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Parks director warns removal of deputy parks director would cripple department operations
Summary
Parks staff and the parks director urged commissioners not to eliminate a deputy parks director position in the proposed budget, saying the department is understaffed and relies on experienced administrators to keep parks and programs open.
City parks officials urged commissioners to keep a vacant deputy parks director position in the budget after the city manager proposed cuts in the draft financial plan.
Rocky Lee, parks director, described the deputy role as vital to daily operations and argued removing it would force the department to reduce hours and services. Lee said the department already operates "bare minimum," and pointed to staff shortages after recent attrition: "If you pull her away, this department is going to fall apart," he said, referencing the deputy parks director (Jennifer Deaton) by name during his remarks.
Lee told the commission the parks department operates long public hours — "open 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and 6 hours on Sunday" — and that recent losses left the department down to three administrators. He proposed a transition plan: he offered to step down at year-end and suggested reorganizing leadership so the deputy could remain in place while he retires.
Commissioners and other officials asked detailed questions about capital requests, vehicle needs and whether parks staff could document in-house savings to justify positions. Vice Mayor and other commissioners suggested collecting more data on in-house labor savings — for example, tracking work parks crews do that avoids outside contractor costs — so the commission can better compare costs across departments.
No formal decision was made at the workshop. The parks department's budget and staffing were discussed as part of the broader general-fund deliberations and may be adjusted before final adoption.
Ending
The parks director pressed for retention of the deputy position and offered an internal transition plan. Commissioners asked staff to provide additional data on in-house savings and capital alternatives before finalizing the budget.
