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Parks director proposes shift to contractors, adds inspector and crew-chief roles to improve landscaping
Summary
Parks and Recreation Director Sue Wood told the council the department will rely more on contractors for landscaping work, restructure staffing (convert horticulturist to crew chief, add an inspector) and form three dedicated crews to sustain maintenance across 29 city sites.
Parks and Recreation Director Sue Wood told the Moore City Council on Oct. 6 that the department will increase use of contractors and reorganize staff roles to deliver more consistent landscaping across the city's 29 park and sign locations.
Wood said landscaping often becomes a low-priority task for a small parks crew that must cover routine sanitation, playground maintenance, mowing, repairs and event preparations. To provide steady results, she recommended a combined approach: continuing targeted contracting for specialized landscaping work while adding supervisory capacity in-house.
Under the plan Wood described, the horticulturist position would be repurposed as a crew chief to support the park supervisor; a new inspector position would provide site inspections and contractor oversight; and crews would be organized into three teams: a maintenance/custodial crew (playgrounds, splash pads, restrooms), a mowing/trimming crew, and a Central Park-dedicated crew. Wood said contractors allow faster completion of specialized landscaping and reduce the need for additional full-time staff; she estimated the department would otherwise need about six more employees (four for landscaping and two for cleanup/maintenance).
Wood said the department has increased contracting dollars in recent years and that residents have noticed improvements, but she also highlighted process improvements still needed: timelier inspections after contractor work and clearer contractor selection to ensure appropriate plant choices and soil preparation. She asked the council to "respect the horticulturist position" by moving it to a crew-chief role and said staff will return with formal job-description changes.
Council members pressed for clarity on irrigation and long-term care for newly planted trees and recommended including irrigation or establishment watering requirements in future geo bond project contracts. City Manager Brooks and other staff indicated the parks division coordinates with Public Works on watering and that staff sometimes schedule weekend watering to protect new plantings.
No formal vote was required at the Oct. 6 discussion; staff said they would return with specific job descriptions and a proposal for the council to consider.
