Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront department leaders reported May 14 that recent reductions in force will reduce staffing and services and complicate summer operations.

Division director Derek Roche said the department had employed about 70 people before the reductions (65 full‑time and five part‑time); after the recent RIF the department will have 59 full‑time and three part‑time staff, a net loss of eight positions the department cited in the meeting. Roche said that translated into across‑the‑board cuts, including eliminating an events staff position and a part‑time graphics position, ending the city’s lease of the second floor of the O’Brien Community Center and winding down operation of the O’Brien adult center.

Roche told councillors those changes would reduce event capacity and external rentals for parks; the department expects lower revenue for FY26 tied to reduced services and the end of some leases. He gave an example of immediate operational planning: staff arranged coverage so Rob Peterson, the marina manager, would take lead on July 3 traffic coordination and the police department will provide operational support.

On finances, Roche said the department projects roughly $5 million in baseline revenues based on FY24 activity and that FY26 shows a net budget reduction of about $600,000 driven by revenue losses and service reductions. He said staff must find about $159,000 in savings across other budget lines to meet standard attrition targets. The department also cited the loss of leases and events as drivers of reduced revenue; one slide cited roughly $275,000 in revenue change tied to service reductions.

Roche and councilors discussed impacts on summer programs: Roche said major waterfront events and the marina/campground programs remain scheduled, but adult‑program reductions will be felt because staff who oversaw adult center programming were affected by the RIF. He said the department is coordinating with partners (Champlain Housing Trust stepped forward about the community‑center lease) and will meet with staff and stakeholders to catalog work and clarify what will be absorbed elsewhere.

Why it matters: parks, waterfront and library programming are highly visible public services that residents use for recreation, child care and summer meals. Cuts to staffing and event capacity can reduce services, affect revenue and lengthen response times for maintenance and permitting.

What’s next: Roche said the department will meet with staff and the mayor’s office to reorganize services and requested patience while transition work proceeds; councillors asked for more detailed org charts, inventories of services that will be cut and clarity on summer programming such as meals and swim instruction.