Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts new adopt‑a‑bench fees after public input; plaque and renewal options added
Summary
After public comments and a staff update, the council adopted a new fee schedule for the town's Adopt‑a‑Bench program: $7,517 for a new bench (10‑year term), $2,958 for each 10‑year renewal, and $3,638 for a plaque on an existing bench (first 10‑year maintenance).
The Town Council approved an updated fee schedule for Los Gatos’s Adopt‑a‑Bench program following a staff recalculation of maintenance costs and public comment about prior placement practices and bench mapping.
Parks & Public Works Director Nicole Burnham presented bench options (Doour steel benches downtown, recycled‑plastic benches in parks) and two pricing alternatives. Staff said an updated accounting of maintenance‑staff time reduced the 10‑year maintenance estimate, producing the fee alternatives presented to the council. After a public comment from Sharon Childs asking for a publicly available map of bench locations and noting past inconsistencies placing benches, the council debated cost recovery and chose the staff’s amended alternative.
The council adopted fees that charge $7,517 for an initial new bench and its first 10‑year maintenance; $2,958 for each subsequent 10‑year renewal; and $3,638 for placing a plaque on an existing bench and covering the first 10‑year maintenance. Staff said they will publish a GIS‑based map showing existing bench locations, identify benches already adopted, and allow residents to sponsor existing benches for the lower plaque fee.
Council members emphasized that the goal is cost recovery (not subsidizing private dedications) and that staff will continue to seek lower procurement costs, encourage use of existing benches and notify impacted residents if maintenance protocols change.
