For residents who care about their local parks, the city’s budget cuts to parks maintenance could mean that volunteering may become a necessity instead of an occasional activity. A few neighborhood groups are now talking to city staffers about how they can volunteer to maintain parks, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jim Combs.

In one of its many budget cuts, the city slashed the parks department by $8.3 million for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Pink slips were sent to 65 workers in the department; they are scheduled to be laid off Thursday. The total number of parks workers to be laid off this week was unclear, but acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson said the layoff figures are “moving numbers” at this point.

The handful of groups interested in maintaining parks to address budget cuts are a small number of volunteers amid the thousands of volunteers the department sees each year. About 11-to 12,000 volunteers give their time to the department each year, according to Combs.

The Sacramento United Soccer Club is interested in enhancing field maintenance at parks they use for soccer games, Combs said.

A group of senior residents in North Natomas is also contacting the city because they want to be in charge of upkeep at their local Willow Park, Combs noted.

Parks and Recreation has posted on its website information about how budget cuts will limit services at summer camps and community centers, on park maintenance, pools and park restrooms.

In a related development, Mayor Kevin Johnson is promoting Volunteer Sacramento, his volunteering program. The HandsOn Sacramento group and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) are working with Johnson on the program.

“It’s incredibly important to remind everyone that we have down times in terms of our economy, [and] you need everyday citizens to play a role and help out,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday.

He said he wants to see Sacramento lead all cities in the state on the number of volunteer hours from citizens.

Information on how to volunteer with Johnson’s program is available here. 

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.