It's going.

We're ready.

Well, we got one minute.

Okay, yeah.

Okay.

Councillor Matos, Kevin Henry, Zaicha Bird, and I don't know you.

So afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Morning.

Could you give us an overview of your budget, please?

Yes, I can.

So I would start with good afternoon, counselors, and happy Earth Day.

So we are the Department of Syracuse Parks Recks and Youth Programs.

Parks are essential to every neighborhood, age group, and all abilities.

Parks provides quality of life for many residents in the city.

We're a growing department as we work to increase trails, new playgrounds, new parks, cooling centers, and continuously renovating pools in our age structures.

We oversee um 1,255 acres of city-owned property, and 16 acres of vacant city-owned property.

These include 53 structures, eight outdoor pools, three indoor pools, 44 parks with playgrounds, two new e-sports centers, and 15 miles of trails, just to name a few.

We are comprised of four in the budget departments, which is admin grounds rec and dog shelter, but we're more than that.

We're administration, we're grounds, we're forestry, we're youth rec, senior rec, planning, golf, ice, arts and crafts, dog shelter, senior rec, special events, and adult rec.

Um, we employ 116 full-time positions, including the dog shelter staff.

We currently have three Surah positions, more than 365 part-time recreation employees received the paycheck in 2020, and 25 part-time ground employees received the uh paycheck through the tent line.

Um we operate with a dedicated supportive staff, partnerships with nonprofit organizations, park associations, and friends of parks, as well as the hundreds of residents that chip in every day to watch over, clean, and enjoy the city of Syracuse Parks and Recks and Parks, excuse me, in green spaces as well as programming.

So that's my opening.

Let's go.

So we'll jump in to budget, and Sam is always here to assist me.

This is our finance um, I call him my finance officer for parks, but he is our money go-to person.

Um so we'll start with the cover page, which oversees um positions, and I can walk you through some of the position changes and updates that we've made over the last year.

What?

Switch seats about this word with me.

All right, I believe the hearing is begun.

Yes, call the order.

Thank you.

So starting with the admin the administration line, um, the changes that in or I'll let Sam jump in in a minute.

Um, there's a few changes we made um on the admin line.

So the public information officer used to lie within recreation.

We moved them over to admin, which made more sense for us.

Um the landscape architect two is currently vacant, but we have a plan for that, and we're working on it.

Um the land tech um support specialists is now in City Hall, so that um was vacated out of parks.

And then we have two vacant positions.

Um, and I'll cover all three of these actually.

Administrative assistant, administrative aid are currently vacant but posted.

We're hiring for those.

Are they funded?

They are they're in the they're in our current budget.

The clerk too, our hope is to abolish clerk two in so that we can cover the um administrative aid.

We have a clerk to currently.

Um we really need the administrative aid.

So we would abolish the clerk two, the administrative assistant position.

Our hope is to fill with someone that can do kind of double duty, work part-time within the main office, and then assist grounds because they have no admin support other than the commissioner's um secretary.

So you say Sam is your go-to person.

Sam, yes.

Okay, because I have a question on page one for you.

Can you speak on the microphone so we can all hear anything?

All righty, on page 145.

We're looking at professional services going from 265 dollars to 100,000.

Um, so that's the projected.

This current fiscal year we're budgeted for 100,000 and um we actually I think this was the that projected was put together a few months ago.

We actually says proposed, it doesn't say projected.

It's proposed and actual.

Um because fiscal year 26 adopted is 100,000.

A new sheet.

They got a new sheet.

Oh, I didn't get the shit.

Yeah, she got that's I was like a new sheet.

You got the old one cool.

Uh, but that so that was something that was but last year was budgeted out of recreation.

Um but we just moved the hundred thousand to admin.

It's four professionals, um, like uh the planning department, a lot of uh architectural um she going on the oh one side.

Oh okay, yeah.

Okay, okay.

So you so the it was a hundred thousand adopted 26.

You only spent six of the hundred adopted, but you're we're proposing another hundred because the expectation is you moved something from another department over to admin.

Uh no, last year we moved it from recreation to admin.

Um we're keeping it in there this year.

We were able to cover a lot of that stuff out of capital, so that's why we didn't spend as much as we kind of expected.

Um that resource is not available for this coming yeah.

I would love, sorry, and you know, um we talk a lot about making sure.

I mean, be honest, the parks department.

Um they they do a lot.

They're silent um ambassadors of our community.

Uh virus, making sure the trees are beautiful and the grounds are nice for our children and families.

But one of the biggest and they don't make much, right?

Let's keep it on.

They don't make a lot of money.

I would love to see um with that professional service that they have more opportunities to grow in something that they would like to do, right?

Or create more opportunities in the parks of something creativity.

So I know you guys didn't move use much, but I would love to see that move forward.

Okay.

In the dollars.

Um the public arts coordinators, that's not full of the public coordinator is supported under Surah.

And it's vacant.

It's currently vacant.

No luck there.

We are rewriting the job description, so I'm just waiting for that to be approved.

