Residents urge funding for Parks & Recreation inclusion coordinator and summer camp staffing as school reconfiguration threatens space

Multiple residents and advisory board leaders told council during the March 2 meeting that Charlottesville Parks & Recreation needs additional operating staff to maintain parks and expand inclusive programming, and that the school reconfiguration has left summer camp space uncertain for many families.

Jackie Tempin, a local business owner, asked the council to fund two Parks & Rec operating positions: an inclusion coordinator to expand adaptive programming and someone to manage summer camps and connect sites. She said connect sites provide free dinners for kids and that a lack of summer-camp locations after school reconfiguration could leave at least 125 elementary-age children without placements.

Mark Dennison, chair of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, reiterated the department's operating request for four positions (custodial maintenance, trail maintenance, an inclusion coordinator and a CSA) and said the Parks & Rec master plan called for more staff to maintain 30+ miles of trails and program spaces.

Why it matters: Speakers described ongoing wait lists for adaptive programs, reliance on community volunteers and the importance of year-round inclusion for children with varied needs. Council members and city staff acknowledged space constraints this coming summer tied to school building shifts and said they would work to find temporary locations.

Next steps: The Parks & Recreation requests appear in the manager's proposed budget and will be considered alongside other department requests during budget work sessions. Council members asked staff to be thought partners on short-term space solutions this summer.

Attributions: Jackie Tempin and Mark Dennison made public remarks during the community matters portion of the March 2 meeting; Parks & Rec staff later presented budget requests during the manager's report and subsequent budget discussion.