Parks director highlights Lynch Park revenue, youth programs and shrinking staff capacity

Parks & Recreation Director Mr. Doy briefed the subcommittee on programs and capital activity, saying the department staffs 12 parks each summer, operates day camps at Lynch Park, runs more than 20 concerts annually, and hires roughly 80 seasonal staff across roles such as park instructors, lifeguards, and rangers.

Doy highlighted capital investments done with Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds and private trusts (the David Lynch trustees), noting the department has completed dozens of projects and leveraged roughly $1.8 million in park grants plus additional CPC allocations. He said the Lynch Park parking fee for non-residents (currently $25 weekends, $15 weekdays) generated roughly $115,000 last year from multiple revenue sources (parking, rentals, concessions).

The department's general fund budget is modest (about $445,000), with $271,000 for full-time staff; enterprise-side activity is about $330,000. Doy said the department lost a facilities coordinator position in 2024 and now operates with four full-time staff, making facility inspections and maintenance more time-consuming and administratively burdensome.

Councilors asked about utility and restroom-trailer costs connected to Lynch Park and the potential to replace rented trailers with permanent bathrooms in future budgets or through private fundraising. Doy said the restroom-trailer expense was inserted to cover rentals while the city pursues a longer-term permanent restroom solution funded by donors.

Doy also described Camp Paradise's use for education and community programming, including school-group wetlands visits and reserved nights for City youth groups; he said the facility is regularly used for programming and occasional external rentals.

The committee requested further detail on revenue assumptions and maintenance allotments for Lynch Park and other high-use sites.