An ominous 30-foot wooden totem pole carved into the shape of an American Indian stands at the foot of Potter Park Zoo's entrance.
Planted firmly in the ground at the center of the future homes of river otters and arctic foxes, the pole serves as a foundation for the planned North American panorama exhibit — an example of the zoo's optimistic future.
But the zoo is waiting in limbo as Lansing budget cuts could cause officials to undergo drastic, cost-cuting changes. Lansing could sell the zoo to Ingham County, but if the City Council doesn't decide soon, it could be too late to put the decision before Ingham County voters on the Aug. 8 primary ballot.
A quiet little park
Since 1915, Lansing's Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., has been a staple in the mid-Michigan community. The 120-acre park has only grown since its humble beginnings.
But in the midst of Lansing's $11-million budget crisis, Mayor Virg Bernero's proposed financial plan could put the zoo's long-term future in doubt.
Bernero has laid out 40 different proposals to plug Lansing's budget hole and has repeatedly said the city will not tap into its $12.5-million reserve funds. Options include eliminating 73 city jobs and closing the Red Cedar and Waverly golf courses.
"$11 million doesn't come out of thin air," said Randy Hannan, the mayor's deputy chief of staff. "Over the next few weeks we'll make some determinations about what we can afford."
It costs the city $2.1 million to run the zoo, according to Bernero's budget plan. The zoo brings in $700,000 in annual revenue through admission fees, parking and concessions.
Bernero's plan calls for a $200,000 proposed cut to the zoo's general fund, which could cause the zoo to eliminate two zookeepers, trim maintenance staff and raise parking and admission fees.
Since the zoo has always been known as a regional attraction, it should have a regional funding base, Hannan said. The zoo can deal with the cuts by increasing the hours that park employees work, he said.
"People need to step up to the plate and put in the extra hours and get the work done," Hannan said. "There will be some areas in the budget that once had 30 employees that will now only have 20, and that's the reality. We'll provide them with the tools to be more productive."
With the elimination of two keepers, Potter Park Zoo runs the risk of losing accreditation with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, or AZA, said Diane McNeil, executive director of the Potter Park Zoological Society.
The zoo houses 17 endangered species, and losing keepers violates the association's guidelines for providing care for certain species protected under AZA regulations.
Potter Park would lose AZA grants and all animals acquired under the AZA's Species Survival Plan. According to Potter Park Zoo Director Gerald Brady, losing AZA accreditation would be a substantial blow in attracting the zoo's 300,000 annual visitors.
"We need to keep the zoo operating for the next six to 12 months to keep that accreditation," Brady said. "You can't just keep a brand new vehicle, take a tire off and take the spark plugs out, expecting it to run. We need to have stability."
Taking away the zoo's endangered species would leave the zoo without any connections to other zoos that are a part of AZA and would render Potter Park "in the state of a petting zoo," said McNeil.
"They would be gone immediately and we would have to ship them to other zoos," said McNeil. "With the AZA we have such an organized program, where all zoos affiliated with the association work together with breeding and holding. It would really be devastating."
Black rhinos, red pandas, penguins, snow leopards and Amur tigers are just some of the many that would be shipped to other zoos if Potter Park loses its accreditation.
"We have worked so hard from being a quiet little park with a few animals to get where we are today," McNeil said. "We don't want to take any steps backward. We have some future plans come up, and that would be a serious blow."
County help
The countywide primary ballot presents a solution for the zoo; handing Potter Park over to Ingham County could increase much-needed funding for the zoo — but it would also increase tax millages for the county. For the regionalization plan to pass, nine of the 16 Ingham County commissioners must vote for it to be placed on the ballot. The passage of the ballot would lie in the hands of Ingham County voters.
"If the zoo doesn't get on the ballot and pass by August, we'll be without our vital resources. The zoo will essentially collapse," Brady said.
He said he's trying to lobby at upcoming City Council meetings and convince the council to tweak a few things in the budget plan by the time the council decides May 15.
Vice Chairperson Pro-Tem of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners Mike Severino hopes that Ingham County can negotiate with Lansing to take control of Potter Park and take either the city's Red Cedar or Waverly golf courses. The city plans to close both due to budget constraints.
"From a business perspective you can't take on something that's losing money," Severino said. "We need a greater incentive. The golf course would be something to sweeten the deal."
Quick decision needed
Haslett resident Bill Keith said he's been going to Potter Park for 20-25 years, and tries to go twice a year with his wife and grandchildren. Thursday afternoon, Keith decided it was a nice day to take his wife Phyllis and his three young grandchildren to Potter Park. Keith says his favorite part of the zoo was the Amur tiger cub triplets.
"I think the park is a jewel," Keith said. "It shouldn't be on the sole burden of Lansing."
Keith's grandson John Christopher Hubbard, had a different opinion, exclaiming, "I love the Red Panda. He's just so cute!"
The 2007 fiscal year begins July 1, and the Lansing City Council has until May 15 to approve the mayor's budget plan.
"We're all in the listening stage right now," said Lansing City Council President Harold Leeman. "The mayor has put out the regional approach and there's a lot of things to get into. We're still in the process of discussing the idea."
