I have a vision and it includes supporting our community’s needs and wants. I don’t care if it is a Lake Washington School District, city of Kirkland, youth or adult need… I am all for it.

Our city has a vision. Over the years our city has conducted surveys, open houses, focus groups and held City Council and Park Board meetings all pointing towards a community driven need for a facility like the Aquatics, Recreation and Community (ARC) Center. The ARC is more than a pool and will include much needed indoor gymnasium, workout facilities and meeting rooms for our Community.

The ARC will help fill the unmet demand for indoor recreation and meeting facilities. Our city has grown from 15,000 residents in 1971 to 85,000 residents today without a commensurate increase in facilities.

I commend our City Council for utilizing all the tools available including a Metropolitan Park District (MPD) to fund and build the ARC. Washington State MPDs have been around for over 100 years and were first authorized by the State of Washington in 1907. Today there are 17 MPDs throughout the state.

A yes vote on Prop. 1 will provide funding to build the ARC. The cost estimate is 25 cents per $1,000 property value and the funds collected can only be used for the ARC. The law as written does say that a MPD can tax up to 75 cents per $1,000 but the city’s plan is 25 cents per $1,000 all of which is required to be spent on the ARC. Personally, I do not live in fear of what might happen but rather of what might not happen… we might not have a facility like the ARC here in Kirkland.

Am I concerned about the funding mechanism? Absolutely not.

I am not in favor of delaying construction of the ARC. It will only get more expensive as time goes on.

Now is the time. Vote yes on Prop. 1.

Chris Lautman, Kirkland