A happy ending to the Parks and Rec budget situation — the department agreed yesterday to restore Rec Center hours that had been targeted for elimination in the 2008 budget. The department was appropriately responsive to proposals made by Judy (as detailed here last week) and other council members to make more efficient use of existing rec-center resources, as opposed to simply cutting hours. One of those proposals — i.e., having weekend hours at more of the rec centers — was well received by Parks and Rec and the mayor’s office. So, too, was the idea of outreach. Judy’s office will be looking for help in promoting the rec centers. That’s essential for this plan to work: If usage fails to go up, then the department won’t reap enough revenues to cover operating expenses, in which case service cuts might be proposed again. But if attendance increases, and revenues increase commensurately, then everybody wins: Parks and Rec stays on budget, and the public gets the services it deserves.
No specific initiatives are in place yet to goose attendance, but those will be taking form shortly. We’ll let you know how you can help.
