Pleasantville Village Board Work Session: Parks and Recreation FYE 2027 Budget Review

The Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees held a work session to review the Parks and Recreation Department's proposed budget for fiscal year ending 2027, the year beginning June 1, 2026. Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Mike Newman, Treasurer Norain Regan, and Village Administrator Eric Morrissey presented the expense and revenue sides, the capital plan, and the Farmers Market/Music Festival budgets. The session began at 7:00 p.m. and ran until just before the 8:00 p.m. regular board session. No formal resolutions were adopted; the session was for discussion and budget development. Note: The agenda and raw transcript identify the meeting date as Monday, March 9, 2026, but the meeting date is recorded here as March 17, 2026.

Discussion: Parks and Recreation Expense Budget

• Rec administration: staffing remains routine, with part-time coverage for rental events, conference and training costs similar to prior years, and continued use of Community Pass software. The department no longer outsources brochure formatting; staff member Kristen redesigned the brochure and, with Paul's help, produced a Spanish version.
• Parks administration: part-time seasonal staffing is similar to the current year. Overtime is modestly reduced in part by reallocating Farmers Market-related overtime to the Farmers Market budget for better tracking. The proposed spreader equipment would allow staff to evenly distribute clay, sand, or topsoil on fields, replacing an outside service that costs about $5,000 per application and is currently needed twice a year for Parkway field restoration. Board members said the purchase seemed reasonable after last year's maintenance budget increase.
• Field lights and electricity: the current annual electricity cost for field lighting was cited as $37,000. A discussed LED retrofit quote with phone-controlled shutoff was about $125,000. A board member urged looking into the LED upgrade sooner rather than later because it would drastically lower electricity costs and improve lighting.
• Pest control: rodent control had shifted from weekly to monthly visits, but recent rat sightings on Wheeler and at the Rec led to discussion of returning to weekly service. Steel garbage inserts and electric traps were reported as helpful improvements.
• Recreation center/HVAC: a $100,000 grant can fund insulation, window replacement, or HVAC electrification. Bill Link is helping evaluate options; the likely first step is improving the building envelope before upgrading HVAC because the rec room has no insulation. The old air conditioning unit may need replacement. The dissolution of PC TV is still pending with the Attorney General's office and may lower future utility use in the building.
• Pool: lifeguard staffing is increasing after last year required more guards; the department had about 50 guards, the most ever. Staff will offer a lifeguard course and reimburse participants who work for the village. An outside consultant will assist with the new pool filtration and control system, and new CO2 tanks and monitors will be installed to address safety concerns. The snack bar needs cleaning, degreasing, and repainting, but the board was cautious about adding to the pool budget.
• Day camp: junior camp will expand from 12:00 to 2:30, becoming a fuller day, with additional staff and higher fees to offset costs. The total day camp budget is $487,000 and is expected to be covered by revenue. Junior camp enrollment is hoped to reach about 100, up from 60 last year. Camp scholarships will continue using SNAP letters; staff will confirm eligibility verification with school officials.
• Special events and programs: five summer concerts are planned with food trucks and local vendors. Pleasantville Day will remain a similar event; the synthetic ice rink is planned again, with possible timing adjustments. Preschool programs have uneven demand due to UPK. After-school Panther Club will add four to five staff members and aims for 25 to 28 staff to increase enrollment. Adult programs include one annual Mom's Bingo and a new adult knitting class; a dad's casino night idea was set aside because of gaming regulations.
• Beautification and trees: the holiday lighting contract is $55,000 and may be increased to add three larger trees in the parking lot/plaza. Street tree planting is budgeted for 10 trees; the 50-50 program averages 12 to 15 trees. Staff and board discussed hiring a consultant for a street tree master plan to address right-tree/right-location issues and planting manpower.

Discussion: Revenue and Capital Plan

• Revenue projections are healthy, with expected increases from Panther Club enrollment, the longer junior camp day, and pool/camp revenue.
• Highlighted capital items: street tree master plan $80,000; Nannahagen basketball court resurfacing $100,000, last done in 2023 and requiring grinding and starting over; and a $35,000 replacement vehicle for the recreation department.

Farmers Market and Music Festival

• The Farmers Market budget is unchanged; the village has a contract with the operator through November 2026. The Pleasantville Music Festival expense and revenue projections are also unchanged.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken; the work session provided direction for finalizing the FYE 2027 budget.
• The board asked staff to keep pursuing LED lighting upgrades and bring back cost/options.
• If the board approves the capital plan, staff will issue an RFP for the street tree master plan early in the next fiscal year.
• Further budget discussions will continue at upcoming board meetings.