Glendale’s Parks Department was due for a needed pay raise. After the coronavirus pandemic, that raise has been put on hold. The parks director hopes the department will only need to wait one …
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Glendale’s Parks Department was due for a needed pay raise. After the coronavirus pandemic, that raise has been put on hold. The parks director hopes the department will only need to wait one year to get that raise, plus more.
“That all got washed away because of revenue impact with COVID. So, we’re treading water,” said Jim Burke, director of Director, Public Facilities, Recreation and Special Events. “We hope that the next fiscal year, we hope to make up that ground or can re-address that and start seeing growth in the budget, seeing growth in staff and our ability to take on and deal with some of these (funding needs).”
Mr. Burke said City Manager Kevin Phelps had recommended increasing the Parks Department operating budget by $1 million each year for the next five years. That plan has been put on hold for now, as Glendale City Council has cut back on spending as it waits for the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the economy to become clearer. Mr. Burke hopes his department will only have to wait until next fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2021.
The Parks Department is looking to Glendale voters for funding in another area. City Council sent a proposition to the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot asking voters to authorize the city to take out up to $87.2 million in bonds for parks and recreation capital projects, like adding new parks or recreation facilities or improving existing ones. The bonds would be paid back with the city’s share of property taxes, but Council is confident it would not have to raise property tax rates to pay off these bonds or the other bonds their asking voters to authorize this fall to pay for streets, flood control and landfill projects.
“Now you can see that we’re moving in the right direction and we can start making a change in the way the parks system is,” said Mr. Burke about the two funding sources he hopes are coming down the pike for his department.
While the $87.2 million boost of capital funding would do a lot to improve Glendale parks, it’s the raise of $1 million a year for five years to the operating budget that would help maintain those parks and help expand what Mr. Burke says is a understaffed department at only 24 employees. He said the department size shrunk as a result of the last recession and never fully recovered.
“I think when I first got here (in 2017), my first comments to people were ‘You can’t manage a department this size with 90 parks with 24 people.’ Well, that’s what we’re doing. It’s pretty hard,” Mr. Burke said.
The city commissioned the Denver-based company GreenPlay to conduct a study of its parks that included outreach to residents, who responded to say that the condition of the turf, trees and park amenities — such as playgrounds, ramadas and sports courts — is a concern.
“We’re very keenly aware of the deficiencies out there, the deferred maintenance and condition,” Mr. Burke said.
While some of park upkeep, such as new irrigation systems, could be paid for through the capital funds up for voter approval, much of it relies on the department’s operating budget.
GreenPlay is helping the city create its new Parks Master Plan, a document that will guide the department’s funding plan and priorities for years to come. GreenPlay Project Consultant Keri Konold said a draft of the plan should be ready by September and finalized by October or November. Ms. Konold said in the process of drafting the Master Plan with Council, her group would try to help lobby Council to prioritize parks funding.
“I think that there is an incredible opportunity for improvements that are very thoughtful and meaningful, and we’ll try to help decision makers understand the importance and the value of parks and recreation and how funding is really critical to the success of the department. I know they’re making great headway,” she said.
Ms. Konold added that she thought it seemed City Council was headed toward healthy park funding before the financial setbacks caused by the coronavirus.
“You know, if it weren’t for COVID and some things (that have) happened because of that, I think they’d be well and truly on their way,” she said.
Mr. Burke said he’s aware of several dead trees in Glendale parks. He said the department has hired a consultant who’s done a tree inventory and is in the process of cutting down dead trees. The next priorities for trees will be pruning the canopies of living trees and then planting new ones.
Mark Carlisle can be reached at mcarlisle@newszap.com or found on Twitter @mwcarlisle.
Mark Carlisle Associate Editor | Daily Independent @mwcarlisle
Mark is passionate about accurately informing his readers to what is happening in their community. He also loves reading and writing about sports.
Mark has worked for Independent Newsmedia for five years. He married his high school sweetheart, adopted a boxer mix, and awaits his first child.
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