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

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.