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Parks and forestry urge hires, contractor funding to address tree removals, vacant‑lot maintenance
Summary
Parks, Recreation and Forestry leaders told the budget committee they need more staff and contractor funding to manage vacant‑lot cutting, hazardous-tree removals and park maintenance; forestry asked for equipment plus trained operators and said capital funds will pay for many large tree removals.
The Parks, Recreation and Forestry leadership team told the Budget & Public Employees Committee on May 12 that staffing shortages are forcing the department to rely on contractors for mowing, vacant‑lot maintenance and hazardous‑tree removals, and that targeted hires and professional services funding would reduce backlog.
The department’s director summarized the division’s scope—110 city parks and roughly 3,200 park acres—and introduced commissioners who detailed staffing and program gaps. Parks Commissioner Kim Haegley said two permanent utility-worker positions were missing from her initial budget reconciliation but that the administration planned to restore them from another account. She asked the committee for funds to contract mowing for one large regional…
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