Okay.

How many SURA positions do you have?

We currently have three.

We have one in Forestry, Mike Wolf.

We have the public art coordinator, and we have um the special assistant to the ground supervisor who oversees mowing contracting.

And the question that I asked all departments because I know we're trying to move off of the Surah line.

How uh how uh more when do you propose that you'll be able to move them off of the Surah line?

Good question.

We would probably for one of so I know Mike's position is part funded through a grant.

Um, so that one might be easier to wiggle.

We would just have to look within the budget or ask for new positions.

Um public art coordinator, um, currently it lies within parks, and we're working on the description, so I'm unsure.

I can get you that answer.

I mean, we would have to reorganize our budget and ask for new positions.

Council Nada.

Yeah, I have a question.

Um, as I'm looking through the budget, there's nothing pertaining to security.

Is that pertains to the police department?

Because I believe uh we've had some instances instances like we did a shoulder park.

Uh youngsters put uh a barrel on fire, or where they have to call the police or council and not currently we do depend on the police department.

The only security we hire is night security to cover the pools so that folks don't break in the pools in the middle of the night.

Um we would love to create park rangers.

We just don't have the budget.

If you want to budget it for us, we would love that.

Okay, so at least we're sure when we have our jazz in the park concerts like what you have this year.

Show a park is July 9th.

So we have a good turnout.

Okay, thank you.

You did a great report earlier giving me numbers, but I didn't, I didn't, I was listening and I didn't write.

Can you tell me again how many staff you have?

And I can make a copy of this.

Yeah.

Um, we currently it's not some of this is last year numbers, so 116 full-time staff, including the six dog shelter staff, three Surah positions, and more than 365 part-time rec um employees, so that covers our pools, our rec, our golf, um ice, um, and then 25 part-time grounds employees.

So that's our temp employees that we bring on to help cover the busier months like summer to keep up with events, um downtown and um golf.

How many are in your budget on yours under your admin, like under you?

How many people do we have under admin?

Oh, you would ask that now.

One, two, three, four, five.

Dave.

Six, seven.

I mean, there's a few that are vacant.

Yeah, but like overall.

There's about almost about eight.

Oh, I don't count you either, but he's not under us.

But he doesn't get it, wouldn't go under you guys, right?

No.

It's not.

Okay.

So it's eight.

Yes.

Three from nine.

Four or five.

Yes.

Because one is a bollage.

So the land uh the tech is moved has moved.

Oh, yeah, we're staying at nine positions.

Yeah.

We change some stuff around by keeping nine.

Yeah.

Commissioner Parks is um vital for our quality of life in the city of Syracuse.

It's one of the number one things that draws people to create in our area.

Yeah.

Um, we also need to focus on youth and recreation, both as an educational component and also as a quality of life component.

Tell me a little more about what you're doing with youth.

Um, so I'm we run a full-fledged, you know, youth summer program during the school year.

We have several centers that are open for our youth.

We start at the age of seven and we go through teens, eighteen um years old.

We have basketball clinics, we have sports events, we have camps that we bring in.

Um I mean, our staff have numbers with them if you would like numbers, but are we expanding any of these programs this year?

Um we are working on plans to expand some teen programming.

Is that included in this budget?

It is not.

It is not.

Nope.

Which doesn't surprise me because this budget's pretty flat compared to last year.

Where do you need more?

If if if if you could get more, where do you need more?

Um to run a fully functioning teen program, we would need um specifically if it was just summer, it about 150,000 if I had to and then school year as well.

The goal is to increase our hours and and do some specialized programming, which we've started with e-gaming, but we've talked about like what would it look like to activate um Burnett Park Art Center with teenagers and design clothing, and so there's there's more that that we would like to do.

I would also say with the increased amount of land that we were we will inherit soon um between trells and 81, our grounds crew will have to increase over the next several years.

We have asked in the budget for another labor.

That was our only ask of of a new staff person, but eventually we'll have to um grow that.

What about so I know we contract out for the parks in the summer?

Mowing.

Right.

Mowing.

How are we with that?

So we just re-did the rebid process.

Um we have new folks on board, um, mowing contractors that we will be meeting within the next couple weeks to set just set the ground with everyone.

Um I think we're in good standing.

Our crews have taken taken back a few properties.

So our staff will be cutting all the fields, baseball fields, football fields, we will cover those.

Yes.

Good.

I mean, sorry, but good.

And uh expansion of tree canopy, uh, additional plantings and landscape architecture.

Where are we in terms of progress this year?

Um, I mean, I know Steve always is Steve here, always has a plan for um the number of trees that they'll be planting, um, to both for tree canopy to protect folks from the heat, you know, to provide some good quality oxygen.

Um, and then for architect, I mean, we have a staff right now of two uh design architect and then a landscape architect.

And I mean I would say last year we covered all the projects except for two that we said we would do.

Um, and so we will continue to work on that list of projects.

Um, what's not in here and what we have not met, I've not mentioned is we are um hoping to either put out a work with some consultants soon um to start a master plan for parks so that we're organized and we know moving forward.

