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Boston Parks and Recreation lays out FY26 priorities, cites staffing gains and phased capital work
Summary
Interim Parks and Recreation leaders told the City Council Committee on Ways and Means that the department is increasingly staffed and focused on waterfront resiliency, Franklin Park work and advanced design for several playground projects, but emphasized many projects remain subject to outside funding and permitting.
Boston Parks and Recreation’s interim leadership presented an overview of the department’s FY26 priorities and recent accomplishments to the Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means on May 20, 2025. The presentation emphasized increased staffing in design and construction, ongoing waterfront resiliency projects and multiple playground and tree-planting initiatives.
The department said staff increases have removed a previous “choke point” in project delivery and that design and construction teams are now fully staffed. The parks presentation, led by Brian Sweatt (chief climate officer and interim commissioner of Parks and Recreation), itemized recent capital work and pipeline projects and stressed the department will continue to seek state, federal and philanthropic funding to supplement the city budget.
Department leaders described several near-term construction priorities and the…
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