The Payson City Council met May 17 to discuss potential uses for this year’s Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture, or PARC, tax, made up of 0.1% of the city’s sales taxes, which goes toward funding projects in the music, outdoors, theater, sports, arts and dance industries for the community to enjoy.

This year, the city has approximately $350,000 to allocate toward these kinds of activities.

Ten percent of the money is saved for contingencies, 20% is used for “mini grants” and city projects, and the rest goes to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

These mini grants will go toward new supplies for applicants, including Utah Live Concerts, Halfpenny Youth Theatre, Payson Civic Chorale, Payson City Band, Payson Community Theatre, People Preserving Peteetneet, Payson Scottish Festival and Huish Performing Arts and Cultural Education Center.

“The Halfpenny Youth Theatre, this is a new mini grant this year. They asked for $10,000. We recommend giving them $4,000. Some of the money that we removed from there we’re going to give to increase the People Preserving Peteetneet mini grant request so that they can obtain the sound equipment that (both parties) were asking for. That way, anybody can use (the equipment),” PARC tax committee member Richard Fillerup said.

City projects include supplies for the Festival Latino de Payson, sidewalk repairs on the south soccer field by Payson High School, tree replacements in city parks, city security cameras, bridge repairs at Kiwanis Park, a feasibility study for a Payson community center, updates to outdoor and indoor stages for the Peteetneet Museum and Cultural Arts Center, restoration of the Walker War monument, supplies for Payson City Library, a master plan of improvements to the Spring Lake Natural Park site and maintenance of the Forebay Bike Park.

Each project had a suggested budget in the thousands, as can be seen in the presentation given in the City Council meeting’s livestream. After the budget for these suggestions, contingencies and the amount dedicated to the Parks and Recreation Department, an additional $70,000 was left over.

City Council members and PARC tax committee members discussed possible uses for this money, suggesting a renovation of the cemetery entrance, implementing more sidewalks in Memorial Park or adding to the fund for the Spring Lake overhaul.

During comments, Mayor Bill Wright said, “One thing I really liked was the Latino Festival. It was very well attended, there were a lot of people there, so I am totally in favor of that. I’d like to thank these four (on the committee) that we have here. That’s a lot of work, you guys. Thank you very much.”

The suggested use of these funds was passed unanimously by the City Council, with the condition that the $70,000 be stretched as far as possible for future projects.

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