Commission debates making Parks & Recreation a standalone department; language to return

Commissioners discussed whether to pull Parks & Recreation out of Public Works and create a standalone department in the charter (proposed section 7.09). The chair said the parks master plan and public-survey data highlighted underfunding and a need for dedicated staff; she noted the county’s total acreage including mine sites is "6,482 acres," a figure raised to underscore the scope of maintenance needs.

Several commissioners argued that parks and recreation functions deserve a distinct department and director; Dan Dennehy emphasized the importance of the recreation side of parks programming, noting activities such as softball and soccer. Cindy Dolan cautioned that creating a separate department could increase budget and staffing obligations and suggested reworking the language before deciding whether to include the change on a ballot.

Given the fiscal questions, the chair said she would rework the parks language and bring it back to commissioners for further review rather than include it on the ballot at this time. The commission did not take a formal vote on section 7.09 at the Jan. 5 meeting.