Um we have a five tenure plan.

I have a question, and this is not in the budget.

The playlot on Geddis Street, what are we doing with that?

Oh the on the hill.

So I I have some interesting ideas that I I would I won't say what I want to do.

Josh, come to the mic.

What are we doing with that?

I I would like to clear it and do like a sunflower lot or flowers, something beautiful.

So when you come up that hill, all you see is color and beauty.

Sure.

Uh Joshua Cox, a landscape designer, parks planner.

Uh on a dog got display a lot.

Right now, we have some natural play elements.

We worked with our forestry team to uh cut some logs down that we were getting that we were salvaging and uh create these mounds of uh steppers almost that people could balance on and just you know provide a lot of activity, like that's kind of real active activity.

Um we can do more there.

It's just comes to funding.

We do have a bunch of other playgrounds that are on a list that we plan to cycle through to cycle through the neighborhoods.

Uh that's one that's been on there for a while, but because there isn't done anything with it.

Yeah, there's stuff there to do something with, but it's just not enough.

It's not an actual playground.

We call it a natural play area.

The hard part about that park too is the accessibility.

Like getting up that hill into that park is difficult.

Yeah.

Yep.

And that one does, there's no parking for that one.

Um we have we had to put a gate there because we had a lot of illegal dumping in the back.

And currently there is a broadband tower that was uh constructed up there too.

So we want to work around all that to put a really good design together once we get there.

Isn't that always Murphy's law that people get up there to dump illegally, but you can't get people up there to play naturally.

It used to play up there.

Yeah, it used to be full of kids.

Yeah, yeah.

Then there's a lot of rust.

A lot of tetanus.

Yeah, give us a little imp what's going on with auto rest of the parks for summer.

Ooh.

What's going on?

Um, so recently the news on the Inner Harbor working on a Railings project there and uh playground project over there, another project jointly with our planning team over at um NBD.

Um Homer Wheaton, that's still an intake right now.

We have all the comments coming through with the intake meeting with our permitting team.

I just got some comments back from engineering on that.

So we'll be putting that one out to bid in the next uh several weeks.

Um looks like we're moving forward this summer.

Yeah, yeah, we're moving for uh forward with uh the bid this summer and the structure itself.

We're gonna buy the structure because it's a pre-cast concrete structure, and then that will get like a giant crane.

We'll deliver that, so it'll be a spectacle for the neighborhood to see.

So you think they'll have it this summer?

Uh fall.

We're hoping that this fall is when we can actually finalize the installation.

We'll be working on it during the summer.

Okay.

Yeah.

We gotta build a pad out and we're gonna um build that splash pad too, which we might come back to you guys for with a couple questions on that.

Okay, keep going.

Um, what else is going on?

We have a lot of playground projects.

We have three of them that are currently designed that we're putting the bid document the construction documents together with with a consultant.

Um then we have three more that will be cycling through the neighborhoods Cummingsfield, Barrie Park, and Elmwood Park.

Um, three playgrounds uh each include like a stage element, uh pavilion element, the play element.

Um we're working on some sustainability projects right now in Elmwood Park as well with ESF.

So a professor up there is helping us with a garden, essentially building a food forage and garden and deep paving a uh old parking lot.

Uh we're jointly working with our forestry team all together um all the time and with them Pass Arboretum is a huge undertaking that is it's almost to completion or or will be in the summer or fall, whenever the plantings, final plantings are done.

Um, but there is the officer memorial right outside of that that we jointly worked on uh with Forestry.

We're working downtown right now on Fayette Firefighter Spark.

That's a big one that um it's currently under construction, so you can go see the concrete being poured.

Trying to think because that list is pretty big.

Thank you.

We have to get away.

That's all that's all you're doing.

There's there's several other things that are in the docket right now.

We're working with the engineering team at Southwest Community Center.

I was gonna ask you that what's going on with that.

How's that going?

Yep, Southwest joint project with NBD engineering to uh look at the gym, the HVAC, the pool, the pool is in a uh state of need.

Um we have a lot of parks that have had a lot of deferred maintenance over the last years, but in the last since really COVID, our teams have caught up on a lot of things, and we're really repairing as we can go with the resources that we have.

Um skilled traits is always the best resource to go to first.

Um, but we have found a lot of problems with our pools and to address all the pools is a huge undertaking, both internally and uh and and with our consultants.

I have another question about technology.

How are we taking payments?

Do we need any upgrades to it?

How is that going?

We have been working over the last year and a half, two years.

Jason covers his face um to work on that.

There's a Jason, you want to explain the issue?

It's an iClo iCloud issue.

Hey everyone, uh Jason Sharf, Director of Digital Services.

So our payments work with Invoice Cloud as the software.

And we got new touchless contact payments that worked with that.

However, for parks, they use rec software in addition to invoice cloud and the touchless contact, the contactless payments doesn't work with rack desk.

So we did send those devices back, and we are gonna be exploring how we can do that.

