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Recreation and Parks requests new staff, budget realignment in FY08 operating proposal
Summary
Staff presented a draft FY2008 operating budget that asks for $4.5 million in general funds, requests a capital projects manager, two groundskeepers and other staff increases, and proposes moving certain fee-supported facilities into the parks budget as a revenue-offset transfer.
St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks staff presented highlights of a draft Fiscal Year 2008 operating budget during the March 1 meeting, requesting $4.5 million in general fund support and several new positions aimed at project management and park maintenance.
Phil (staff member) said the department's FY08 general fund request totals about $4.5 million; that figure includes a proposed transfer of roughly $157,000 from the Recreation Enterprise Fund into the parks operating budget to reflect that Chancellor's Run Regional Park, the skate park and the spray ground will now be overseen by the Parks Division. Phil described the transfer as a wash because those facilities generate fees that offset the expense.
The budget request includes funding for a new capital projects manager (salary and benefits estimated at about $68,000), two additional groundskeepers to help maintain a growing park system, and about $32,000 to support additional park attendant hours for evenings and weekends at busy parks. Phil told the board the department currently has 46 full-time staff and that the positions respond to both growth in the park system and a historic need to "catch up" on maintenance.
Phil also noted proposed museum staffing changes: $25,000 to convert an hourly site supervisor position at the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum to full-time plus additional part-time hourly funds for museum staffing. He said the department will present the budget to the county commissioners during March work sessions, with a public hearing scheduled in April and final adoption expected by the end of May.
Board members asked about how the parks maintenance work is contracted and funded. Phil said the county recently rebid grass-cutting and that the resulting contract award is close to $600,000; he also said schools reimburse the county for grass cutting at school properties because the county manages a single contract that covers both park and school grounds.
Phil said staffing requests and other items above the baseline will be justified in work sessions with commissioners. "We need a person to be managing our capital projects," he said, describing how design, engineering and construction oversight now consume significant staff time.
