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Burien parks officials warn small crews, aging facilities will delay projects as levy failed
Summary
Parks leaders told the council their 28.4 full‑time and 8.38 intermittent staff manage 28 parks and 416 acres but face deferred maintenance and limited grant availability after a failed levy, prompting questions about fees, grants and project prioritization.
Mayor Sarah Moore convened a special Burien City Council session on Jan. 26 focused in part on the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department’s staffing and budget needs.
Casey Stanley, the department director, said the parks team is small for the scope of its work: "We currently have 28.4 regular, full time employees and then 8.38 intermittent" and the department runs seven service areas from maintenance to public art. Stanley said intermittent staff are largely funded by program revenue, rentals and grants.
Deputy Parks Director Daniel Robbins said the department manages 28 parks covering about 416 acres, 13 buildings and a scattered set of facilities without a centralized maintenance center. He called the maintenance crew "small but mighty," noting 10 full‑time maintenance workers and one limited‑term position due to expire at the end of 2026. "With the minimal staff and budget resource we have ... we're always just playing catch up," Robbins said.
Recreation Manager Beau Du outlined program volume and subsidy strategies: roughly 700 unique programs, a mix of fee‑based and subsidized offerings, and roughly $37,000 in subsidized fees and about $14,000 in grant‑funded senior scholarships last year. Du said the division uses tiered fees and donor or grant scholarship funds to keep participation accessible.
Council members pressed staff on options after the failed park levy. Council member Linda Akey asked if the parks department maintains a public art map; Stanley said an interactive map is available on the city website and staff can expand marketing and QR code access. Council member Alex Andrade asked whether the fountain project could be deprioritized in favor of higher‑priority needs; Robbins and Stanley said council direction and funding availability would guide such decisions.
Stanley said the department pursues grants aggressively but that funding competition is growing: "Grants are becoming more and more challenging to get these days because there's so much need." She flagged conversations about park impact fees and the possibility of a future park levy as longer‑term options.
The department listed capital priorities including playgrounds and maintenance facilities and said many projects depend on grants and interdepartmental coordination. The council did not take formal action on parks funding during the session; staff said they will follow up with requested grant source details and respond to additional council questions at future budget work sessions.