It is very very frustrating.

Saysha has been really wanting people to be able to pay with the variety devices, pay with your phones.

Um and you know, if kids want snacks at the ice skating rink, we don't want to turn them away.

Um so it is a priority.

It unfortunately has been frustrating with the limitations that we have, but we will work to address that.

And I thank you, because they continue to push and find new ways, and we'll get there.

Thank you.

We got the signs up.

Are we ready for the signs for the ticks?

Josh, the tick signs.

Poor Josh.

He's been working on them.

I think they're almost finalized.

Yeah, I sent over um some draft uh tick signs uh just the other week.

Yeah, we we improved what was there and made a uh things a little bit larger, and uh we just gotta put them out to print.

We gotta have them printed either on like plastic or metal, whether we're using the sign shop or getting them printed with another resource.

But we plan on rolling those out with also like our anti-litter sign, like our you know, just keep your parks clean.

Um kind of a joint little effort.

Like if you're gonna stay safe, you might as well you know help us with with our our grand undertaking.

Thank you.

Josh, can you just um speak a little bit to what what's going on with the pool at Southwest Center?

At Southwest?

Yeah, yeah.

Um that is like two.

The part the part's actually in.

And so it's gonna be repaired.

There was a uh pump that broke, and then that the new one installed caused another part to break.

And so there was a 16 to 24-week wait for the part to be built.

Yeah, the parts delivered, um, and now we can get that pool fixed again.

But will it be open in the summer?

Southwest typically isn't open in the summer.

It's one of the pools we close because we have to man the eight outdoor parks.

Okay, because it because I haven't here heard that it was because of the the temperature inside during the summer.

But we can't.

There is some issues.

It's a Southwest is uh, and I can bring Brent up as a heated is a heated pool, so it's really hot in the summer.

I know last summer it was my first year here.

We did not open Southwest.

We're also working on some HVAC over there too to help improve that.

Because there's just no ventilation in the dome area.

Okay.

All right.

Seisha on the revenue side of things.

I see here that we're charging for concessions use and the rank fees, square rink fees, acting to square.

But you do generate more revenue than that.

Um as far, I mean, concession, our revenue sources, concession stand, the stand at the ranks, um, event rental, bandwagon rental, right?

Event rental here.

Yeah, it's kind of an umbrella for there's a lot of that's how it's listed, but it doesn't include so it's under concessions all of that.

Yes.

Oh, I thought it was additional.

No.

Okay.

Is there anything else that would be revenue generating on your end?

Other than park rentals, pavilion rentals, um, concessions.

I'm trying to go through them all.

Um, ice rings, bandwagons, um, building rentals for like the gym, golf course, memberships.

Um, in the PNR fee.

What is that?

All of that is included in the PNR fee.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay, now thank you.

Any other questions for the parks commissioner?

Yeah.

Page 147.

Your uniforms went up almost double.

Why?

For grounds.

Went from 61 to 50.

Is that record grounds?

Oh, for our grounds.

Yes, I think that was um, we're kind of under budgeted this year, so we actually went over.

So the increase is kind of to cover they get uh uniform allowance.

Um the great the uh laborers and grounds employees.

And the dog shelter and the um so they there's certain protective equipment or uniforms that they need to work out in the field, especially with you know, ticks and boots, thick boots and jackets in the winter, t-shirts, winter hats, so we provide all of that.

Can I ask Steve something?

Yeah, Steve.

Good morning, Counselor Steve Harris, City Arborist.

Hey Steve, can you tell us a little bit about the trees that are going to be planted over there near Kirk Park area?

Like you guys are you clearing out some of it for the trail, but then you're planting some new ones over that area.

Do you mean which part of Kirk Park are you referring to?

Oh, stated trail.

You mean along the parallel with the creek walk?

Yes.

On the Kirk Park side or the traveler's rest side.

I am transported parking.

Yeah, but I don't know which side.

I was just informed about some trees.

I was just curious.

I will have to uh look into that and get back to you.

So you don't know about any trees that are going to be implanted over there?

Uh not specifically.

I mean we right, we have a planting plan manager.

Okay who comes up though with those plans, so they're in their lane doing that, and I haven't looked at what their current plans are.

I will say that I know that the Kirk Park side, including trees we have planted, will be impacted by the new footbridge whenever that moves forward because that is a different is going to be taller and have more of a footprint to get us across the creek.

So then that'll also um so the uh veterans memorial will also impact them then.

Uh I don't I can't speak to that.

I think it will be that's a different I don't know where that's at.

No, oh, one more Steve, and I know it's not about parks, but I don't know.

I guess this is a general question about the um trees.

Are you currently working with the other part of the city with the planning of any of the trees that are going around the city as we're planning them?

Could you ask that question again in the mic?

So I apologize.

Uh Rashida Caldwell, sorry.

Um question about the trees.

I know it's not directly about the parks, but are you in collaboration with the trees that we're putting in the city as we're removing them across like the walkways, right away, the right-of-ways.

