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Parks director urges steady funding as Meriden weighs pool, turf and monument repairs
Summary
Parks Director Ward told the Finance Committee the department must absorb salary-driven costs while preserving services across 25 parks, asking for targeted CIP funds for Falcon Field upkeep, Hubbard Park pool work and monument replacements.
Director Ward laid out the Parks & Recreation department’s case at the Meriden Finance Committee meeting, saying parks staff maintain 25 parks and handle downtown sidewalks, cemetery takeovers required “by state statute,” festival support and other municipal grounds. He told members the department has no discretionary supply increases beyond contractual salary raises and a newly itemized FICA (FICO) cost that account for much of the budget pressure.
Why it matters: Ward told the committee that routine maintenance and small capital projects drive public experience of city government — from playable turf fields to accessible park paths and intact veterans’ monuments — and that underfunding operating lines can rapidly shift…
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