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Carson City parks director outlines hires, construction projects, legislation and budget priorities
Summary
Parks Director Jennifer Budge reported new hires and promotions, updates on major constructions (Centennial tennis courts, Mills Park pickleball and restrooms), monitoring of state bills, an art donation proposal, and a multi‑year budget request that includes a $1.8 million SNPOMA water‑rights grant and proposed park‑maintenance staffing changes.
Jennifer Budge, Carson City Parks and Recreation Director, used the commission's March 6 director's report to brief commissioners on staffing, capital projects, legislative monitoring, an art donation, budget requests and a proposed park‑maintenance reorganization.
Budge announced a new hire, Eric Landis, as sports field coordinator and two staff promotions: Dylan Goodnight to parks crew coordinator and Bob Tonseth to open space maintenance foreman. She said two park maintenance worker vacancies remain and seasonal positions are being recruited. Budge credited staff expertise on turf and sports‑field matters and noted the department hires inmates for maintenance crews.
On capital projects, Budge reported progress on several items: new dugouts at Field 1 at Pete Livermore Sports Complex, rehabilitation of eight Centennial Park tennis courts using post‑tension concrete, and construction beginning next week on Mills Park pickleball courts using similar high‑quality surfacing. Budge said two new restrooms (Mills and Centennial) are in fabrication and will be installed later in the year. She also described sidewalk replacement work at Schultz Ranch Park.
Budge briefed commissioners on legislation she is monitoring, naming AB 429 (conservation easements), SB 21 (Conserv Nevada/state question 1 funding), SB 334 (wage changes for offenders), AB 350 (cemetery operations/disinterment standards) and SB 405 (rails‑to‑trails/outdoor recreation). She said SB 334 could have fiscal impacts because the department employs inmates on park maintenance crews.
The commission discussed a proposed donation of two interactive musical instruments to be placed near the Mills Park amphitheater; Budge said the items would be surface‑mounted and could be relocated if future playground redesigns require it. The department is planning a larger playground overhaul at Mills Park pending grant funding and design.
Budge presented a detailed tentative budget snapshot and supplemental requests to be considered by the Board of Supervisors at the May 1 tentative‑budget hearing. Items recommended from general and capital funds included a Pete Livermore Sports Complex ADA project, cart path repairs at Eagle Valley Golf Course (matching contractual contributions), Carson River Park parking lot reconstruction, partial roadway reconstruction at Lone Mountain Cemetery, Centennial Park field shortfall funding, restroom and concession refresh at Centennial, and $600,000 for initial drainage work tied to the Centennial Park master plan. The department said some costs would be reimbursed from an $1,800,000 SNPOMA grant for water rights acquisition related to Buzzy's Ranch open‑space preservation.
Budge described the cemetery program's continuing need for niches and noted the city has set aside $70,000–$90,000 from prior years; she said vendor availability is limited and the department is consulting a national cemetery association and Nevada Administrative Code guidance on disinterment and cremation niche policies.
On organizational changes, Budge outlined a proposed park‑maintenance reorganization: creation of an urban forester, an irrigation coordinator, reclassification of the park shop coordinator to park supervisor and a full‑time shop position. She said the reorganization would reduce the park operations manager's span of control, improve specialized oversight (trees, irrigation, shop operations), and create career‑ladder opportunities. The request would be funded in part by reallocating existing departmental charges rather than a large new general‑fund increase; Budge said staffing prioritization plans will be prepared if only a subset of positions can be funded.
Budge's report attracted technical questions from commissioners about curtain repairs at the MAC, playground accessible design goals for new playgrounds, and the technical complexity of irrigation and water‑rights work. The director characterized many of the budget items as one‑time capital requests and said staff will return with more detail during budget hearings.
No formal action was taken during the director's report; commissioners requested additional information and staff said budget priorities will be presented to the Board of Supervisors at the May tentative‑budget meeting.
