New Castle County parks division details staffing, maintenance costs and upcoming projects

Kendall Summers, parks division manager for the New Castle County Department of Public Works, told the county’s Public Works Committee that the division is responsible for about 251 park parcels covering just over 6,000 acres and is facing growing maintenance and contracting costs as usage rises.

Summers said the parks division has three planning staff, a permits office and an operations and maintenance section that deploys crews in three regions across the county. “I’m Kendall Summers. I’m the parks division manager,” Summers said as she began the update. She told the committee the division employs 76 full-time staff in total, about 68 of whom are field personnel on a typical day, but that number is reduced by an average of about 10 absences daily and by current vacancies.

The update laid out recurring maintenance work and associated costs. Summers said about 1,700 acres of the county’s parkland is mowable; roughly 700 of those mowable acres are contracted to outside vendors at about $32.50 an acre, with the county paying roughly $450,000 a year for contractual mowing. The division’s trash contracts run about $100,000 annually, and mulch used as playground safety surfacing and for decorative landscapes totals about 10 acres; refilling to the division’s 6-inch depth standard requires more than 8,000 cubic yards per year at a cost Summers called “almost $300,000.” Summers also told the committee that the division inspects playgrounds monthly and performs annual in-depth safety inspections by certified inspectors to catch failing parts before they become hazards.

Summers described the parks’ approach to equipment and staffing: the county divides maintenance crews into region-based teams (Rockwood North, Rockwood South, Brandywine Springs, Delcastle, District 3 crews, Banning Park, Special Projects, Carousel Park, Glasgow Park, Iron Hill Park and a southern park crew). She told the committee the division has focused recent hiring efforts on filling equipment operator positions and that several recent losses were due to internal promotions. She said the division currently has 12 vacancies and that staffing levels are a recurring recruitment and retention challenge.

On technology and public reporting, Summers said the county launched the MyNCC mobile app last summer so park users can report problems in real time; those reports go directly into the parks’ work-order system rather than routing through email. Summers said the division has begun rolling out tablets for field staff to complete inspections and work orders in the field.

Summers presented upcoming capital work and approximate costs for playground replacements and larger park projects. Playgrounds are on an approximate 20-year replacement cycle, she said, with neighborhood playground replacements averaging about $90,000, district-park playgrounds approaching $500,000 and major park playgrounds exceeding $1 million. The division used ARPA and state funds last year to replace 20 playgrounds. Summers named Penwood Park, Gray Acres Park, Westview Park, Beaverview Crest Park and Brevoort Park as likely candidates for replacement in fiscal 2026.

She outlined several capital projects by name and status: Bechtel Park reconstruction (construction documents complete; division hopes to go out to bid and start construction on June 1 with the park closed for work and reopening in the fall with the same amenities but reconfigured tennis/pickleball courts); phased replacement of the distinctive fence at Carousel Park (phases 1–3 complete or underway; remaining phases expected in calendar 2026); Press Park in Red Lion, where structural analysis and hazardous-material testing support demolition of outbuildings but the demolition permit is on hold pending a salvage plan; a planned maintenance base in Southern Park as part of phase 2 to reduce travel time for southern crews; installation of a pool shade structure and playground replacement at Surrette Park using ARPA funds; and a multi-year tree-planting program at Wiggins Mill (about 2,000 trees and 15 acres planted last year; an Earth Day planting of roughly 350 trees across 5 acres was described as the next step).

Council members asked a series of follow-up questions. Councilman Street praised crews who maintain the playground next to Woodmore Library, saying they arrive early and keep the site clean. Councilman John Cartier asked about an obsolete footbridge at Affton Community Park; Summers said the bridge is “on our radar” and staff would follow up with a status and timeline. Councilman Tackett asked about coordination with public safety to address parking and rule enforcement during busy days; Summers said parks set rules but do not have an enforcement arm and that staff coordinate with Public Safety to report issues and plan a point person to improve that partnership. Council members also asked about pavilion signage, noise complaints, pavilion fees (Summers said fees have not increased), a carry-in/carry-out pilot for newer southern parks, and the potential conversion of a Holloway Park tennis court to pickleball (a council request being iterated by Councilman Street and other members).

Summers emphasized that many projects depend on outside funding and bid schedules; she said the division seeks outside grants for playgrounds when possible. She did not present or record any formal committee votes on projects during the update but agreed to provide follow-up details on specific requests raised by council members.

The committee did not take formal action on any of the capital projects during the session; several council members requested additional information before future budget hearings and committee meetings.