A $35 million Fayetteville Parks & Recreation bond referendum may not be a done deal, according to City Council members. As City Councilman Chalmers McDougald puts it, “It’s a project evolution.” Others agree that the proposed bond vote needs tweaking as to total cost, projects to be included and the locations where improvements will be made. For his part McDougald hopes things will be added to the referendum, like an indoor pool and additional splash pads.

Mayor Nat Robertson notes council initially agreed to seven splash pads to be built around the city. But in its most recent vote, four of them had been removed. Two city pools were reduced to one. The other is included in a 15-year loan and not all council members are happy about that. Members who responded to Up & Coming Weekly’s inquiry said even though they all agreed on the revised project list, some concede they were distracted by cost issues rather than projects themselves.

Councilman Mitch Colvin agrees with Mayor Robertson that the referendum should be put off until next November. The March 15 ballot will be too crowded, Colvin says, noting that a statewide $2 billion bond referendum will also be on the ballot. But most members are firm in their stance to hold the referendum in March. 

Colvin is among a majority which would like to see a river park aquarium removed from the project list. Council member Bill Crisp agrees. “I am not at all sure how the aquarium found its way into the proposed referendum,” said Crisp. Robertson also questions how a project list agreed to in October “was morphed” into a new listing on Nov. 23. Councilman Bobby Hurst favors the revision, and as far as he is concerned, “council has finalized this package of prospects.” 

As for what happens if and when voters approve the bond issue, Council Member Ted Mohn points out that the administration has to provide accurate projections of operational costs. Several members have asked the city manager’s office for some numbers. Mohn notes the last time council had any idea of ongoing operating costs was 2012 and they were 2010 figures. Council has been assured that operating expenses should not be a major concern on upcoming budgets.

Hurst and Colvin point out that a newly adopted schedule of user fees for non-taxpaying residents as well as fees for some of the facilities should offset any minor increase in expenses. Council hopes people will turn out in large numbers for a public hearing in council chambers the night of Dec. 14.