Yes.

Okay.

So working with that too.

Um just so you know, I don't think I've had an opportunity to explain the aspects of forestry division overall, because uh unlike the rest of the parks, we spend about 90% of our time in the streets.

So as it relates to capital projects, we're coordinating heavily with DPW, curbs, sidewalks, shared use paths.

We coordinate with engineering on designs.

We have our own CIP that helps us enhance any new construction so it can become green, like the proposed Jane uh shared use path uh coming down the pike on James Street.

Um South Ave and Southwest Community Center through DRI, get a rehab.

We're gonna be able to enhance that project.

We like to leverage other projects so that you can make sure there's a green element.

But we also do all the SEPTED clearing.

So we're involved in any any public space that has a serious problem with encampments like Dakon Street.

I don't know if anyone remember about that.

Yes, um parks oversees that we oversee all the vegetation right-of-way management that DPW used to do.

Um we work closely with MBD on all their housing initiatives to make sure there's tree protection with new houses going in, policies and processes for what clearing a site looks like, so that a new homeowner when they inherit uh a new house doesn't have a lingering uh 10 to 20,000 tree problem in their backyard.

That's a setback for them.

Uh we so we work very closely with them as well.

We oversee 35,000 street trees, 10,000 park trees.

We have a tree crew that responds to emergencies 24-7, 365.

Um we're coordinating heavily when it comes to tree removal and replacement.

Thank you, Steve.

That's a lot.

So you answered my question.

You are working um collectively with the party.

We talk every day as well uh they're they're moving as fast as they can to do all they can to get uh all the curbs and sidewalks in and uh so we got to coordinate heavily.

Well, we have you as the community grid project unfolds are will they actually get your opinion before they just start greening the new community grid, like you'll be involved in that.

Um yeah, I mean we're part of that design review process.

Um our our current natural areas manager was formerly part of the transportation team over at DPW, so she's been involved.

Okay in some of that, but we we look at all the plans and uh Jeff Romano, who does our permit enforcement and design review and who is a landscape architect.

Um he's weighed in a lot.

Uh we just commented on contract date, the the money pitch on Almond Street, what that looks like.

Against DOT, but I've noticed some of the off ramps that they've done, like especially like that TLAB off ramp.

They just looks like they kind of just threw a bunch of that that was in there.

That was independent of the 81 quarter design review.

And um that was a surprise to me that they put trees up on that embankment.

We've historically not managed that embankment, and that doesn't seem like an ideal place for a tree to grow just because it grows into the highway.

If it would be possible for our landscape design crew to be more in touch with DOT on those kind of projects, it does affect how people see Syracuse when they get off the off ramps and they see something along those lines.

And I think that landscape design around there could also really be the gateways initiative that we've talked about for so long.

So if you guys could just be a little more in touch with them, that would be really helpful.

I know it's not specifically in your purview.

I mean, we we do what we can.

We certainly have communicated with them a lot more just because of 81, and I know DOT is doing what they can to be uh to get our input.

Um and a lot of the new right 81 has there's a lot of sprawl connecting everyone, everything to 81.

So all the ancillary ancillary side streets have a lot of a lot of landscape design.

We've been talking about it for a while.

Thank you.

We have to move on actually.

Counselor?

No, this one is important.

So the trees on the sidewalk.

The trees, we got a whole half an hour, isn't it 12 o'clock?

Our next one?

Oh, I thought it was at 11:30.

No, 12 o'clock on the apologies, counsel.

So um trees, sidewalks.

One of the big things, because I see we're really out there, I see them tearing up the sidewalks now, right?

So, with that being said, how many trees are you finding that are coming inside the sidewalk that we have to remove or not many?

I know they said there's a new way that they're thinking of not removing the trees, because I know in some neighborhoods there's a lot of big old trees that are making sidewalks come up.

And I know as we remove the sidewalks as you're working with them, how are we finding that with the trees?

Uh that's a that can be a challenging conflict to resolve.

Um, when new sidewalks are going in, uh certainly the largest trees or any tree that experiences a lot of root loss, uh, we remove those trees.

And for the new installs, we put a tree tunnel under the sidewalk that is stone with pores, but uh with pore space.

It's called structural soil.

Uh that's a standard operating procedure right now that we use our capital dollars for.

So DPW, they lay out their sidewalk.

Uh we look at where the utilities are, and then we cite a new tree based on where the utilities are to avoid conflict with the utilities.

And then uh we dig two feet deep under the sidewalk, put this stone that's covered in soil, allowing the roots to grow under to significantly delay heaving.

So, so that's for new systems.

Uh for existing walks, when a tree heaves a walk, our response to that issue is driven by the repair of the sidewalk.

So we wouldn't go to uh an address where trees heaving a sidewalk and remove the tree if it's a healthy tree, because that sidewalk will remain heave.

So we wait till a sidewalk repair uh indicates a course of action that makes us uh remove the tree.

Um if the tree is unhealthy, like we inspect 1,500 trees a year.

