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Parks budget draft trims some costs but flags $175K–$200K risk if developer pool agreement ends
Summary
Staff presented a Parks & Recreation FY26–27 draft with decreases in several line items, an increase in supplies and professional services, and fixed-asset asks; staff warned the city could face roughly $175,000–$200,000 in added annual costs if the developer (Hines) withdraws from the current pool operations agreement.
Staff presented the Parks & Recreation department’s working draft of the FY26–27 budget and walked committee members through line‑by‑line details, explaining reductions and increases and highlighting several fixed-asset and CIP items under consideration.
"Personnel services... a decrease of about $70,000; maintenance and operations a decrease of just under $32,000," Staff member (Speaker 4) said while summarizing the draft. He also noted supply costs were projected to rise (about 25%) to reflect increased operational demands and that professional services would increase to cover electrical, irrigation and other contracted work.
Notable fixed-asset items included approximately $95,000 proposed for resurfacing/restriping pickleball courts and a placeholder for phase‑2 turnback trails and accessible walkways at Sunset Park. Staff emphasized that capital improvement project (CIP) items would be brought forward separately in a CIP request rather than in the departmental operating budget.
On aquatics, staff said the city contracts for lifeguards and pool maintenance; the contractor charge cited was $122 per hour (covering lifeguard labor, oversight and training), roughly $30.50 per lifeguard when broken out. Staff estimated the city’s annual cost if the private developer Hines were to stop operating the developer/HOA pool would be in the range of $175,000 to $200,000 for maintenance and lifeguards. "If either Hines or the city decides to step out of the agreement then operational and maintenance costs will then fall to the city," Staff member (Speaker 4) said.
Committee members asked for clearer procurement documentation about a local contractor cited in the estimates and suggested adding a slide describing that contractor’s prior work and relationship to the city to the council presentation. Staff also flagged a recent reduction in property valuations that could reduce property-tax revenue and affect budgets going forward.
No budget action was taken; the committee discussed priorities and recommended staff finalize cost estimates, clarify procurement history for any contractor included in the council packet, and post the draft materials to the discussion board for committee feedback before presenting to council.
