Select Board hears warnings on maintenance shortfalls as town adds parks and trails

Yarmouth’s Public Works leadership used the April 7 Select Board meeting to underscore a widening gap between the town’s growing portfolio of parks, trails and facilities and the staff and budget available to maintain them.

Public Works Director Jeff Colby outlined current capacity: six full‑time parks staff (a recent supervisor retirement leaves the crew thin heading into the busy season), limited seasonal hires, and operations that swing from five‑day to seven‑day staffing in summer. He listed the division’s responsibilities—field preparation, restroom cleaning, trash collection, beach fee collection, playground upkeep—and highlighted new, lower‑maintenance projects (Sandy Pond splash pad, Chase Brook improvements and Parker's River Landing) that nonetheless create recurring operational and mowing demands.

Colby said the town expects to contract some mowing and mowing costs as the roster of sites grows. He estimated Parker's River Landing maintenance at roughly $75,000–$80,000 annually once the town assumes responsibility. Board members and staff discussed benchmarking maintenance spending against comparable municipalities, possible contracting or a seasonal event manager to run bookings, and a potential need for more permanent parks staff. Several members urged compilation of a “big picture” maintenance plan and recommended presenting benchmarked staffing/budget numbers in the coming fiscal process.

Separately the DPW provided a snow‑and‑ice preliminary damage estimate tied to the winter storms; meeting materials list approximately $1.85 million in additional snow/ice costs and roughly $900,000 estimated tree‑removal costs on town property tied to the storm response. The board asked staff to prepare figures for Town Meeting and to continue outreach on grant and revenue options to help sustain maintenance of new facilities.