As funding cuts to the Parkway increase this year, after years of funding below what is even needed for basic maintenance, it is a good time to consider establishing another governance structure for the Parkway that could also result in supplemental funding.
While the several thousands of dollars the Parkway fundraising event reported on by the Bee today will certainly help, the millions more needed require a much more elaborate solution.
The solution we have proposed for stabilizing funding for the American River Parkway is to establish a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) of local government entities to govern the Parkway and creating a nonprofit American River Parkway conservancy (which would contract with the JPA) to provide management and a supplemental fund raising capability through philanthropy, which you can read more about on our website’s news page in our press release from January 20, 2009.
This is the model being used by the Central Park Conservancy to manage Central Park in New York—and the Conservancy raise’s 85% of funding needed by Central Park.
An excerpt from today’s article in the Sacramento Bee.
“Facing a substantial general fund shortfall, Sacramento County's spending plan for fiscal 2009-10 proposes modest cuts for the staffing and upkeep of the American River Parkway. The cuts are nowhere near those recommended in another tight budget year.
“In 2003, county money woes threatened to close the 23-mile gem linking Discovery Park next to Interstate 5 to Nimbus Dam near Folsom.
“Advocates of the recreational area for cyclists, joggers, walkers, picnickers, rafters, kayakers and fishermen say public support for the parkway remains a vital need.”
