Parks department asks for staff and overtime increases to sustain pools, Code Blue response and summer programs

Dana Force, the parks manager, told council members the Parks & Recreation Department completed “over $7,000,000 in parks projects” in 2025 and outlined requests to keep more facilities open and expand programming in 2026.

Force said the department is finishing design and implementation work at Connell Park, Grace Street Park, the Cloverfield Trailhead and additional pool facilities and noted that “the infrastructure is already in” for a new lap pool with a grant application estimated at $3,000,000. She described current operations as four outdoor water facilities and one indoor pool, and said the department relied on 45 lifeguards this year and hopes to grow that pool to about 60.

Why it matters: the department asks for staff increases and an overtime boost that it says are necessary both to maintain daily operations at existing sites and to respond to winter Code Blue shelter nights for people experiencing homelessness. Force said Code Blue nights at Saint Anthony’s shelter this year required “more than 660 overtime hours,” and that increasing the overtime budget for 2026 will “ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of the unsheltered individuals.”

Council members pressed for specifics. A council member asked whether the proposed $50,000 overtime increase will cover recent demand; Force and colleagues said much of the overtime is driven by Code Blue but that some overtime also supports events and seasonal work such as opening the show mobile, large events at the skate park, and maintenance needs. Force confirmed lifeguard pay this year was $16 per hour and captains $18, and described a training reimbursement policy: “a lifeguard would submit an application … they will take the training, they will pay for it. We will reimburse as well as the background checks that are needed.”

Force described community programs supported by parks funding, including a summer camp that served about 25 Scranton children in July, partnerships with local nonprofits, and free activities that drew dozens of families. She also noted one-off capital items and staffing requests: a NAUG parks manager to oversee the city’s largest park, an additional pool operator (the department currently has three), and expanded supply funding to support the growing summer program.

The council did not take a vote on the requests at the hearing. Presenters agreed to provide additional fiscal detail on Code Blue costs and overtime breakdowns at a later meeting. The next procedural step is follow-up with budget staff and scheduled appearances by police and fire for related personnel and benefit questions.