A Pride in the Park event took place in the summer at Soldotna Creek Park. Due to public opinion, both for and against said event taking place, the consensus among city council members was to clarify rules and increase transparency regarding events being held there. In July, the city attorney cited a 1975 ordinance that states that you must get a permit to use a shelter in the park. It has one basis for denial of permit – if the proposed use of the park would present an unreasonable interference with or detraction from the public enjoyment of the park.
At last night’s Soldotna City Council meeting, City Manager Stephanie Queen responded to a request for a committee to be formed to address events being held at Soldotna Creek Park:
“It’s normal in updating codes, especially something of this gravity that that’s going to take some time. I think in July, I mentioned probably a several month process that we would kick off in the fall. That’s still my plan. Through the staff work to do the research, look at other agencies and how they handle public events in public spaces, work with the attorney so that he can identify the issues that are of legal concern or risk concern to him, we would do all that work starting soon in the fall and then bring back a set of information and recommendations and drafts and maybe even closing questions to the Parks and Rec Board. A committee has not been formed. A separate standalone committee has not because we already have a Parks and Rec Board that is tasked with advising the council with all things related to parks.”
Once the work is complete, Queen will present drafts of the park reservation policy and any recommended code updates to the Soldotna Parks and Recreational Advisory Board, where the public will have an opportunity to review, comment, and make suggestions. Once the Parks and Rec Board has considered the issues and formalized the recommendations, they will be forwarded to the City Council for their consideration.
Queen states that this process will require several months of coordinated effort, which she plans to get started later this fall.
