Parks department proposes $26.3 million in 2026 budgets, highlights Bear Creek Park construction and Monon Boulevard Phase 3

Michael Klitzing, director of Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation, presented the department’s proposed 2026 budgets across four operating funds and two capital funds during the City of Carmel’s 2026 budget workshops.

Klitzing told the council the department is proposing $6,740,033 in general‑fund support for park operations and about $4,700,000 in capital projects in the 2026 request; the department’s total requested operating and capital budgets combined were roughly $26,300,000. He said earned income — program fees, memberships and enterprise activity — accounts for most of the department’s revenue and that the city’s general fund contributes roughly 32 percent of operating support in the requested 2026 budget.

Klitzing highlighted specific projects driving the year‑to‑year increase and notable program items: Monon Boulevard Phase 3 (including a new destination playground and plaza); additional cleaning and custodial contracts for Midtown during peak season; continuing work at the White River Greenway North Extension; a $750,000 floating boardwalk at Founders Park (with the possibility of an earlier appropriation this year if the contractor timeline allows); and $2,000,000 proposed for Bear Creek Park phase 2. On the Monon Boulevard item Klitzing said the department had received quotes and included those as line‑item drivers for 2026.

Personnel remains the largest operating cost. Klitzing told the council the Parks general fund finances 34 full‑time positions and the department as a whole would have 83 full‑time employees across its enterprise funds. He said the department added two park and natural resource custodial positions funded from the general fund and moved some HR positions into enterprise funds to better reflect where staff are assigned.

Klitzing also described ongoing capital and maintenance work in 2026: non‑reverting parks capital for targeted asphalt repairs, hazard tree and invasive species removal, trail counter automation and Monon Greenway shoulder improvements; $1.4 million for Monon Community Center lifecycle repairs; White River Corridor work including historic Moffett Homestead stabilization; and continued investment in the system’s fleet and program equipment. He told the council the department tracked 5.7 million park visits last year as a measure of system use and impact.

Councilors asked about the drivers of Midtown cleaning costs and whether volunteerism could assist; Klitzing said the increased volume of users and event activity made contracted overnight cleaning more cost‑effective during the peak season and that volunteer options could be explored for post‑event pickup but would not substitute for regular maintenance during events.

Klitzing asked for the council’s ongoing support for capital repair and replacement to maintain existing assets and to proceed with Bear Creek Park and other high‑priority projects. He said the department’s enterprise funds — Monon Community Center and Extended School Enrichment — were largely self‑supporting through earned revenue.