Finance committee debates cuts to parks budget: pools, dumpsters, fountains and a proposed $45,000 park study

The Finance Committee spent a lengthy portion of Monday’s session discussing proposed parks and recreation cuts that would affect pools, downtown beautification and park maintenance.

Committee members said the parks department’s budget currently assumes two pools will be open on any given day, with a $30,000 savings if staff reduce operations and rotate which two pools are open. The committee chair summarized the choice: “If the committee wants to keep all 3 pools open, each day during pool season, we will we'll need to find $30,000 from some place.” Alderman Albert Cooney and others urged keeping the three pools open for the summer, describing the cut as a one-time fix that could lead to additional pool-closure requests in future years.

Parks staff and councilors reviewed a menu of alternatives presented at the Parks and Recreation meeting: not operating the 400 Block (about $24,000), not running the River Life fountain (about $7,000), not operating the Brockmire Park splash pad (about $9,000), eliminating dumpsters (savings of about $3,900), reducing small projects (about $10,000) and other minor items (no ice rinks: $2,000; piers at River Life: about $7,000). Parks staff cautioned that many donation accounts are earmarked for specific uses and are not available to offset general operations. A parks representative said donation accounts hold “about a 100 and some thousand dollars” but are largely allocated to memorials, the skate park and other tagged projects.

Councilors also debated a proposed $45,000 park/county study that some aldermen described as an appropriate use of an economic development professional-services earmark and others called too costly. Alderman Watson and others suggested that competent in-house staff could cover parts of the study and that the $45,000 might be available for more pressing operational needs.

Members discussed downtown amenities and maintenance costs: the city helps fund downtown umbrellas and flower baskets, and staff noted the city’s portion of umbrella costs appears regularly in the budget. Flower baskets were said to have cost about $12,000 last year; parks staff said the self-watering basket frames are reused but the plant materials and staff time are recurring costs. Donated amenities also carry ongoing maintenance obligations that add future budget pressures.

Staff and councilors explored other cost-savings ideas discussed in committee: an urban-forestry fee ($2 per parcel per month would generate an estimated $417,000); limited equipment sales by Public Works; delaying or reallocating small equipment purchases; and operational changes such as adjusting mowing schedules or seasonal staffing levels. Parks staff warned cuts to maintenance supplies or janitorial contracts would reduce service levels and could increase overtime or other costs.

The committee did not adopt final cuts during the meeting. Members asked finance staff to circulate the list of proposed cuts and to prepare amendment language so aldermen could arrive at the next workshop with written proposals.

Ending: The committee scheduled further budget work; parks staff will provide an itemized list of earmarked gift accounts, and council members agreed to prepare formal amendment proposals for the next session.