King County should privatize the 39 parks it’s considering closing (“39 King County parks could shut down,” Aug. 26, by Jacinda Howard & Matt Phelps), including the ones in Kirkland’s new annexation areas.

Here are the various forms local park privatization can take:

• Corporate sponsorships and naming rights: Private sponsorships can be as mild as a little blue sign saying that the Smith family or Kiwanis Club cleans up, or “adopts,” Square Park (like we do on parts of freeways now), to a “Sponsored by Starbucks” sign at the entrance to Juanita Heights Park, to actually re-naming Windsor Vista Park “Microsoft Park,” like we name Key Arena and Safeco Field. These groups would pay fees for the maintenance and operation of the parks.

• User fees: This is charging for entrance into a park. Such day use fees have been used in National Parks and state campgrounds for years. And much of King County’s parks’ budget already comes from user fees.

• Contracting out concessions: This can take the following forms:

A. Small shops, street vendors and rentals. A hot dog stand, gift shop, art gallery or coffee house/bookstore are examples. Letting a local entrepreneur rent sailboats, snorkeling equipment, go-carts, bumper cars, volleyball and tennis equipment are other possibilities.

B. Restaurants. This is already being done in Kirkland’s Houghton Park.

C. Hotels. Perhaps a Bed & Breakfast?

• Full Privatization. This means selling (or leasing or otherwise turning title and management fully over to the private sector) the park to a private land trust, for example, who would then run it as a public park. Or a neighborhood association could take it over and run it like a condo association runs its pool and clubhouse.

These solutions aren’t “pimping out our parks” like some critics claim, but being realistic with financing reform that avoids onerous taxes and can still preserve parks’ natural beauty. Parks have to be paid for one way or another. Rather than close the 39 King County Parks due to a $56 million budget shortfall, and rather than raising taxes yet again, we should consider privatizing them.

Jeff E. Jared is a Kirkland resident and attorney.