Parks and recreation seek playground replacements, Morgan Falls upgrades and trail funding

Recreation and parks staff presented operating and capital requests that will be considered in the FY27 budget.

Director Brent said the department plans to replace its recreation registration software ($22,000) to improve mobile registration and asked for program-supply increases to support adaptive and youth programs. He described three playground initiatives — a replacement at the Avenue at the Art Center and a signature playground at the Heritage site — and additional maintenance and site improvements.

Brent requested $2,000,000 toward the Morgan Falls Athletic Complex project to address stormwater and field infrastructure, and described work to finalize permitting and a lease amendment with Fulton County before moving to construction. He also requested $2,000,000 for Trail Segment 2C construction but noted the full trail is estimated at roughly $14,000,000; the city will pursue grant funding to supplement local reserves.

The tree program funding was adjusted: staff asked for $300,000 for tree-planting and removal work and proposed smaller adjustments to partner programs such as Tree Atlanta. Brent described increases and decreases across tree-related line items and noted volunteer programs have helped reduce maintenance costs.

Bill, who manages events at City Springs, outlined plans to increase the signature-events offset to $500,000 (including a $250,000 parking-revenue transfer), and to pursue sponsorships and foundation commitments to support City Springs programming.

Council members asked about recurring costs, grant prospects, and program metrics; staff said they will provide detailed budget pages for each project in the proposed budget packet.