If a tree is unhealthy, we remove it just because of that.

Or if it's structurally unsound, it has a crack or tallow or so there's a lot of pieces I just it was just concerning because I see a lot of neighborhoods that have a lot of old beautiful trees, right?

And you educated me some years ago how important trees were.

But I'm just curious of as we're spending all this money on repairing sidewalks, like how are we preventing those?

Because you can obviously see the roots, you know, lifting those up.

We I mean we do make efforts to right size trees, uh, fit the space, but if we can get the tree tunnels in, then we're always trying to plant the tallest growing trees as much as possible because those are the ones that provide the benefits and live longer.

Yes.

But um otherwise we we reinventory a portion of our city every year.

We have uh there's a best management practices for how you assess tree condition.

So we assess that and we prioritize management.

So our focus when we re-inventory is find the worst of the trees and get them out of there.

So stay the one on we discussed before in Hollyah, the tree is fine.

So healthy trees, middle age and lowest TV on the sidewalk, so it'll be up to street repair.

That they're gonna have to figure that out.

If they move the repair it, then we would go and assess will root loss result in an unsafe condition with the tree.

Okay.

And when it does, then we remove the tree and the stump.

One more question was uh on do good park, uh where we have that old tree.

Well, we added two new trees on do good park, butternut circle.

And I just wanted to know are those trees going to be growing, or are those like just smaller trees added to the um we have a combination of low-growing trees and tall growing trees there.

So the ones that are directly under wires are they tend to grow up into the calm wires like the phone and cable and whatever.

Our issues are with electric service delivery, and serve those, we put low-growing trees.

All right, thank you.

But some will grow tall.

Same have a quick question.

You also pursue grants to offset some of your capital improvement projects and probably events and stuff like that.

Is that does that affect this budget or that's additional to I'm sorry, I I didn't hear the beginning.

So the grants that you pursue during the year.

Yeah.

So that offsets capital improvements and maybe some events or typically if we if it's a grant we're writing, we currently have one for pools.

Um we have one for um some there's an opportunity to write for playgrounds.

Steve um writes a lot of grants to cover staffing, um, and and actually training conferences.

So it does help offset some of these numbers at some point during the year, maybe.

Yes, yes.

Okay, yeah, you can balance the act.

Or grants don't offset the expand scope.

So yeah, I guess.

Our grant, we don't write grants to offset, we write grant they usually it's difficult to do with the way the grants are structured.

We write to expand what we're doing.

There we go.

That's what we needed to know.

And we do get an annual grant um to support REC around 18,000 a year.

Okay.

Steve, I had a constituent that asked a question about trees that are that are in a borderline, such as the edge of the city in the backyard toward an adaga hill.

And there are those trees are starting to fall into their yard.

They had a question about who would be responsible to take care of those trees.

You said Steve the address, he'll look at our so we are actually currently revisiting our process for inspecting trees on private property.

There is a a stipulation in the municipal tree ordinance that we can cite a tree if if we deem it to be in a hazardous condition.

And it like you can't have a hazardous structure on property, but we're going to be meeting with um Corporation Council and First Corporation Council in about three weeks to discuss this process and make sure we're doing things in the right way.

Um because of the act of going on to a property and making a determination.

What does that mean for us as a city?

Uh in general, uh dealing with boundary trees is is a complicated thing.

There's not one response to that question.

Okay.

Should I just give you the address for a commissioner request then to look at it?

Okay.

I had a I had a different question, but I'm going to leave with a follow-up to that.

Um are you also going to be um discussing the new AV property with the tree situation?

The wall, the um that is that situation is not a tree.

Actually, the two stunt 345 West News what you're referring to.

Uh Will Rogers is that his name?

Yeah.

So there are two old stumps that are the only thing holding that retaining wall up right now.

And if we were to remove those, that thing would be.

No, I'm not talking about the stump.

I'm talking about the responsibility of the repair to the wall.

That is who too.

That is unclear to me.

That that is that's somewhere higher up the food chain than me.

I can't.

That's what I'm saying.

I know you said you're going to be speaking with um Corp Council.

So I would say that.

You can't tell that that driveway's been uh repaired over the course of its life.

And he's not just having issues with the retaining wall on the park side, but in the back of his property, too.

It's the issue with his whole foundation.

Um it's a serious issue, but he had a lot of cars on there putting a lot of weight on there.

I'm sure that didn't help him uh with that matter.

But okay, we we'll discuss that then because that I think that the trees were absolutely an issue for that.

I I uh I let um others know above me that's out of forestry's hands.

If that's that's a long I don't know where that's at at the moment.

Okay.

Um so my other question was um I see you have um several like tree trimmers for staff.

Yep.

Um, but I know that you guys do a lot of third party um tree, I don't know if that's trimming or cutting.

So can you tell me what the difference is and where is the third party um in the in the um uh the third party services would be listed under parks uh page 147, uh operating supplies and expenses that kind of covers a whole bunch of different stuff, including mowing contractors and also we have an in in-house crew that is uh one way to think about them is our rapid response crew.

