[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6201749,"mediaKeyId","3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8","parentId",3789117,"title","Committee signs off on parks and recreation budgets; members discuss pool metrics, playground replacements and Salem Common safety study","audioSeconds",2631,"startMs",1479000,"endMs",4110000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8&start=1479&end=4110","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8/thumbnail_1479000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6201749/Salem-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-signs-off-on-parks-and-recreation-budgets-members-discuss-pool-metrics-playground-replacements-and-Salem-Common-safety-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201749-5381c4d6837ddccf6d3ccb8c9ac3c4c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204356&Signature=mQZn6XmDi3rRqH7jukw67JadjxIYco~dQkuYqPgb1lAshrhTLAEMH6d9GZslDdYKwXnhJqZh-arOXW6M~j-E9fg0te5PZBJIWbPdrJYzJLOitKeQR0D-Y0yZ8f2zDdX3mCi4Hpvro~tAOkuLTuzfPTXSSvfBect3fz53oJey41ujLaVI81SSjZiTmZ5SRp01Pa97NTF2bgF0YVJvT4T~U7ASa-3Ps-VTYebcBg8ZPin5TWd7AdfkHuHQ1SxuBQPOoiN8yn4UWqEdEPL-0dex9jGbFyZaCz4jnKR7AYMC~t2xrq2feaxtzwjnYOBNXqlYKjUtK8tzVhlegSaPnUBQTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Salem City, MA","date","2025-06-13T02:45:49Z","article","The Salem City Council Committee on Administration and Finance recommended approval of several Parks & Recreation FY26 budgets on June 9, including the golf course ($727,036 department total), Winter Island ($333,584) and Parks & Recreation general administration ($1,260,794).

Paul Lever, superintendent of the golf course, told the committee the department requested funding for a new point‑of‑sale system to add online tee times and gift‑card sales, plus liming treatment for course turf. Councilors praised recent course improvements and the motion to recommend the golf budget (moved by Councilor Stott, seconded by Councilor Harvey) carried by the committee voice vote recorded as “four hands plus my own.”

Winter Island manager David Gilbert said the season opened May 19 and the site remains in “pre‑season” staffing and operations while new staff are trained. He told the committee the bathhouse roof shows lichen and likely leaks and that the department is obtaining multiple roofing bids. Gilbert also said the park’s department pickup is an aging 2011 Ford F350 with about 105,000 miles and that replacement is under consideration to ensure safety and winter plow capability. The committee recommended Winter Island’s budget on a voice vote that carried.

Parks and Recreation Director Trisha O’Brien summarized department priorities and noted the Council on Aging reorganization shifted some facility and maintenance expenses into Parks & Rec’s budget lines earlier in the process. O’Brien said departmental requests were minimal beyond routine cost pressures and highlighted the department’s commitment to affordability: “We never allow money to be any kind of an obstacle for anyone to participate in any of our programs, events, the pool,” she told the committee.

Councilors sought more performance metrics: they asked for pool pass totals and data on how many passes are subsidized or provided free, numbers of swim lessons given to city children, and rental usage of the Community Life Center event space. Director O’Brien said she can provide last year’s figures and will include those measures in future budget materials. Committee members also discussed the YMCA contract that covers pool staffing and noted the FY26 budget presentation reflects the YMCA’s rebid and line‑item structure; staff clarified the rebid did not indicate a reduction in lifeguard coverage.

The committee reviewed capital items under Parks & Recreation, including playground replacements (Collins Cove targeted for FY26, High Street planned for FY28 pending design and funding), a $125,000 parks upgrade cushion for unanticipated repairs and a $50,000 study to evaluate public‑safety perimeter measures on Salem Common. O’Brien said the common study is an initial planning step to consult specialists on safety measures that respect the site’s historic character and that the work is not intended to presuppose a specific design.

Councilors also highlighted the Palmer Cove Park opening and neighborhood concerns connected to events such as the Night Fair, where residents asked organizers for porta potties and a visible police detail. O’Brien said organizers provide police details and staff will follow up to ensure neighborhood communication and services align with community concerns.

