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 invol... KathleenHaley Scott Holbrook comment-8227 2009-05-23T21:48:19Z 2009-05-23T21:48:19Z 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 Scott Holbrook 2009-05-23T21:48:19Z Scott Holbrook comment-8226 2009-05-23T21:44:10Z 2009-05-23T21:44:10Z 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? Scott Holbrook 2009-05-23T21:44:10Z George Jackson comment-8181 2009-05-23T02:22:22Z 2009-05-23T02:22:22Z 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. George Jackson 2009-05-23T02:22:22Z Kevin Johnson comment-8177 2009-05-22T22:00:21Z 2009-05-22T22:00:21Z 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. Kevin Johnson 2009-05-22T22:00:21Z Scott Holbrook comment-8109 2009-05-22T13:54:45Z 2009-05-22T13:54:45Z 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! Scott Holbrook 2009-05-22T13:54:45Z