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Spokane Parks operations report details renovations, staffing, equipment purchases and maintenance plans
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Summary
Park operations lead Carl Strong reported staffing shifts, irrigation and vegetation work, recent sports-field renovations, aquatics maintenance upgrades, playground bark purchases and two new large mowers arriving to reduce equipment downtime across the system.
Carl Strong, speaking for Park Operations, told the Spokane Parks Foundation on April 9 that operations teams have focused on irrigation modernization, vegetation management and clearing in developed-natural park interfaces, and several recent and planned capital and maintenance projects.
Since 2023 the department has completed two major park renovations and nine smaller renovation projects since last fall, Strong said, and highlighted recent work at Cliff Park where vegetation was reduced to reopen trails and sightlines. The sports-complex group completed an in-house renovation of four Dwight Merkel softball fields to permit 80-foot bases to accommodate older youth play.
Strong described staffing and equipment actions: the department has refilled plumber and electrician roles lost during the pandemic, executed a preventative maintenance contract for aging boilers, and acquired playground equipment purchases (about $68,000) expected to affect 15 parks. The department has stockpiled approximately 2,000 cubic feet of playground bark (price cited as about $67 per cubic foot) to speed seasonal distribution.
On aquatics, Strong said Comstock Pool experienced a major piping failure last year and the Winter Pool had controller problems; upgrades to chemical systems and replacement controllers are underway to reduce seasonal downtime. Strong also described the equipment shop's workload (about 1,000 work orders per year) and noted two new large pieces of mowing equipment have arrived or are arriving soon to reduce repair burdens.
Board members praised staff and asked follow-up questions about electric mowers's range and deployment; Strong said some electric mowers are in use but the newest large mower delivered this week is gas-powered and will serve sports complexes pending further testing of electrics at specific sites. Strong also noted the department is exploring rebates and energy-efficiency upgrades for park lights and using multiuse equipment (Eventrac) to increase field productivity.
Strong closed by inviting further engagement and questions from board members, who responded with strong praise for the maintenance staff.