So we have an in-house crew that is uh one way to think about them is our rapid response crew.

So they especially during the summer, they have a work list that they're going to do every day.

And starting sometime this month until December, their their plans are usually interrupted by a here and now issue.

Often it's a tree that comes down in the road or at the parks.

They were this morning down at Meacham getting a big log out that fell over the winter.

We can get there till now.

Uh they respond to all our emergencies so that we have a quick response time.

Sometimes it's police and fire calling us to help them so they can respond.

Um and they do a significant portion, about a third of our work, and then the rest we contract out.

So we have uh 1.1 million operating dollars that's been reduced, but our our add-ons have increased.

So we do all the tree work for Septead, all the vegetation right-away management, like I mentioned before.

We have stump grinders uh that grind the stump but don't provide soil and grass seed.

Uh pruning and removals.

We've had because of the amount of capital dollars on the DPW side, we've had to reduce our pruning numbers and put towards removals so that we can remove the trees and stumps in time so they can do their work.

So when they're when their work expands, which is great, improving our infrastructure, that increases our workload as well.

Commissioner, I I want to go back to uh to park mowers, those who mow mow the park.

How many contracts do we have and how many of those individuals that are mowing our parks are city residents?

So we just went through the rebrid bid process, so Josh would have that information to confirm who we brought on, how many we brought on.

Can you repeat the question?

Um, how many mow new mowing contractors do we have and how many are city residents?

Uh I we have seven that are coming on.

Um that's an increase of three from last year.

We only had four.

Um and then we also have our hourly rate contractor, they're gonna be doing a lot of mowing as well.

For city residents, uh a few of them are city of Syracuse residents.

They have like their own, they're starting their own operations, is what it seems like.

I haven't gone into like the specifics on their business.

Um, but they're based out of the city of Syracuse, and seems like they're one two-man crews that'll be doing a lot of work.

So it'll be good by the way.

When you say few, probably two, three.

Yeah, two at least half of them are from the city of Syracuse.

We have one that's from like Tanawanda, like all the way out in Buffalo, but they're only mowing one site.

So it's kind of like uh, you know, I think they're based out of there, but they live here.

Um, just some things that we're trying to work through right now in the awarding process because we're awarding the contracts actually as what because you know, many of counselors here would attest to this that you know there are individuals in the city that feel that because of they they are able to mow grass and lawn and keep that that business like that should really be catered to them.

I'm wondering what's what sort of skills that is needed to do that and as as as as as a department, is there an a concerted effort to try to improve that that that level to to bring up city resident to be able to do this type of business rather than consistently going out?

Yep, absolutely.

Um when we put out the contracts this time because we go through the counties uh process because it's their service-based contracts.

Um we gave all the information to our purchasing department as well, so they were able to contact uh those that are on their lists that are all like city city residents, MWBE lists.

Um so I think that that yielded some results.

Um I can't, you know, for sure tell you that because they got sent the contract that that's why they did on it.

Um but we did have positive results from doing that, and we're always open to talk with more people about you want to take on a site, for example, at Van Dyne, uh Van Dyne, the fields over there, um, the fields themselves, the baseball team has some people who are very dedicated that like to maintain those fields themselves.

Um so we're totally open to working with them for that.

Um and then if people have like small parks that they really care about when they want to get out there on their mowers, we'll talk to them and let them know the process that they have to go through in order to come on with us.

What's the cost of these seven contracts?

Do we know?

Oh, for this year uh when we apply the multiplier, because we don't have a minimum number of times that they have to mow to.

We just use a base number for a performance bond.

Um so if you mow every space 30 times throughout this whole season, it comes up to around 850,000.

Combine.

Yep.

Okay.

Okay.

Josh, on that, I um a few years ago, I was made aware that there's like some cemeteries that parks do.

Yeah.

Um, how many cemeteries do we manage?

Myrtle Hill.

Myrtle Hill is one of the big ones that we manage, and there's uh a lot of headstones there that we have to mow around for a while.

It was our crews that were managing that.

Um, but we have had a contractor bid on that site, so we'll have a contractor doing it now.

Um Rose Hill.

Rose Hill and Oakwood is the first time.

Rose Hill's another one.

We're okay.

We're coming through with our forestry team to do uh improvement planting project and gateway project at Rose Hill too to um you know talk about the history of the site.

Um so that's another one, and then we have a lot of smaller cemeteries like Salt Springs Cemetery or Lodi Cemetery that are may only have one monument stone, but you know, we classify them at cemeteries.

First ward, first ward cemetery.

There's only one headstone.

They they have a very vocal neighbor.

Okay.

Me.

Oh, you didn't have one headstone.

There's only one there's a partial um stone, and then there's one headstone that you can read.

It's flat.

We keep it kind of clean, me and my kids.

But um there were more um stones in there in the 60s.

I heard they were removed.

I don't know the the history, but um that cemetery.

Yeah.

There's one.

I know there's at least one person in there.

Oh, he's lonely.

She.

