“Big Dreams, Tight Pockets” is a summer series about the town’s aging facilities and services under the umbrella of Community Services. Use of town parks, recreation programs, tourism, special events and the Community Center is on the rise while budget deficits have postponed expanded offerings and physical improvements. How does the town balance priorities and residents willingness to pay?

In what turned out to be a drastic blow to the town’s park facilities, Golden Eagle Park sustained unprecedented flooding on Oct. 3, 2018.

More than four inches of storm water destroyed three of the four ballfields. Mounds of dirt, debris, tree limbs and boulders covered the ground.

The Town Council declared an emergency, focusing on rehabilitating the ballfields and the washes. Roughly $500,000 to $600,000 has been spent to restore the park.

Crews removed more than 200 tons of rubbish; irrigation lines were cleared and replaced where necessary. In January, more than 240,000 square feet of over seeded sod was installed on the fields.

The dams and washes are being surveyed and await a recommendation on what more needs to be done.

Golden Eagle hosts the tiniest T-ball players, Little League, adult and senior softball teams for local and regional tournaments, as well as the father and son duo in a game of catch.

Golden Eagle Park on Golden Eagle Blvd. is a heavily used facility among the town’s 119-acres of park lands under supervision of Community Services. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The department oversees seven playgrounds, six ballfields, six tennis courts, two basketball courts, two sand volleyball courts, four soccer/multi-use, two trailheads and 7.7 acres of preserve.

Thirteen full-time employees handle maintenance and operations of the parks in addition to recreation classes, Community Center, Senior Services, special events and tourism.

“The more things get used, the more we spend,” commented Parks Superintendent Kevin Snipes. “It’s a continual circle.

“We’re certainly seeing an uptick in all of our stuff being used. Everything is going up, except for our budget.”

Community Services director Rachael Goodwin interjected “and our staffing.”

Parks compare?

In making a case that the town’s Community Services parks are underfunded, Goodwin provided

data compiled by the National Recreation and Parks Agency.

The 2019 national average operating expense per capita is $78.69. Fountain Hills’ figure is $49.47.

For every 1,000 residents, the national average of parks is 10.1 acres. In Fountain Hills, the ratio is 4.8 acres.

The national average of residents per park is 2,181 while, here, it’s 4,916.

What’s next?

The playground was partially updated in 2018. The equipment under the shade canopy is due for replacement.

Renovations to the one field not impacted by the flooding needs attention. Lighting on the sports fields is 20 years old and will need replacement. The price tag to replace volleyball sand comes in at $40,000.

Fencing for the tennis courts also has reached the 20-year mark and needs repair, replacement and repainting at an unknown expense. The court wind screen also could be replaced.

Next week: Fountain Park and the Fountain.