Greenwood’s parks department is on track to get a big financial boost as the city puts more money into new facilities and the people needed to staff them, including renovating a house lease for events such as wedding receptions, and adding at least four full-time jobs.
The Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department’s staff will grow by nearly 27 percent, and it will receive a 15 percent increase in overall spending if the city council approves the 2020 budget next month.
The department wants to add several new positions, including four full-time employees, bringing its number of full-time staff to 19, according to city documents. Included in the department’s budget is a recently approved assistant director, who will make $70,000 a year, an additional full-time administrative assistant, grounds supervisor, fieldhouse assistant and three additional seasonal grounds workers.
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Many of the changes in staffing are due to several new facilities that are either in design or under construction, including the addition of the fieldhouse, a new ball park on Worthsville Road and Hampton Hall, said Rob Taggart, parks and recreation director.
The city plans to spend about $300,000 to renovate a mid-century house on Fry Road, between U.S. 31 and State Road 135, that is connected to Northwest Park. The city bought the house for $212,400 last year for the parks department to use as a rental hall for events, from birthday parties to wedding receptions.
The house has no historical significance, but has a convenient location, as it is connected to Northwest Park and has easy access to its parking lots, Taggart said.
Plans for the fieldhouse, which was saved when the city demolished the former middle school on Madison Avenue, include an elevated indoor running and walking track, two multi-purpose turf fields, which can be used for soccer, lacrosse and several other sports, basketball or volleyball courts and several indoor pickle ball courts.
Greenwood also plans to add to its green spaces with a 37-acre park northwest of the Interstate 65 and Worthsville Road interchange. It is currently in design, Taggart said.
Preliminary plans for the park include four softball fields, four baseball fields, shelter houses and possibly a splash pad. Initial illustrations also include a soccer field and a walking trail.
The parks department is unique in that some of its funding, unlike other city departments, comes from its own revenue sources rather than taxpayer dollars, said Greg Wright, city controller. It has a dedicated property tax fund — similar to the fire department — and it generates its own operating revenues from Freedom Springs Aquatic Center, Greenwood Community Center and special events it hosts throughout the year.
These proposed changes would bring the parks department’s total budget to $3.2 million, up from $2.8 million this year. About 56 percent of that budget is for staff and personal services, and 14 percent is for capital projects, a 127 percent increase from this year’s project costs. The other 30 percent in the budget is for operations-related expenses.
The department’s 2020 operating budget — all except capital — is $2,768,835. The remaining $244,434 will go toward capital projects. The city says it will also use $205,266 in cash on hand to complete those projects.
Of the parks budget, about half comes from property taxes and about half comes from revenue.
The staffing and overall budget increases are more significant than the city’s public safety departments, including police and fire, granted those departments’ staffing levels and total budgets are much higher, with 79 and 58 full-time employees, respectively, and total annual budgets of about $7 million each.
Pool attendance and revenue has climbed in recent years. The city opened Freedom Springs in 2015. But the uptick in attendance and revenue extends beyond the pool, Taggart said.
“It’s across the board. It’s an all-theater program for us, and that’s because of the city’s continued commitment on recreational amenities,” Taggart said.
The city’s parks, including the pool and events, have brought in about $1.3 million this year, more than double what it did just three years ago.
A public hearing is scheduled and the council will vote on the budget at its Oct. 7 meeting. A second vote and adoption of the budget is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Overall, city staff would grow to 297 from 277 if the budget is approved by the council. The total budget proposal for 2020 is estimated at about $38.6 million, a 5.7 percent increase from this year’s budget.
Greenwood is also spending up to $5 million in TIF monies and cash on hand to renovate Old City Park, with plans to build a 20-foot-tall cube tower that children can climb, as well as a rock climbing wall, urban porch swings, a bocce ball court and a pedestrian bridge.
Old City Park is one of 14 Greenwood parks, which together cover 271 acres. The city is also continuously growing its trails system, which spans 20 linear miles, according to the city’s website.
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Here is a look at the Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department’s 2020 budget, compared to this year’s budget:
Personal services (staff)
2020: 19 full-time employees at $1.81 million
2019: 15 full-time employees at $1.56 million
Other services and charges (operations)
2020: $730,235
2019: $842,869
Capital projects
2020: $454,700
2019: $200,000
Supplies
2020: $225,600
2019: $201,500
Here is a look at the parks department’s proposed or earned income from charges for services, including the city’s pool, community center and events:
2020: $1.35 million (estimated)
2019: $1.31 million (estimated)
2018: $1.18 million
2017: $1.08 million
2016: $658,000
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