Carson Parks and Rec cites $2 million in priorities

The Carson City budget cycle is approaching this spring, and staff in the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department have arranged their budget requests and funding priorities.

Tuesday, the Parks and Recreation Commission approved more than $2 million in budget priorities for fiscal year 2023-24. Their recommendation of approval will head to the city finance department and the Board of Supervisors as the tentative budget is prepared for all departments and presented in April.

“We get put in a difficult situation sometimes with the budget. There’s only so much,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Budge.

Working through priorities with the commission, Budge said the department is not trying to grow capital requests but stay within the current framework. Funding requests for capital improvements are tied to the city general fund and quality-of-life funding. Split into categories, quality-of-life funds come from a quarter-cent sales tax approved by Carson City voters in 1996.

Important to Parks and Recreation this year are budget items related to safety and accessibility. For example, in the general fund requests, top priorities include repairing tripping hazards and addressing accessibility issues at Pete Livermore Sports Complex. The items are estimated to cost around $80,000 total. Commissioner Kurt Meyer suggested bumping up backstop netting at Governor’s Field — an estimated cost of $40,000 — to a higher priority. He said it’s a safety issue as well.

Carson City Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Budge, left, talks to Commissioners Janice Caldwell and Lisa Schuette at a meeting on Feb. 7. (Scott Neuffer photo) 

Budget requests for the general fund also include fencing for dogs. A new policy stipulating where dogs can be leashed and off-leash in city parks will take effect March 1. Parks and Recreation is requesting $220,000 in fencing for a dog park at Ronald D. Wilson Memorial Park, and $35,000 to fence off the playground at Long Ranch Park. Dogs are allowed off-leash at Long Ranch Park. When supervisors approved the new policy in January, they stipulated Ronald D. Wilson become off-leash only when fencing is constructed. An additional $10,000 is being requested for dog waste stations and signage.

“(We’re) trying to be thoughtful as we implement the dog policy,” Budge said.

General fund requests for the department’s fleet needs total $445,000 and include replacement of four trucks and a bobcat machine loader, among other items.

Requests for quality-of-life funding focus on safety and accessibility as well. The department is requesting $10,000 to replace the ADA lift for the large pool at the aquatic facility. Roughly $455,000 is being requested for softball field rehabilitation and tennis court rehabilitation at Centennial Park. The tennis court request includes a $175,000 reallocation from the current fiscal year, Budge explained. Additionally, the department is requesting $35,000 from the open space category of quality-of-life funding for an automatic gate at Kings Canyon Trailhead.

Besides capital improvements, the commission discussed and approved supplemental requests for the department’s operating budget — different than capital improvement requests. Priorities for staffing heading into the new budget year include raising pay for seasonal workers and hiring an additional full-time ranger and a supervisor for inmate work crews.

In other action:

• Park commissioners recommended to the Board of Supervisors approval of a new fee schedule for rentals, services and facility use.

Not much is changing from the current fee schedule. Recreation Superintendent Dan Earp said rates for the Capital Kids Before and After School Youth Program are going up to better recover costs of those programs.

The morning program is increasing from $22 a week to $25 a week. The after-school program is increasing from $44 a week to $50 a week. The program for Carson City School District professional development days and non-school days is increasing from $22 a day to $25 a day, while the program for CCSD minimum days is going from $16 a day to $40-$60 per 2-3-day session.

The only change to the proposed schedule came from Commissioner Lea Case. Case suggested the fee for a shower at the aquatic facility drop from $3 to $1, and other commissioners agreed. Case also discussed offering city employees a combo pass to the aquatic facility and multipurpose athletic center. The parks commission will review this issue separately at a future meeting.

• Park commissioners approved a draft of a master plan for Mills Park but nixed a proposed road that would connect Seely Loop and Oxoby Loop and allow through traffic.

Commissioners raised safety concerns about allowing people to drive through the 52-acre park, from Saliman Road to East William Street or vice versa. They worried about increased traffic and people using the connection as a shortcut to get to Carson High School.

Budge said the current layout of the park is difficult to navigate because of separate entrances. She said connecting both ends could help with emergency responders as well. Ultimately, commissioners authorized the chair to present safety concerns to the Board of Supervisors as part of their recommendation for approval. Supervisors could decide a traffic study for the park is warranted before committing to a new road.

Other proposals included in the Mills Park Master Plan are a splash park, a new playground, expansion of the existing skate park and a dog park. Nick Wentworth, parks project manager, said these proposals were popular among the public during meetings and surveys conducted last year.

• Park commissioners unanimously approved to appoint Lee-ann Keever as chair of the commission for the next year and Meyer as vice chair.