Wilsonville council reviews parks staffing assessment recommending two maintenance hires and organizational shifts

Consultants from Matrix Consulting presented a staffing and organizational assessment of Wilsonville’s Parks & Recreation Department on Sept. 15, urging a phased approach to meet near-term maintenance needs and longer-term program demands. The city will take on several new parks and trails in coming years; consultants and staff said the report is a roadmap whose recommendations will depend on future budget approvals.

The study’s project manager, Chaz Jordan of Matrix Consulting, said the work combined a current-state organizational profile, an operational review, and best-practices comparisons. "Our projects always begin with a current state assessment...from which to analyze," Jordan said during the work session. He highlighted three department strengths: an extensive staff training program, technology to track maintenance workloads, and experienced employees.

Lead analyst Megan Young walked the council through recommended role and staffing changes. She said the park supervisor role should shift to a more managerial and strategic position, and the current program manager should be reclassified as a community center manager to better reflect duties. Young recommended adding two park maintenance workers now to sustain current service levels as acreage expands and suggested the city perform a community needs assessment to guide programming hires.

"We're recommending the addition of two park maintenance workers," Young said, adding that the department can maintain service levels with the hires while finding operational efficiencies. The consultants also recommended adding one additional maintenance-focused employee for every 16 acres the city takes on, a ratio they said aligns the city with industry data and helps keep workload within an 18–20 acres-per-FTE industry standard.

Councilors pressed for budget scenarios and phasing. Councilor Dunwell asked whether consultants could present best-case, mid-case and worst-case funding scenarios ahead of the November funding discussion; staff and Matrix representatives said they could produce those analyses as an addendum or internal staff work. Parks Director Chris (presenting staff) said he will return next month to discuss capital projects and will lead a November discussion on long-term funding.

What happens next: staff will bring capital-project details in a follow-up session and outline funding options to the council in November. Any hires or reclassifications described in the assessment will depend on council budget approvals.

Clarifying details: the report notes four new parks and increased trails/natural areas coming online in the next three years; consultants estimated roughly 26–34 acres of additional park acreage over the next 3–5 years and presented a department staffing model that reflects a recommended increase of two maintenance workers in 2025 and additional programming staff needs (about 3.5 FTE by 2030 under assumptions). The hiring proposals are recommendations only and will be implemented in phases pending budget action.