The city of Homer has started work on its Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC) needs assessment. Funded by a city appropriation and community donations, a citizen group meets weekly on the assessment. The next meeting is 5:30 p.m. March 20 in the Cowles Council Chambers, City Hall.

The Homer Arts and Culture Alliance (HACA) is actively participating in these meetings. HACA organizations include Bunnell Street Arts Center, Homer Council on the Arts, Kachemak Bay Campus, Pier One Theatre and the Pratt Museum. The PARC mission statement is “to determine the resources and prioritize the needs for our community concerning parks, arts, recreation and culture facilities and programs.” The goals of the needs assessment are to look at existing and potential PARC resources, determine what programs and facilities the community wants, determine the gap between what the community has and what it wants, examine future trends, look at the importance of PARC activities to Homer’s quality of life, and look at how new programs and facilities can be paid for. The PARC Commission welcomes input and ideas. Contact Julie Engebretsen in the Planning Department at 435-3119 or any of the Homer Arts and Culture Alliance groups.