not been bringing in enough money to cover maintenance. The cost to replace the four fields is more than $5 Million, which the association simply does not have. The problem is compounded by the fact that the previous turf was defective, for which the city received a settlement of only a Half-Million Dollars. A funding resolution that includes a $3 Million loan from Redding Electric Utility passed, but as Councilmember Michael Dacquisto pointed out, the soccer association will need to boost their own fees so they don’t have to come back to the council in another 12 years asking for more money.