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Public works budget session highlights: parks changes, vehicle needs and questions about enterprise fund revenue
Summary
Council reviewed multiple public works items on April 15: parks staff transfers and year‑round park attendants, vehicle and equipment needs for water and streets, planned stormwater projects, and council concerns about water/sewer and sanitation revenues and timing of receipts.
The College Park City Council spent significant time on April 15 reviewing public works requests that span parks, fleet, stormwater and enterprise fund revenue assumptions.
Parks and facilities: Council confirmed that Parks staff were moved into Public Works and that the FY27 budget includes six park attendants (four seasonal and two year‑round part‑time) to keep restrooms open and handle maintenance. Samuel Nelms, parks supervisor, and department staff confirmed that salaries are budgeted and that earlier org‑chart errors will be corrected in supporting documentation.
Fleet and equipment: Public works staff flagged a need for two dump trucks in the water division after earlier losses and raised the possibility of leasing because a new truck can exceed $100,000. Facilities manager Darian Nichols was noted as needing a dedicated vehicle; staff said he is temporarily using a vehicle from another fleet.
Stormwater and sidewalks: Raymond Cotton, highways/streets and stormwater superintendent, highlighted storm sewer improvements (Princeton Avenue among identified projects) and catch basin replacements; council and staff agreed to prioritize collapsed curbs and drainage problems and to schedule major projects appropriately through the consent agenda.
Enterprise fund revenue concerns: Council raised concerns that the water/sewer fund was only reporting roughly $7.7 million year‑to‑date versus a prior year total above $12 million, and asked staff to check for timing lags and delinquent accounts. Antoine Dorsey, sewer superintendent, said timing and reporting differences could explain the gap and agreed to provide detailed revenue reconciliation for the council.
Why it matters: Several items have operational consequences (fleet reliability, park maintenance and stormwater drainage) and financial consequences if enterprise revenues fail to meet FY27 assumptions. Council asked staff to return clarifying exhibits and to flag items that require procurement or public hearings.
Next steps: Staff will refine vehicle and equipment cost estimates, correct packet documentation (org charts and supporting detail), and follow up with reconciled revenue reports for the water/sewer and sanitation funds.
