Grounds staff outline scope, aging equipment and hiring challenges as budget questions continue

Ira, the county’s assistant director for grounds, told commissioners the department maintains roughly 692 acres of outdoor space — about 734 acres if potential properties such as the salt mill and Thomas Valley farm are included — and runs multiple specialized crews responsible for mowing, athletic fields and emergency work.

The presentation sought to explain why equipment and staffing requests appear repeatedly in the draft budget. "We do everything for the landscape. We do the mowing. We do the athletic fields," Ira said, adding that crews are structured to prioritize safety and emergency access when storms or heavy rains disrupt schedules.

Commissioners pressed staff on equipment condition and inventory after seeing repeated, identical line items from last year’s budget. One commissioner asked about an apparent stash of nearly 40 brand-new weed eaters and more than 20 blowers; staff disputed those counts. "We've got seven brand new," Ira said, later agreeing to provide a serial-numbered inventory so the board can verify the county’s holdings.

Staff also described workforce limits that reduce the pool of seasonal hires: county HR and insurance rules now prevent under-18 employees from operating gas-powered equipment, Ira said, shrinking the available part-time labor force the department historically used in summer months.

Snow-operations were another focus. Ira said the county’s fleet includes five locally based plows plus others staged elsewhere and two recently purchased salt spreaders; he emphasized that plows are critical to opening roads for emergency responders in mountainous areas. "We made it work and it does work and we're proud of it," he said, describing staging that prioritizes 911 access.

On other concerns, commissioners asked whether vehicle or equipment requests reflected duplicate asks from multiple departments (for example, a Gator requested by both grounds and recreation). Staff explained departments sometimes request similar vehicles for distinct uses and said they would check specifications and intent before final purchases.

The presentation closed with staff agreeing to follow up with requested documentation: a detailed equipment inventory and clearer specifications on overlapping vehicle requests. Commissioners said those items — and vacancies — will be considered as they trim what one commissioner described as the budget’s "wants" versus its "needs."