Parks and recreation ask includes urban forester, equipment and pool staffing as city grows

Parks and Recreation presented a multi‑program budget briefing at the council workshop, summarizing accomplishments and asking the council to fund several capital items and a proposed forestry program.

Director Tiffany (last name not specified) described the department’s portfolio—16 parks, walking paths including the Greenbelt, municipal buildings and two golf courses—and highlighted recent equipment purchases and program growth. Key requests discussed include a new urban‑forester position (with a bucket truck), a field‑rehabilitation project for Brothers & Sisters Park, equipment replacements (mowers and a sweep unit for golf), and additional staffing and seasonal coverage for a newly reopened community pool.

Tiffany said the Forestry program had been inactive for more than a decade and argued a dedicated urban forester would help maintain the city canopy, assist other departments (cemetery, parks, public works) and reduce long‑term tree‑care costs. She also said some capital requests (e.g., a walker mower, bucket truck) could be partly funded from impact fees; staff noted the department’s total revenues include property tax and program fees.

The parks director reported that the combined parks and recreation program receives about $999,000 in property‑tax revenue and roughly $3.6 million in total annual revenue, with other income from fees and sales. Golf staff said play and revenue have recovered in recent years, though the courses are still seasonally dependent and occasionally require city cash flow support in slow months.

Next steps: several items are included in the draft capital budget; staff will work with finance on funding sources and present firm design and cost details at subsequent workshops.