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Thursday, March 18, 2010
Residents fight city's planned cuts to parks
by Kathleen Haley, published on May 21, 2009 at 7:31PM
Storyline: City Budget
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A group of Sacramento residents is fighting the city’s proposed cuts to its parks system and providing suggestions for maintaining park services.
The city’s proposal to cut parks services is one of many possible reductions council members are considering as they deal with a $50 million budget gap.
About 15 members of the group, which is calling itself Rescue Sacramento Parks, attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting to voice their concerns about cuts to parks. Members of the group are involved in neighborhood associations.
Craig Powell, the group’s chairman, told the City Council that the proposed budget cuts to parks have “deeply alarmed Sacramento’s neighbors, neighborhoods and citizens.”
The city is proposing to cut about $8.3 million from its Department of Parks and Recreation. The city explains that the actual numbers of layoffs would be more than 145 positions. “Note that, given that multiple part time, seasonal staff members in recreation services equal one (full time equivalent) position, the total number of people employed by Parks and Recreation will be reduced by far more than 145,” according to the city’s budget document.
In a May 19 letter to Mayor Johnson, Powell wrote that the cuts to parks would create public safety and health problems.
“Not only would the cuts seriously degrade Sacramento’s parks, they pose a very real and serious threat to the health, safety and vitality of many of our city’s neighborhoods,” Powell wrote. “We ask that you protect us from such threats and reject these cuts, doing your part to protect the basic fabric of our neighborhoods from unraveling.”
Mayor Kevin Johnson said city staff will analyze the group’s recommendations.
Johnson and Councilman Kevin McCarty pointed out that the group came before the council with proposals. “I want to echo what Councilman McCarty had talked about – that you brought us proposals and ideas, and I think that’s great and that’s refreshing,” Johnson said.
Some of the group’s proposals include: raising park user fees, contracting with the private sector for park maintenance, and analyzing the Parks and Recreation Department’s recreation programs to see if they can be cut further.
The group argues that recreation programs could be cut more in order to preserve park maintenance services.
Conversation Express your views, debate, and be heard with those in your area closest to the issue.
Scott Holbrook
May 22, 2009 | 06:54 AM
Having been a Director on a Park and Rec District Board for over 10 years now, it amazes me at how high costs are. One of the biggest expenses is dealing with regulatory issues, we are looking to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get the state to sign off on arsenic levels due to the discovery of a couple exploratory "pits" found on property we want to build a trail on. Prevailing wage issues, fees, etc... Funding for parks is minimal at best, and if prop 1A is attacked it will only get worse. Raising fees only hurts those who need parks the most, recreation programs typically do not cost rec districts very much as most programs are contract programs and pay for themselves, of course aquatic programs are big "losers" on the balance sheet, but provide so much to a community they are real hard to cut - especially in a climate such as the Sac Valley. Cuts are tough, and most park departments already are running at bare bones be it good or bad times, funding for new facilities via mitigation fees seems to be available when markets are good, but general fund dollars are always few and far between. Good luck to the council - I hope they realize the benefits parks bring, and the money they save in the big picture!
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Kevin Johnson
May 22, 2009 | 03:00 PM
This group has done its homework. I appreciate their efforts. It will be a VERY difficult budget year, particularly if the state dumps its problems on our cities.
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Scott Holbrook
May 23, 2009 | 02:44 PM
Not if, but when! - My concern is when they raid the prop 1A funds, what are they going to do when it is time to pay them back?
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George Jackson
May 22, 2009 | 07:22 PM
Every department will likely face cuts. Mayor, we need to use your volunteer effort and others to pick up where the Park's Dept leaves off. I don't see any other way to get through this mess.
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Scott Holbrook
May 23, 2009 | 02:48 PM
Volunteers are nice, but keep in mind tort reform is a long way away, also there are unions constantly keeping an eye out on those that tread on their turf (no pun intended). We in Auburn are trying to rehabilitate a swimming pool, there is a platerers union already warning us they are keeping an eye on the project, issues such as prevailing wage also come into play. And back to the climate without tort reform, insurance compainies cringe at the thought of a bunch of volunteers out there with weedwackers and other power tools taking care of business on public land! Not to be total doomsdayer, volnteerism is good - but not a solution, and can not replace trained staff
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