Northport City Leaders Give Feedback On PARA Facilities, Financials

NORTHPORT, AL — City of Northport officials pondered the possibility of combining the services at two financially under-performing recreation facilities maintained by Tuscaloosa County Parks & Recreation Authority (PARA) Monday afternoon, in addition to receiving in-depth updates on PARA projects in the city and financing for the agency.

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PARA Finance Director Michael Crady also made his first-ever appearance during the Northport City Council's Finance Committee meeting Monday afternoon, where he fielded questions and explained the overall financial position of the quasi-government agency. Crady has been on the job since September 2021 after coming to PARA from the City of Tuscaloosa, where he worked as a senior accountant.

Crady explained, at present, that the operating balance for PARA for the year stands at a loss of $122,000, due mostly to seasonality and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. PARA officials have frequently met with the area governmental bodies who supply the largest portion its funding, in addition to soliciting feedback from its two different cities and Tuscaloosa County on how their respective leaders believe services can be streamlined and improved.

"We expect [the loss in operating revenue] to flatten out and break even with the summer months when soccer and golf pick up," he said. "We are recovering from COVID, so we're not fully back to where we were. But, we are recovering. We're still down about 10% on our memberships, but up from about 15% from this time last year, so progress is being made in that regard."

Funding has been a longstanding source of contention countywide, even amid the recovery period following the initial shock from the COVID-19 pandemic. PARA officials on hand Monday afternoon, including Executive Director Gary Minor, said the come-back has not been without its residual effects, including the slow return of families and varying age groups to the numerous PARA activity centers scattered across the county.

Historically, Northport residents have been a crucial driver in the demand and usage for PARA services in nearby Tuscaloosa and out past the Northport city limits in the county. Locations like Bowers Park and its pool, Ol' Colony Golf Course and the Faucett Brothers Activity Center are among the offerings enjoyed by Northport residents year-round.

However, Northport has historically been the butt of criticism from area officials outside of the city for the overall percentage of funding it contributes toward PARA operating budget. Indeed, the city's contributions do represent a much smaller portion, but leaders have long argued that this has been due to the lack of PARA facilities within the city limits.

Funding arguments aside, Northport leaders had new questions Monday for PARA relating to ongoing projects in and around the city, in addition to funding.

Cardy commented that PARA's rentals — mainly for event space — are also up about 77%, which he cited as a positive indicator of revenue collection.

And, in terms of causes for optimism, he and Minor also spoke to upcoming events at Ol' Colony Golf Course that could pose significant economic boons not just for the course, but the entire metro.

As Patch previously reported, the public course is set to host an Epson Tour event in September similar to the Korn Ferry Tour that will bring some of the best golfers in the world to Tuscaloosa.

Of the 144 female players, the top 10 from this event will go on to compete in the professional ranks of the LPGA. The highly-anticipated event is set for the last week of September, crossing in to the first weekend in October, which has in-part prompted the course to make over $1 million in improvements in recent months.

Cardy also took the time during the Finance Committee meeting to thank Northport officials for dedicating certain in-kind services toward making it possible to host the Epson Tour event and an upcoming NCAA Regional Tournament in May.

Excitement gave way to curiosity, however, when talk turned to ways that PARA could improve its overall financial position, while making the best use of the facilities frequented most by Northport residents.

As Northport City Administrator Glenda Webb pointed out, 58% of PARA's funding comes from governmental appropriations, which prompted an inquiry as to available grant funding at present to help with various projects, financial blind spots and revenue shortfalls.

"I think they are recovering from COVID, so you see the rentals demonstrating that as far as economic impact and revenue generated," Webb told Patch Monday afternoon. "I think our questions regarding grants are important because I think [PARA] should focus on leveraging different grant monies along with utilizing the local appropriations."

PARA's financially-underperforming facilities were also a subject of conversation, with Webb posing the possibility of combining services at facilities like the Belk Activity Center and the McAbee Activity Center. The two recreation centers are less than three miles apart and, as Webb mentioned, are both losing money at an unsustainable rate unless some kind of action is taken.

"With McAbee and Belk, you have to look, those are in close proximity to each other anyways within the City of Tuscaloosa and I was just wondering from the [PARA] board's perspective, if they have thought about combining the services or what they plan to do, because those would be underperforming facilities based on the financials they gave up."

Indeed, the McAbee Activity Center is generating only 16% of its needed operating revenue at present, according to financial records provided by PARA, while the Belk Center is at 29%.

Webb then asked if there had been any consideration to closing either of the locations or streamlining services due to their close proximity.

"That's a discussion that's been ongoing with the [City of Tuscaloosa]," Minor replied.

But when considering facilities within the Northport city limits that are maintained by PARA, the most work at present can be seen at the Northport Community Center on Park Street.

"Senior dances are very popular at the Northport Community Center and we have recently started renovations," Minor said. "I think we've spent $25,000 just in windows, countertops, doors and we're doing the labor to refurbish it. We have more to come there."

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