Perk Phase 2 and park investments discussed; council suggested land acquisition as near-term step

Council members discussed Perk Phase 2 as a potentially large recreational project and debated whether it is a "need" or a "want." Several members suggested that securing land could be the council's most time-sensitive near-term action: as one councilor put it, "land you gotta buy the land when it's available."

Members and staff discussed funding approaches, including whether the city should incubate an initial phase and then transfer ongoing ownership or operations to a park district or a nonprofit. Staff noted that different project phases have different fiscal implications and that acquisition-focused steps could be taken earlier with relatively modest capital outlays compared with full construction.

Next steps: Staff will include Perk land options and cost ranges in follow-up materials, and council asked staff to analyze options for transferring future phases to a park district or other partners.