Parks and recreation budget projects include irrigation upgrades, pool maintenance and ongoing pickleball design

Town recreation and parks staff told the Town Council that park maintenance expenses are projected to rise by about 3.2% next year, driven primarily by labor and rising turf‑care costs.

Staff explained fertilizer and turf treatment costs have risen since the pandemic; they proposed a 7% pricing assumption for those products while using internal maintenance to reduce some contracted costs. For the self‑sustaining recreation fund — which covers before‑and‑after‑school programs, summer camps and community events — staff projected about $1,220,000 in income and expenses just over $1,020,000, leaving roughly $100,000 credited back to the town but not directly showing in the recreation budget line.

Parks capital priorities include $400,000 for irrigation upgrades: $300,000 is proposed to replace piping, sprinklers and controls at the high school, and $100,000 is for upgrading the well at Sac School to address irrigation issues. Staff said the existing irrigation system is beyond its 20‑year life cycle in some locations and pipe failures are increasing.

Steve Benko Pool will see a 7.5% operating increase to handle additional maintenance for a 21‑year‑old facility, but staff did not request major pool capital this year. Pickleball courts, approved in a prior year, are in the design phase; staff said constraints such as slope and drainage require underground detention and careful site engineering, and no further budget request for court construction is in this proposal.

Councilors asked about opportunities to maximize revenue from rentals at Waveney House and about the town's approach to program pricing and out‑of‑town participation; staff said they offered last year's participants first refusal for pool membership and otherwise use a lottery for remaining spots.