City of Menifee Seeks Full Detachment From Valley-Wide

Wheatfield Park is the largest recreational facility in Menifee operated by Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District. Menifee 24/7 photos: Kristen Spoon

The City of Menifee has taken the next -- and what could be final -- step in its attempt to break its connection with Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District.

The Menifee City Council voted unanimously last week to approve a recommendation by city staff to begin the process of detaching itself from Valley-Wide and take control of all parks and recreation facilities throughout Menifee. This process begins with an application for detachment made to the Riverside Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO).

For the last 26 years -- well before the city incorporated in 2008 -- Valley-Wide has built and supervised parks and facilities on the east side of Interstate 215. That includes 20 existing parks, plus others on the drawing board. The City of Menifee last year took control of the nine parks west of the freeway from Riverside County, and the city council previously voted against giving control of those parks to Valley-Wide as well.

Meanwhile, the city created a Community Services Department that has grown from three to 12 full-time employees. The intent in creating that department, city officials have always said, is to bring control of all parks and recreation events and facilities under the umbrella of the City of Menifee.

LAFCO will make the final determination on the city's request, but don't expect Valley-Wide to go quietly. The Valley-Wide District, created in 1972 to provide recreational opportunities in the communities of San Jacinto, Hemet, Menifee, Murrieta and Winchester, is heavily invested in Menifee, with such facilities as Wheatfield Park and a community center (below) at Menifee Road and La Piedra Road.

Roughly 25 percent of Valley-Wide's total of 82 parks are in Menifee. Supporters of Valley-Wide speaking at previous city council meetings cited the organization's commitment to quality service and tradition. At the same time, others suggest it's only logical to have all parks and recreation programs and facilities under the control of one entity.

"I'm a 25-year resident of Menifee, and a lot of my neighbors are confused about the city owning some parks and Valley-Wide owning others," said Rita Bronson, speaking at the Dec. 16 council meeting. "I don't understand why there are two entities; why not put it all under control of the city?"

Resident Paige Lemus agreed, saying, "Things would function better if the city controlled everything."

One of the biggest factors would seem to be finances. Which is more cost effective? That's where things get murky, with each side citing different figures.

At a public workshop regarding control of west-side parks held in May 2014 (below), then-director of finance Terri Willoughby reported that the city projected revenue of $207,660 in 2014-15 if given control of those parks, including fees paid by the participants in parks and recreation programs. Expenses were projected to be $678,901. At the same workshop, Valley-Wide general manager Dean Wetter reported that the cost to the city to contract with Valley-Wide for those services would be $586,104 per year -- more than $90,000 less than the city's estimate.

At the time, council members were divided on whether to allow Valley-Wide to take control of west-side as well as east-side parks. Later that month, the council directed city staff to enter into a three-year agreement for Valley-Wide to supervise west-side parks as well. Last May, however, city manager Rob Johnson announced the city would not pick up the last two option years of the contract. Full staffing of the city's Community Services Department moved forward.

At last week's council meeting, Community Services Director Robert Lennox presented the city's Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation Master Plan. During that presentation, a distribution map was shown that Lennox explained "is weighted on one side of the city." After the master plan was approved, Lennox presented for the council's information a mid-year report, which included specifics on the first five months of the fully-staffed Community Services Department.

The report cited a 53 percent increase in program participation at Lazy Creek Recreation Center (below) and Kay Ceniceros Center on the west side. It also reported $99,317 in revenue in five months through facility rentals and other fees. According to the report, residents served at city recreational facilities more than doubled from July through November over a similar period the year before -- from 17,882 in 2014 to 38,652 this year.

The report also reported "liabilities" in maintaining status quo with Valley-Wide, citing differing standards and the fact Valley-Wide does not own all facilities in the city. It referred to requests for financial reports from Valley-Wide that allegedly were not provided.

In addition, the report referred to a December 2014 ruling by LAFCO denying Valley-Wide's request to increase its territory west of Interstate 215. According to the report, LAFCO cited "a need for the city to establish itself as a reliable service provider of park and recreation programs and facilities within its own territory. Furthermore, the Commission concurred that the natural evolution of cityhood should include the local agency gaining full control of all public facilities within its boundaries."

Matt Duarte, vice president of Valley-Wide's Board of Directors and a longtime resident of Menifee, spoke at the Dec. 16 meeting, criticizing city manager Johnson and staff for "spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on reports -- not to mention a million-plus on staff salaries -- to prove their plan is financially feasible."

Duarte also disputed a portion of the staff report that showed city expenditures on west-side facilities, saying it didn't include staff salaries.

In a phone interview later in the week, Valley-Wide general manager Dean Wetter expressed concern over the matter.

"I imagine the city and Valley-Wide will be getting together soon to discuss this," said Wetter, who was not at the Dec. 16 city council meeting. "It would be nice to open the lines of communication on this. I'm a little surprised there was not better engagement in terms of notifying us beyond the agenda of what would be discussed.

"Menifee represents a sizeable portion of our district. Those responsible for our operations there see the vision of what makes Menifee a desirable place to live. That's a vision we're proud to be a part of."

Stay tuned.