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Parks and cemeteries budget debate centers on staffing, CDL stipends and cemetery machine‑operator vacancy
Summary
Commissioner Murphy presented the Natural Resources FY27 budget, describing park investments, a profitable golf course and staffing shortages in cemeteries; council debated cutting a heavy machine‑operator position and approved the parks budget as amended.
The City Council examined the Department of Natural Resources’ FY27 operating budget and debated whether to cut a long‑vacant heavy machine‑operator (MEO) position used for cemetery grave digging and heavy equipment operation.
Commissioner Murphy outlined department operations — more than 118 maintained locations, tree‑planting programs, invasive‑species control and an expanded Furnus Brook Golf Course expected to generate about $1.4 million in revenue. He said the department employs hundreds of seasonal workers and is seeking to fill critical positions, including a cemetery mason and machine operators. Murphy noted that the recent union agreement folded labor gardener roles into higher‑paid cemetery/park maintenance classifications, increasing payroll pressure in certain lines.
Council reaction: Several councilors urged filling the vacant heavy MEO position because losing it would force more overtime and risk service interruptions; others proposed a cut to reduce spending during a period of fiscal constraint. A motion to cut the single heavy MEO position failed on a roll call, after which the cemetery and parks budget lines were approved as amended (including smaller cuts to tool and clothing allowances).
CDL and hoisting stipends: Under a new contract the budget includes a separated CDL/hoisting stipend line (first appearance in the FY27 budget at $120,000). Murphy said the stipend pays $5 per hour for CDL holders and $1 per hour for hoisting license holders; the department is exploring in‑house CDL training partnerships to expand the pool of licensed operators.
What happens next: Councilors asked for a staffing chart comparing FY26 to FY27 and requested clearer line‑item detail for stipends, contractual services and transfers recorded in the year‑to‑date reports. The parks and cemetery budgets were approved with the reported amendments.
