Recreation Director Spania presented the department’s FY26 O&M and CIP proposals and asked the council to consider a full‑time recreation facilities and operations attendant position to staff parks and playgrounds and to serve as a conduit with Public Works.

Spania said the new position would focus on Hanson Pines, Squamaugonick Park and the new Nancy Loud playground, providing daily presence, maintenance oversight and quicker response to vandalism and encampments. He described the role as “boots on the ground” rather than administrative and said the city and public‑works staff would cooperate on certain tasks.

Why it matters: an on‑site attendant is intended to improve park upkeep, deter encampments and shorten response times for safety and maintenance issues. Councilors discussed scheduling and suggested the job could include nights and weekends to cover heavier-use periods.

On CIP, Spania proposed a preliminary $35,000 feasibility/design study for a skate park and noted the preliminary stage is intended to deliver concept design and cost estimates ahead of possible construction. He said the arena requires a mechanical overhaul of modular refrigeration units that will be refurbished off‑site rather than moving to a costly new mechanical building; that project was presented as a CIP item after the department assessed life‑cycle options.

The recreation O&M increases are largely tied to salaries and benefit changes and incremental additions such as extra pool treatment time for new public swim hours. Two excluded items — converting a recreation program support role to classified status and upgrading the senior-services coordinator to full time — were deferred for later consideration but may return as enrollment and operations expand.