Parks and Recreation proposes reduced weekend and evening hours affecting branch connection and rec center

Robert Diaz, Parks and Recreation director, told the Farmers Branch Senior Advisory Board on Aug. 8 that the department is proposing cuts to facility hours as part of a budget-reduction plan under consideration this fall.

"For branch connection specifically, what we're looking at proposing is reduction of 8 total hours for the week," Diaz said, describing the proposed schedule changes and saying the recommendations follow observed low usage patterns.

The proposal described by Diaz would leave Monday through Wednesday hours unchanged at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; keep Thursday at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; shorten Friday to 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (instead of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); and close the Branch Connection on Saturdays (the facility is already closed on Sundays). For the community recreation center, staff proposed trimming one hour Monday through Thursday (closing at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m.), shortening Friday evening hours and keeping Saturday hours largely the same; Sunday closures were already in place for some facilities. Diaz also outlined swim/aquatics adjustments that would use split schedules (for example opening early, closing mid-day, then reopening in the late afternoon) and reduce a small number of weekend or late-evening hours.

Diaz told the board the changes are intended to reduce operating costs in the general fund while concentrating staff where usage is highest. He said library weekend hours were not part of the reduction because weekend library use remains relatively high.

Board members asked whether the proposed Saturday Branch Connection closures would deny access to people without alternative memberships; Diaz responded that recreation-center access would remain for people with a rec membership but that members without rec access would need other options.

Diaz said the proposals are preliminary and part of a broader budget package that the department expects to bring forward for approval later this year; he said the city’s budget schedule targets a second meeting in September for further action. He added that the items have been discussed with the library board and will be presented to the park board next week for additional review.

The board did not take a formal vote on the hour changes during the Aug. 8 meeting; staff presented the proposals for feedback and to alert advisory groups before the formal budget process continues.