Alderman James Cleave reviewed the parks portion of the city’s fiscal 2025–26 budget at the July 14 Pacific Park Board meeting and told members the Board of Aldermen has approved the budget but not all transfers from contingency that would make some projects immediately spendable.

“The biggest one is skate park,” Cleave said, and he listed other large items in the parks budget including playground equipment, pool contract and staffing, security cameras, parking-lot sealing and park improvements. Cleave told the board the total park spending in the package is about $1,327,000 and said roughly $600,000 of sales tax revenue arrives under a parks/storm split (about $300,000 estimated for parks). He explained some projects remain dependent on transferring contingency funds and that transferring contingency requires five aldermen’s approval.

Why it matters: the budget allocates money for multi-year projects and maintenance priorities; some high-cost projects — notably playground equipment at Liberty Field and plaque replacements — are in the approved budget but will not proceed until contingency transfers and other revenue sources are confirmed.

Key items discussed: Cleave said the playground equipment line remains in the budget but the planned transfer from contingency to pay the full cost has not been completed; he cautioned the money may not be available until aldermen approve a transfer. The skate park has a cost-share and grant package in place (design firm SWT under contract) and Cleave said the grant-funded project must be complete by October 2026 under current timelines. Cleave noted plaque replacement funding had been reduced repeatedly in budget negotiations — an initial $90,000 estimate was cut to $45,000, then $22,500, then $10,000 — and that $10,000 would cover only a small fraction of needed replacements.

Other finance details: Cleave listed funding sources including a parks sales-tax reserve, grant revenues for the skate park, a donation from the Jeffrey L. White Memorial Foundation (matched by the city), interest income and pool season-pass revenue. He pointed out the pool contract and maintenance line is about $104,000 while pool revenue is projected at roughly $8,000, noting the budget relies on general fund or other sources to cover that gap.

Board questions and next steps: Park Superintendent Chris Fowler and Cleave discussed sequencing for projects such as resurfacing Burke Circle and backstops and whether work should wait for major construction to avoid rework. Cleave said he will pursue contingency transfer approval with the Board of Aldermen and will report back to the parks board if additional direction is needed.

Ending: Board members were asked to monitor the budget items closely and be prepared for updates at upcoming meetings; several capital items may be delayed until contingency transfers or other revenue sources are finalized.