All parks and recreation items discussed at the hearing were recommended to the full council as part of the FY26 budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Committee on Administration and Finance June 9th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee recommended FY26 budgets for Parks & Recreation line items including the golf course, Winter Island and department general administration. Councilors pressed for more pool and playground performance data and heard plans for playground upgrades, a Winter Island bathhouse roof and a Salem Common safety assessment.","taxTitle","Salem City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",70531,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6201754,"Committee recommends Council on Aging budget; director outlines outreach hires, electric vehicles and wellness checks",2002,1705000,3707000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8&start=1705&end=3707","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8/thumbnail_1705000.jpg","/articles/6201754/Salem-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-recommends-Council-on-Aging-budget-director-outlines-outreach-hires-electric-vehicles-and-wellness-checks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201754-06a9e341bf23d6778c3862d468177948/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204356&Signature=hyo5IDe~S0JcCA7shfCdeDJvVvft4KobZkGVdqpM0qJMUcCWaaMUHs1bWpIoDdiZVPNlM0oe2NOoO-5WSi1Fh9byOAt4sTQppXaezEKtg267UAWpeL4omi~Wo7ZOSTDr-pbRXVBN0kPNrngfRFHlvKwyv1LqAQTNicyKQLBckIyEcnQ46qcI5726RJelH4rZGSbo9gJaAxJNNR1NsUipaGMwPkBfPFasbMymqG9Y3YTcB7rHQ9HkT6HfADnk1kLknc3RKQjnlCHGdjS6ZYby4TF19JpJ9R2UCmsVCTDHE~XQK19mhZYPd~z6EOcT30yWNw9YCFnSJb-f2w5Uj2Rbog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Salem City Council Committee on Administration and Finance recommended fiscal 2026 funding for the Council on Aging (COA), approving a department total of $539,780 (personnel $462,680; expenditures $77,100) during its June 9 hearing.

Terry Arnold, director of the Council on Aging, summarized recent staffing and program changes, including a new transportation coordinator and a newly hired bilingual outreach coordinator intended to increase participation by Spanish‑speaking older adults. Arnold said the department provides roughly 1,151 one‑way rides per month and that the city was awarded two electric vehicles through a MassDOT program.

Arnold described social‑service additions: a newly hired clinical social worker, Fabiola Alvarez, and outreach staffer Ingrid Patterson, who focuses on Spanish‑language community engagement. Arnold said the city’s MetroBridge study informed outreach plans and hire choices and that the COA has seen “significant growth” in programming since moving into the community life center.

On emergency response for isolated residents, Arnold described the Confirm OK wellness check program (formerly referenced as RU OK). Residents register with the social‑service team, receive automated calls in the 8 a.m. hour and if a participant fails to pick up on the third call, the police are notified for a welfare check. Arnold said only about a half dozen people were enrolled and urged broader outreach; Councilors suggested targeting visiting‑nurse companies, Meals on Wheels deliveries and other direct contacts to boost enrollment.

Arnold also briefed the committee on a proposed kitchen upgrade in the community life center intended to add ventilation and enable more on‑site, cooked meals and small enterprise food offerings. He said an earlier ARPA application was not funded in time, so those ARPA funds were repurposed; the administration supports completing the project and staff have prepared studies and construction documents to go to bid pending capital approval. \"The big thing with this project is to have a vent in this building,\" Arnold said.

