Parks touts new projects and sustainability steps; facilities warn City Hall HVAC needs a feasibility study

Tom Ash, director of Parks, described a parks operating and capital program that maintains more than 50 parks and roughly 2,500 acres and highlighted projects funded by ARPA, CPA, grants and enhancement funds. The presentation referenced awarded projects totaling nearly $13 million and a parks budget in the multi-million range; Ash said the department will plant roughly 1,000 trees in 2026 and called out LED retrofits, solar on the forestry building and rainwater collection as sustainability investments.

Facilities leadership described the age and custom nature of City Hall’s air handler units (1980s equipment) and said long lead times and bespoke configurations complicate direct replacement. Facilities asked that the administration fund an engineering feasibility study (the presentation suggested an order-of-magnitude estimate of $100k–$150k for such a study) to determine whether to pursue air-handler replacement, hot-water conversion, or phased upgrades. Officials said larger capital work could reach the low millions depending on scope and that planning now could reduce operational risk to municipal services housed in City Hall.

Councilors and staff discussed lifeguard and summer staffing needs for pools and waterways, golf-course revenues, and summer-school HVAC projects for multiple school buildings.