*** Union Gap Won't Charge To Park At Park ***

UNION GAP/Yakima, Washington — 04/26/2006
Responding to community protest, the Union Gap City
Council voted against establishing $3 parking fee for
Ahtanum Youth Activities Park Monday night.

The City Council voted 4-3 against the proposal, which was
to be implemented July 1. Councilmembers David Butler, Toni
Webb, Dan Olson and Glenn Bateman cast the dissenting votes.

The decision came as a surprise to many, with the majority of
the council speaking in favor of the fee earlier this month. However,
Cindy Pratt, president of the Yakima Youth Soccer Association,
said she's grateful the council reconsidered.

"I'm very relieved for the youth soccer players in our valley,"
she said. "They really could not afford a parking fee. We are
glad we are able to continue using Ahtanum Youth Park."

The council has debated implementing a parking fee since
taking control of the park in March. The county previously
owned the 74-acre complex but relinquished its title for
financial reasons.

The purpose of the fee was to pay for the park's maintenance
and capital improvements. Councilmembers Roger Wentz and
Jim Lemon maintain they've always made their intentions of
establishing a fee clear.

They said no other viable funding option has been presented
to them, and the city can't afford to pay for the park's upkeep
out of its general fund. If it did so, other essential services, like
police, would suffer.

"We are very sympathetic for where you're coming from,"
Councilman Jim Lemon said. "(But) we have to have the
fee to pay for the park."

A handful of people, all speaking on behalf of the Yakima
Youth Soccer Association, said implementing the fee would
have disastrous consequences. They said a lot of youth soccer
players can't afford the cost of parking, which would cause
their membership to decline.

To prevent this from happening, the soccer association would
have no choice but to host its practices and tournaments elsewhere
— which would cut into the projected $290,553 in annual revenue
the city would get from the fee.

"You need to know we'll have to look elsewhere," Pratt said
during her plea. "If you are depending on $50,000 to come
from us, it's not going to be there."

Prior to Monday's decision, the council had expressed a
strong interest in the parking fee. Two-thirds of it would have
paid for maintenance and operation expenses, while one-third
would have paid for future capital improvement projects.

Public Works Director Dennis Henne said these numbers reflect
a 50 percent loss in visitors to the park. According to county figures,
the park attracted an average of 193,702 visitors annually between
2002 and 2004.

The council did not come up with a
new park funding plan on Monday.

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