The Seattle Parks Department plans to appoint a Citizen Oversight Committee at the end of February for the newly re-passed Pro Parks Levy and presented the Seattle City Council with actions and steps they've taken so far for the levy's implementation.

In February, the department is expected to forward legislation to the city council to appropriate funding for projects to be done and staffing changes they will have to make to administer the levy in 2009.

The staff chosen for the Citizen Oversight Committee will meet once a month and direct expenditures of the Opportunity Fund.

The Opportunity Fund is a set of dollars set aside in the levy for projects that could not have been anticipated at the time the package was put together, said Dewey Potter, communications representative for the Parks Department.

"In the past, they have invited people to apply for money with criteria they have set," Potter said. "But in the 2000 levy, the committee invited people for projects in underserved areas or for projects for which we had acquisitions funds but not development funds. But, they have a fair amount of leeway for establishing that criteria, so that's what the committee will do as soon as they get organized."

Money for the levy will not actually start rolling in until June due to they way the city's taxing system works.

"In June, that's when we really get going and the management plan from the parks department is due to the council," said Ann Corbitt, legislative aid to Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. "The management plan will tell the council what the Parks Department will want to do for the first year of the levy."

Even with money not being available until June, the Parks Department can borrow money from their own budget and replace it once they receive the money from the levy.

Corbitt said the parks department is preparing the committee and flushing out what projects they can probably do in the next year.

The Parks Department had problems with the lag time between the passage of the last Pro Parks Levy and when project planning actually started. Potter said there would be a constant stream of communication with community councils, neighborhood councils and the city council this time around.

"As soon as there is a schedule of which projects will be done for which years, we will come out to the public with that," Potter said. "There will be no surprises of projects that will have a long lag time for what can be done now and later in 2014."

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.