City Council Parks Budget FY11 Hearing

City Council Parks Budget FY11 Hearing

Thursday, May 27, 2010

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Boston City Hall, 5th Floor Iannella Chambers
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201

According to the Mayor's FY2011 budget, city parks will be level funded and the capital budget for parks will be increased.  However, there is one cut this year that will have a big impact on our parks: the loss of seasonal maintenance workers. This force of 6-12 extra staff usually hired for the summer months when maintenance needs are greatest makes a big difference. Seasonal workers don't earn a lot of money, they don't get city benefits, they are not a significant drain on the budget - but they do help cover for year-round workers when they take vacation in the summer and they cope with the extra work created in the summer when parks are the busiest.

Thursday's City Council hearing on the Parks Department Budget is the only formal opportunity the public has to weigh in about park needs. There is a public testimony time during the hearing when individuals can talk about needs in their parks and make budget requests. If you are new to this process and would like to know more or talk through what you might say to represent your park, feel free to call Christine Poff from the Franklin Park Coalition / Boston Park Advocates. Christine can be reached at 617-908-4002.

When you first arrive in the hearing room you will see a sign-up sheet to testify. Comments should be short - no more than 2 minutes. Introduce yourself, your neighborhood, and your park, then say what you need in your park.

Tentative Schedule:
10:00 - Hearing begins. Boston Parks Department representatives will present the budget and answer questions posed by the Councilors.
11:30 - Public testimony