In a recent post I talked about why the LA City Department of Recreation & Parks (RAP) is having such a hard time maintaining the parks in our communities. Mostly, it comes down to money. RAP doesn’t have the funds to hire enough staff or pay for upgrades, in large part because of what LA City Hall calls the “full cost recovery program”, and the City Council’s ongoing inability to create a balanced budget.
One solution to RAP’s problems would be a ballot measure, which has been done before. In 1996, voters approved Proposition K, the LA for Kids Program, which was designed to provide $25 million per year for 30 years. This money has been spent on capital improvements to parks, recreation, and community facilities. However, Prop K will expire in a few years, and this will leave RAP even more impoverished than it is now. But if we’re going to do another ballot measure, we need to do it right.
I’d like to introduce you to Ron Bitzer, who serves as a volunteer on the City Park Advisory Board in North Hollywood. Ron has been fighting for LA’s parks for years, and would like to see all Angelenos have access to clean, well-maintained areas for recreation and relaxation. In this article he offers a detailed breakdown of the challenges RAP is facing. He also talks about how we could create a funding stream to address these challenges.
Proposition K Dollars: A Model for Public Financing of Construction in LA?
UPDATE:
RAP is in the process of preparing a Park Needs Assessment, and this will be discussed at a meeting of the Facility Repair & Maintenance Commission Task Force on Thursday, February 6, at 10:00 am. The meeting will be held at the Chevy Chase Recreation Center, 4165 E. Chevy Chase Drive. The Task Force will only take public comment from those who show up in person. Click on the link below for the agenda.
RAP Facility Repair & Maintenance Commission Task Force
If you can’t make the meeting on February 6, see page 5 of the agenda for a tentative list of future meetings under the heading Public Engagement (Phase 1).
We can provide funding for LA’s parks, but the process must include real public engagement and meaningful oversight. Our parks belong to the people. Let’s make sure the people have a voice in planning for their future.
The Horizon and the Skyline 
Parks commonly do not charge for parking, such as; car parking and pick-neck grass lounging, which can pay towards a sustainable maintenance, along with rented playing areas. Parks need to have an attraction like fishing ponds / lakes, swimming and boating, something of an amusement attraction where people want to go to pay to relax and have fun.