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Unions and park advocates push council to restore cuts, baseline Playfair positions and fund '1% for parks'
Summary
Unions, the Playfair coalition and conservation groups told the committee that four years of cuts and reliance on oneshot funding have left Parks understaffed; speakers asked the council to baseline roughly 276 Playfair/oneshot positions, restore GreenThumb funding and commit to 1% of the city budget for parks.
Dozens of union leaders, environmental groups and community organizations used their allotted time during the parks committee hearing to press a single, clear ask: restore budget reductions, baseline the temporary Playfair/oneshot positions and move toward a recurring funding target equal to 1% of the city budget.
Union witnesses from DC37 told the committee that Parks relies heavily on oneshot and seasonal lines to staff core services — from lifeguards and PEP enforcement officers to rangers and maintenance crews — and that the annual churn harms retention and program continuity. “These positions are the backbone of parks,” Local 983 vice president Ralph Basely said in his…
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