Kent Parks & Recreation asked council on Oct. 1, 2025, to fund a new full‑time “program and behavior support coordinator” to respond to rising medical and behavioral needs in before‑and‑after‑school and summer programs.

Parks & Recreation Director Angela (last name not provided in transcript) told council that post‑COVID changes have raised the share of participants with medical or behavioral plans to roughly 30% in some programs and that the department’s current coverage relies on three part‑time employees who have limited availability. “The total cost would be, just a little less than $90,000 — that’s a $56,000 annual salary, and then that includes benefits on top of that as well,” Angela said.

Council heard that the department’s revenue mix — user fees, program registrations and several small, fixed tax levies — has not kept pace with operating costs and personnel inflation. Parks & Rec reported about $400,000 in revenue from childcare and camp programs and said it currently employs 10 full‑time staff (five of whom are exclusively maintenance), falling short of a master‑plan benchmark of 14 full‑time positions. The department also listed near‑term capital needs totaling about $497,000 for 2026, with only $120,000 currently budgeted, leaving roughly $377,000 unfunded.

Director Angela said creating the full‑time coordinator position would allow staff to centralize medical and behavioral support, conduct training, meet with parents, coordinate with juvenile diversion and other partners, and pursue grant writing. The Parks Board supports the request. If council funds the position, the three part‑time roles currently providing intermittent coverage would be removed, the director told council.

Council and city staff framed the ask within broader budget planning: city administration said it will present councils with a worksheet of competing capital and operating requests in November to allow members to prioritize funding across departments. Staff suggested options including setting aside a dedicated percentage of income‑tax revenue for parks capital in future budgets.

Why it matters: council members noted that many city services now include case management‑style work — coordinating with families, public safety and other social‑service partners — and said failing to address staffing needs could undermine program quality. Council did not approve funding at the Oct. 1 meeting; staff will return with budget options.