ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – For years now, the City of Abilene has considered creating a “parks foundation,” to aid in city parks funding. But what is the need and what could it cost taxpayers?

In Tuesday’s Parks and Recreation Board meeting, it was said that the city has had discussions of implementing a parks foundation for the last 10 years, but there had never before been a motion from the board to establish one.

One board member explained the need for a foundation, “So that not all the funding from parks is coming from general fund.” Then, those funds would be used to help with projects like upkeep, repairs, and improvement.

The board member said the city received a presentation from Odessa’s parks department several years ago, further explaining how the foundation works.

According to Odessa Parks Foundation, it is a nonprofit which uses an ongoing voluntary “donation program” that automatically goes on to Odessans monthly utility bills at the rate of $1.00 every month. It is unclear if residents can opt out of this program.

The conclusion of this chapter of Abilene’s parks and recreation meeting directed city staff to explore the possibility of implementing a local parks foundation further.