Council presses staff on Jobson Park upkeep: staffing, irrigation and recurring costs

Council members focused on operations and maintenance after the design presentation, asking whether the town can sustain a high‑quality facility once built. Thomas Sanits said the maintenance program is modeled on the town’s athletic field standards and would require about 36 hours a week over roughly 46 weeks per year (about 1,656 hours annually) and would equate to about 0.75 full‑time equivalent groundskeeper. He told the board the turf‑management program was projected at about $20,000 per year; landscape plantings and trimming about $4,000 per year; and minor park repairs and supplies around $3,000 per year.

On irrigation, staff estimated peak water use at about 30,000–40,000 gallons weekly and suggested an annual water cost in the neighborhood of $6,000, depending on weather. Council members repeatedly asked for confirmatory numbers and for the reservation and enforcement approach: staff said the town will onboard reservation software for daytime permits and staff will manage reservations and post‑event checks, but after‑hours enforcement and escalation procedures will need further planning. The board also asked staff to incorporate O&M costs into all future capital project budgeting.