Parks and Rec Dept requests $1.7M for 2018 fiscal year – News … – Taft Midway Driller

Ridgecrests Parks and Recreation Department is requesting a total of $1,701,601 for fiscal year 2018. This represents an increase of $31,601 over the fiscal year 2017 requested budget of $1,670,00.

That was the word from Recreation Supervisor Jason Patin, who presented a proposed draft budget to the Ridgecrest City Council during a special budget hearing Wednesday. The budget will not be finalized until the council approves it at a later date. The next special session on the budget is set for June 6 at 5 p.m., at council chambers at City Hall.

Patin attributed the increase over the previous fiscal year to things out of our control like PERS [retirement system], salaries and an increase in utilities.

Of the requested amount, $217,323 is requested for parks administration. This includes salaries/wages and benefits for personnel; services including transportation and training, postage, and laundry services; operating supplies and food, clothing, and safety supplies; and an allocation for fleet maintenance. Of this, $204,899 is for personnel, $5,950 for services, $1,100 for materials and $5,374 for the fleet.

The recreation department is requesting $392,094 for personnel and services, including salaries and wages, benefits, advertising, miscellaneous service dues and publications and bank service charges. Of this amount, $291,964 is for personnel; $27,000 is the total for summer camps; and $33,000 for youth sports, among other expenses.

Recreation programs include adult sports, the fitness program, preschool, summer camps, recreation sports, concessions and youth sports.

The department is requesting $1,092,184 for parks and facilities maintenance. Parks and recreation facilities include Parks Shop, Leroy Jackson Park, Pearson Park, Upjohn Park, the Youth Sports Complex, street medians, the Kerr McGee Center, City Hall and the Senior Center. Funds are being requested for salaries and wages; benefits; utilities; waste disposal; maintenance supplies; equipment; tools; janitorial supplies and the fleet, which includes maintenance trucks.

This is really the biggest one, because it handles such a wide range, Patin said. Year by year that is drastically different because of the nature of the beast, he said referring to maintenance and repair costs. We never know what is going to break and where.

The department's Wish List, jokingly presented on a blank check, includes facility improvement funds, or things we could have done or should have done but did not have the funding, Patin said. He used Pinney Pool as an example.

Over the years that facility deteriorated and now it's closed. We don't want to see that happen to other facilities that we have. (For more on Pinney Pool, see related story this edition.)

Patin also asked council consider starting a large equipment contingency fund with $50,000 to $75,000 set aside for equipment repair. He said the fund could roll over from year to year if unused.

Patin quoted City Manager and Public Works Director Dennis Speer as saying, it's not a matter of if but when big-ticket items break.

I am a proponent of contingencies because there are things that are going to break down, Speer agreed.

Mayor Peggy Breeden ultimately sent the contingency fund topic to the city's finance committee for a recommendation.

Patin's wish list also included funds for a parks assessment study.

Patin discussed projected revenue from youth and adult sports, preschool programs, summer programs, concessions and room rentals. Projected revenue for fiscal year 2018 is $342,600, which is down $29,640 from projected revenue of $372,240 for this fiscal year.

Patin attributed most of the difference to the closure of Pinney Pool. That was a huge revenue source to us.

He also discussed projects not funded by the general fund but rather by Tax Allocation Bond funds. TAB funded projects include Pearson Park, Upjohn Park, Freedom Park Enhancements (including a Splash Pad and an outdoor movie theater).

Patin said that judging by Councilwoman Lindsey Stephen's Facebook postings, the park improvement projects are generating a lot of positive local interest. People are really paying attention, Patin said. The last one is the Kerr McGee Youth Sports Complex project, which we are in the middle of putting together, he said. This would include sports field lighting at existing football field, existing parking lot improvements, new site accessibility improvements for ADA compliance and renovation to all five existing baseball fields. Patin reported that scope of work was developed a long time ago, costs are being calculated and the project still has to go out to bid.

Patin did not go through his budget line by line, but his detailed presentation is available online at http://ridgecrest-ca.gov/budget

For more on the city's budget, see upcoming editions of the Daily Independent.

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Parks and Rec Dept requests $1.7M for 2018 fiscal year - News ... - Taft Midway Driller