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Gahanna parks division reports staffing growth, 300+ trees planted and new trail plans
Summary
Zach Guthrie, park operations manager, told the board the division now manages roughly 800 acres, more than 50 park properties and about 20 miles of trails, and has grown to about 25 full-time staff with expanded horticulture and street-tree planting.
Zach Guthrie, park operations manager, gave the Parks & Recreation Board an overview of the parks division’s scope, staffing, recent accomplishments and upcoming maintenance priorities.
Guthrie said the division manages roughly 800 acres of parkland, more than 50 park properties, about 20 miles of paved trails, 17 playgrounds and two aquatics facilities. He said the division now employs about 25 full-time parks staff (including golf operations) plus more than 30 part-time or seasonal employees; he contrasted that with roughly seven full-time staff when he became superintendent in 2021.
A key operational highlight Guthrie cited: "Last year we planted over 300. So last year we planted more than we took down," a milestone he said had not previously occurred in his 13-plus years with the department. Guthrie said those plantings came from the street-tree program and other horticulture efforts to replace removed or hazardous trees.
On maintenance and programming, Guthrie summarized the division’s operating crews (parks crew, parks and facilities, arbor/forestry, horticulture and golf) and emphasized storage, prairie restoration and volunteer engagement. He noted both opportunities and constraints: horticulture and arbor work is expanding, but water access and contractor oversight (the city entryway landscaping contract with BrightView) require close coordination.
Guthrie walked the board through recent incidents and volunteer efforts: the department responded to a drought-related fish kill last summer in Woodside South where low oxygen and high heat caused substantial fish mortality; staff removed carcasses over about a day and a half. Guthrie also highlighted volunteer work such as trail maintenance and a creek cleanup, and said the department hopes to use volunteers to help maintain a planned mountain-bike trail. He said trail designers and volunteer groups (including a local academy and COMBO) will help train stewards and that parks staff will monitor the new trail for erosion and hazards in its first years.
Board members asked operational questions about the city-entry landscaping contract and whether litter cleanup was included; Guthrie said litter cleanup is handled at specific cleanup periods under the current contract but parks staff will review contract details with the contractor and look for efficiencies.
Guthrie said the department is considering reinstating a goats program for invasive-plant control but has not budgeted it yet. He closed by describing volunteer events, staff culture, and the parks team’s recent presentation at the state conference on organizational culture.
Ending: The board praised staff and asked for continued oversight of contracted entryway landscaping and the mountain-bike trail stewardship plan; no formal action was taken.
