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Oak Ridge budget funds conference center operations, pool renovation design, festival seed money and pickleball improvements
Summary
The draft budget covers operations for a new conference center, funds design work for an outdoor pool renovation, includes seed money for a new Atomic Fall Fest and programs $195,000 for pickleball improvements and other parks signage and maintenance.
Staff said the recreation and parks budget increases in fiscal 2026 largely reflect the addition of the new conference and event center operations, carryover golf positions that were not transitioned last year, a recreation master plan and design work for an outdoor pool renovation.
Randy said the city did set aside seed money from prior festivals to support a new "Atomic Fall Fest" run by Parks and Recreation. He also said staff included funding for two new recreation assistant positions intended to extend hours at the Scarborough Center and the senior center — positions council members requested — and to provide more flexibility for programming.
Staff programmed roughly $195,000 for pickleball-related improvements this fiscal year and $25,000 to continue park signage upgrades. The budget keeps an annual set-aside for athletic field replacement and routine school maintenance funding. Staff said the pool renovation would be a design-year activity in the current budget with construction to follow later.
Council members discussed maintenance staffing and expressed an interest in continued evaluation of overall parks staffing levels; staff said they will continue to assess maintenance needs and staffing as the budget allows.