Committee members voted to recommend the COA budget to the full council. The motion, moved by Councilor Stott and seconded by Councilor Harvey, carried by voice vote recorded as “four hands plus my own.” No new staffing was added to the FY26 operating budget; some responsibilities were shifted on the city’s org chart as COA becomes an independent department.","The committee recommended the Council on Aging's FY26 budget and heard updates on transport services, two electric vehicles, bilingual outreach hires, the Confirm OK wellness check program and a planned kitchen upgrade requiring ventilation work and capital approval.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6201759,"Council approves Witch House, Pioneer Village and Charter Street Cemetery budgets; staff outline AR pilot and cemetery repairs",219,119000,338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8&start=119&end=338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3789117-f3f367eaa93f3d7d4f16f8899a96b1e8/thumbnail_119000.jpg","/articles/6201759/Salem-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Council-approves-Witch-House-Pioneer-Village-and-Charter-Street-Cemetery-budgets-staff-outline-AR-pilot-and-cemetery-repairs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201759-b5de94d631285b748f20495f70d5674c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204356&Signature=jJ1sAkVNVw-YxwWxidwxpDwlo~MjLuJdmnvtoFgcXdECt4rN~TD8IZnuxfup~XWE5QgWzb2LOvjfCrKT2QNqnP-P2IONGZRAOHwT48EJHay-VclWBTNSh1eFaPFOjZpm4DAx~Leh~Qe71BXFAljkZjXaIRaXpMyHTGwP4UcD~G65ctVD925hyWp5wfXGpZ~tEOSweaE01SJSVIHiY06HzAN008C6rjB-9M5eD0aU~9v-bLtpdwLKLSAXA2WP3-3RdlX4ugcQAOHOyMH9iE52OA1RDf2k79ah7~HyIv2Q4jYSGt44D9p-p~C~VTR08Xu12YYfeClI9ZBncfnJrXbxjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Salem City Council Committee on Administration and Finance recommended approval Tuesday of fiscal 2026 budgets for the Witch House, Pioneer Village and Charter Street Cemetery, approving combined departmental totals of $361,100 for the Witch House, $26,980 for Pioneer Village and $218,718 for Charter Street Cemetery.

The approvals, each moved by Councilor Stott and seconded by Councilor Harvey, carried by the voice vote recorded as “four hands plus my own,” indicating unanimous committee support in the room. The votes came during a committee hearing held June 9 in the council chamber on the proposed FY26 operating and capital plans.

Elizabeth Peterson, manager for the Witch House, Pioneer Village and Charter Street Cemetery, told the committee that the weekday budget requests were small and mainly sought modest increases to part‑time and seasonal wages. She also described an augmented‑reality pilot intended to “enhance the visitors’ experience” at the Witch House and Charter Street Cemetery by providing time‑limited, remote or on‑site AR content to supplement timed tickets and classroom access. “We’re taking it just in small steps just to test out ideas,” Peterson said.

Peterson and councilors also described work funded through the Charter Street account, including tree trimming, path improvements, runoff control and storage for headstones. Peterson credited a staff member, Carl Schultz, for completing a database of burials that the department has posted online to help descendants and researchers locate graves. The database and fee income from visitors have contributed to the Charter Street fund balance used for those repairs; Peterson reported the account has built up and is now being used for repairs and projects.

Councilors asked about visitation data and crowd management at the Witch House. Peterson said the department moved earlier in the season to Eventbrite time‑ticketing after local congestion and safety complaints, limiting entries to small groups at a time to reduce crowding and damage. Peterson reported an in‑house count of 44,462 visitors as of May, and said a figure shown elsewhere in materials (roughly $1,016,901) was tied to visitor‑related totals; she characterized these as program estimates that vary by season and noted the ticketing policy intentionally controls attendance.

Council members pressed on expansion of AR to other historic cemeteries, preservation needs at Broad Street Cemetery and potential coordination with neighboring sites such as the Pickering House. Peterson said Charter Street work was intended to “embrace all of them” over time but that repairs and use of the dedicated fund had only recently reached the point where expansion could be considered.

The committee voting record shows motions to recommend each site budget to the full council; the committee’s voice tallies were recorded as carried. The committee did not adopt additional new policy or capital authorizations beyond the line‑item recommendations discussed at the hearing.

Looking forward, Peterson said staff will continue testing AR components and will coordinate with volunteers and friends groups for cemetery preservation and outreach.","The Salem City Council committee recommended FY26 budgets for three historic sites and heard plans for small-scale augmented‑reality visitor features, continued use of Charter Street funds for repairs and a cemetery burial database.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee signs off on parks and recreation budgets; members discuss pool metrics, playground replacements and Salem Common safety study

Committee recommends Council on Aging budget; director outlines outreach hires, electric vehicles and wellness checks

Council approves Witch House, Pioneer Village and Charter Street Cemetery budgets; staff outline AR pilot and cemetery repairs