PARKS & RECREATIONDEPARTMENT

2020 Budget Presentation

Parks & Recreation Department“The Saco Parks and Recreation Department isdedicated to creating and providing active andpassive recreational opportunities in order topromote social, cultural, and physical well beingand improve the quality of life for all present andfuture Saco residents and its visitors. We strive toprovide safe, well maintained parks, facilities,beaches, and a healthy urban forest in addition toprofessional high quality programs and servicesthat respond to the changing needs within ourcommunity.”

Department Responsibilities:

• Recreation• Parks & Municipal Grounds • Urban Forest Management • Beaches

Organizational Chart

Major Accomplishments in FY19: Overview• This year the department has gone through a major staffing transition. We believe these

changes will allow our organization to grow and expand in the near future.

• Staff have worked hard to provide exceptional service for the After the Bell program, Summer Camp, and Twin City Theater Academy. We have added 19 new programs, for a total of 70+ overall programs and more than 400 activities available within these programs.

• Participation and revenue have exceeded expectations; to support this growth we have had to hire additional staffing. Program participation continues to be strong throughout the year.

Major Accomplishments in 2019SENIORity has experienced the most significant growth this year with the expansion of drop-in exercise classes, new lunch and learn classes, and more bus trips.

Major Accomplishments in 2019Continuing our partnership with Age Friendly Saco, one of the biggest collaborative projects was the addition of the wheelchair accessible mats at Bayview Beach. Age Friendly Saco secured a Community Challenge Grant through AARP, SPR installed the mats, and the city hosted a large community ribbon-cutting ceremony with our summer camp program. Our department will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of these mats in the future.

Major Accomplishments in 2019Our Parks department has done a phenomenal job in maintaining city trees and rehabbing existing parks.

Highlights

SPR goes 5-2-1-0!

Collaboration with Biddeford Recreation and Biddeford School Department to expand theater program: now "Twin City Theater Academy"

More adult programs and growth in SENIORity

New in 2019: Earth Day event!

Recreation Stats: January 1, 2018-December 31, 2018

• Member Data• 8,159 resident members in our system – based on 2017 American

Community Survey data, this represents 42.66% of our community• 5,575 non-resident members in our system• Data as of 3/27/19

• Total Registrations in 2018: 30,830• Resident registrations: 25,145• Non-resident registrations: 5,685

• First-time User Registrations in 2018: 909• Activities available to register for in 2018: 450• Reservations and Rentals in 2018: 186

RAD FY2019 Update• Replaced broken equipment at neighborhood parks and resurfaced Hillview Heights Tot

Lot, Diamond Riverside Park, and all school playgrounds. Purchased eight metal picnic tables that went to the playgrounds at Jubilee Park, Diamond Riverside Park, Pepperell Park, and the Eleanor Clare Paye Memorial playground at Young School.

• Built twelve concrete benches and six wooden picnic tables that will be placed in parks throughout the city.

• Rebuilt Saco Middle School Tennis Courts (capital improvement). Converting Memorial Park Tennis Courts at C.K. Burns School into six pickleball courts.

• Will resurface Young School Tennis Court, Memorial Pickleball Courts, and surface Saco Middle School Tennis Courts later this spring.

RAD FY2019 Updates: playground projectsWe have added many benches, picnic tables, and woodchips to all playgrounds.

Diamond Riverside Park: new picnic tables

Hillview Tot Lot: L – 2018; R – 2019 new swings

Memorial Playground located at

C.K. Burns School

RAD FY2019 Updates: tennis courtsThe tennis court project at SMS will be completed by early spring 2019. Next, the Young School tennis court will be resurfaced and the Memorial tennis courts will be turned into 6 pickleball courts, which will give new life to these courts that have been unusable for some time.

Courts featured left to right:Memorial field, photos 1 and 2; SMS court project, photos 3 and 4

Major Challenges: Minimum Wage IncreaseOne of the major influences facing us today is the increase in minimum wage. In the last three years, minimum wage has increased from $7.50 to $11.00 an hour. As minimum wage continues to increase again next year from $11.00 to $12.00, this will have a major impact on program expenses and staffing. This change will result in increased registration costs for programs. We will see an increase of $50,000 to this year's budget just from the minimum wage increase.

Major Challenges: Destination ParkOne of the needs for our community is what would be referred to as a “destination” park. We envision a park that offers both passive and active recreational opportunities, is aesthetically pleasing, is centrally located, and large enough for us to use in a variety of ways throughout the year, supporting multiple activities, programs, and events.

Major Challenges: Seasonal Parks PositionsFilling seasonal staffing positions for the Parks Department has continued to be a struggle with the robust economy.We have over 638 acres of parks of which we maintain over 143 acres.The ability to do projects and enhance the city’s parks aesthetics are limited. With current staffing, we can maintain parks, but struggle to expand beyond that or accomplish projects that need to be done to better our parks.

Budget Summary

Budget Summary

FY2019 Adopted

$Change

FY2020Directive RADs REC

RADsFY2020

RecommendedExpense 1,705,835 80,440 1,786,275 18,183 2,505 1,788,780 Revenue 920,184 40,000 960,184 0 0 960,184

Operating Income (785,651) (40,440) (826,091) (18,183) (2,505) (828,596)

Requests Above the DirectiveProject Name Priority Frequency Requested Recommended

Aerifier Critical Need One-Time 17,907 17,907 Department RAD Total 17,907 17,907

Headcount - Parks Laborer Position Critical Need One-Time 825 0 Headcount - Parks Laborer Position Ongoing 30,900 0 Department RAD Total 31,725 0

Grand Total 49,632 17,907

RAD: Deep Tine Aeration with Verti-DrainDeep Tine Aerators penetrate deep into the soil to maximize water percolation, stimulate root growth, and improve air flow to the root system. These channels allow air to penetrate the soil providing the plant roots the required oxygen needed to thrive and grow. As new roots develop, the young roots enter the deep tine channels and are able to extend deep into the surrounding soil. A deep root system creates healthy plants, enabling them to withstand drought periods and extended periods of high temperatures over the summer. This also relieves soil compaction.

RAD: Park Laborer PositionCreating a new position: a full-time Park Laborer position would

better serve our needs to continue to beautify the city with more flower planting, better care for our growing acres of land, and to enhance our recreational playing fields and parks. This position will allow us to:

• take on additional projects like ball field upgrades, field drainage, horticultural, and playground maintenance, for example;

• achieve additional support during the busier seasons of parks through seasonal positions (it has become increasingly difficult to fill seasonal openings, due to both the low unemployment rate and needing to fill this position of skill);

• and overall meet the needs of our growing community.

We feel that we will better be able to support the needs ofSaco's parks with a full-time position.

RAD: Forestry Bucket TruckThe Forestry Truck will allow us to enhance current city tree maintenance by parks staff at a much higher level. It will allow us to take down hazardous trees almost immediately without contracting the work out. In the last two years we had to put 56 trees on the tree removal list to be contracted out as we did not have adequate in-house equipment. We pruned and removed hazardous limbs, known as "deadwood", for over 150 trees in fiscal year 2019.

RAD: Forestry Bucket TruckThe bucket truck would help us enhance the work being done in Parks to

support urban forestry in Saco.Stats: we have over 1,000,000 trees on city property and easements that

we are currently responsible for.Tree City USA: Saco has been a Tree City USA in the state of Maine for

the past 8 years. In 2018, the City of Saco also received a national Tree City distinction from Senator Angus King.