Council hears pleas for more park maintenance staff as vacancies persist

The committee examined the Division of Park Maintenance budget and performance metrics. Commissioner Toy Porch said the department has added more gardens and streetscape responsibilities, and that staffing will increase in the 2026 budget to address vacancies.

Finance staff noted planned increases in permanent full‑time salaries and an effort to convert several seasonal positions to full time under collective bargaining agreements to reduce vacancies. "We bumped that up by $500,000," a finance official said when describing salary and related headcount changes intended to attract applicants for stewardship roles.

Council members pressed the commissioner and finance staff for specifics about the city’s ability to maintain ball diamonds and athletic fields, where the committee heard a long‑term decline in pre‑season and post‑season field care. One councilmember asked for a ranked list of material and staffing needs to inform potential supplemental allocations and ward‑level investments.

The department agreed to provide a clearer breakdown of the number and type of seasonal slots, the per‑hour cost of seasonal workers (current baseline cited as $21.92/hour), and a plan to prioritize leaf‑season operations and high‑use neighborhood facilities.