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Parks programming rebounds after Helene; staff levels frozen but participation rose
Summary
Recreation staff reported increased events and participation for fiscal 2025, new small clubs and river trips, but the county maintains a hiring freeze that permits only backfills, limiting new permanent positions.
Liz Hookwater, recreation division manager, told the Recreation Advisory Board that programming expanded in fiscal 2025 with new clubs and events despite staffing constraints.
Hookwater said the department added two PRN program assistants and used them to expand offerings: a new fishing club, winter warm-up events, a spring festival, 55-plus programs, and a bike rodeo with helmet giveaways. She said French Broad river trips with MountainTrue continued through the summer and an additional adult disc-golf club will begin in the fall.
Hookwater reported a year-over-year increase in event counts and participant numbers for fiscal 2025 and noted pool visitation increased despite thunderstorms and the loss of some municipal pool capacity. "We increased events and participants in fiscal year 2025," she said.
On staffing and budget, Hookwater and Daines said the county placed a hiring freeze for most of fiscal 2025 after the hurricane. The current fiscal year allows backfills for vacated positions but not new permanent hires except for emergency-required roles.
Hookwater said the department is trying to use outdoor spaces more because indoor facilities are limited. She also noted the CORE (Community Outreach and Recreation Experience) program resumed activities at Big Ivy and that the department is tracking visitation and event metrics for future planning and funding requests.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to expand outdoor programming where feasible and to provide the advisory board with participation data to support future funding discussions.