She's lonely.

She.

Commissioner.

I wanted to go ask you about uh sidewalk group here around our city parks.

Like first ward.

He's back.

First ward is on the list for repair.

Okay.

First ward's next on our list.

Uh we plan on coming to the council to ask for some funding um to initiate that project.

Right now, the estimates are around $880,000.

Um because it's the entire replacement of the whole thing includes some stairwork as well.

And uh, did we still have improvements to do on Dr.

Grosso Park?

Yeah, Grosso's done.

We we came through there, did that backside sidewalk, um, work for the forestry team to make sure all train tree conflicts were uh covered.

Okay, thank you.

Um, quick one, very quick.

Josh, before you leave, how far are we or how far aren't we with the internal flame?

Um more of the latter.

Uh there's been some New York State um things that have come up on it.

Sorry, Helen, I didn't hear you.

What are you?

The internal flame.

The internal flame.

We have the design, like we put together a design, but there are a lot of complications going on in Clinton Square when it comes to just like the level of things that we have to do over there.

Um, of course, the bigger project that's uh happening, but with that site itself, there are a couple constraints.

So we want to work with you.

I've I've asked um a couple other people a little higher up than me to like say how are we going to approach this in a in a way that kind of pulls in the essence of what we're looking for.

Um so we're trying to work through that right now, and we'll be back to talk to you about it.

Could we make that project solar?

What's that?

Could we make it solar?

Yeah, that's what it's gonna be.

It's gonna be solar.

Yes, okay.

Yeah, we were looking at it.

No, we're not doing gas economy.

It'd have to be paid for.

So we're doing solar.

There's a lot of cool things you could do with lighting now and like LED lighting, color changing lighting, and if we have a sculptural element, which is what we're proposing, um, or like a seating element, a memorial element.

Sounds like you need a public arts coordinator.

Yeah.

And I have one more quick question.

Not a question, but a comment.

I think that when we talk about you know the awards they give out for the city.

I think that my neighbors over in Franklin Square, they do a phenomenal job of taking care of that park.

She just won one.

Linda two months.

The last, not the last round, two rounds ago we nominated.

Because it's more than just Linda that goes out there and does that.

Linda did Linda was nominated.

Uh, the not the last round, the round before that.

We do recognize, I mean, I've been walking that trail um a couple times a week, and I walk down there and talk to Linda and talk to the folks around Franklin.

They'll probably tell you they've met me over the last couple of weeks.

Um, just watching the work they do without them.

Um, there's so many volunteers within our city without them.

Yeah, our parks, we can't do it all.

Like we are really appreciative to those folks, them that I won't name any because I'm gonna miss some, but that take care of our parks day in in, day out, and look, keep an eye on the park, let us know when something's kind of falling apart.

Um, and write grants towards making sure that we have the money to do so.

So yeah, we appreciate them.

And we'll plug City Line as well because our team really relies on City Line a lot.

So the the stewards the stewards out there are the neighbors, and uh any of those efforts we reappreciate.

Agreed.

All right, I got one more question, but it might have already been discussed.

If so, just say we already talked about it, I'll look at it online.

Um, the greenhouse, how far along are we with the greenhouse and what can we expect?

Yes, the greenhouse project is uh we started it a few years ago.

We've gone through one consultant that didn't work out um with the roof.

Um that was something that we're trying new because how the roof had to be designed.

But we've gotten comic from Landmark Preservation Board on how we could do the structure so it's more so it keeps a historical um character.

But also we're looking right now to re-engage on that project heavily with our consultant, and we're looking we're working with the engineering department and the contracts that they have.

Um so we're not that far ahead, but we've had all the testing done.

We've had the demolition plan completed.

Um we're just trying to really figure out the roof in details, like how the actual structure is gonna sit on the old, old, old hundred-year-old concrete pad.

So um that has expanded a little bit because we're really looking at doing educational programming out of the greenhouse.

Yeah.

How to expand our stewardship efforts out of the greenhouse, and our staff down there are just phenomenal.

And they, you know, that they can get they get a lot um of work for them for the very few that there are.

What about um what about gazebos and soccer field?

I know that there was a plan to put in a gazebo at Elmwood Park.

That's that plan's still gonna move forward, a gazebo in a new playground.

Okay, and then and then the soccer field at McKinley Bright.

We're working on it.

So we're working on it.

There's a couple things going on at McKinley Brighton with with the new um foundation that uh and Chetty looking at that area.

We're we have some conversations going on right now to see what's the community want there.

You know, do they want to expand it building?

Do they want to, you know?

So we've been having those conversations with the community.

Okay.

We have some community engagement with Alman coming up in the next uh 45 days or so, and we'll be sending you out all the notifications, but it will include the the already funded pavilion.

So what's the timeline on that though?

Oh, for construction, getting out to bid because we have a number of things ahead.

Um we look to have the documents fully put together this summer and possibly do a fall uh winter bid.

The bidding atmosphere is generally better when we bid things out in the winter because everybody's looking for the work in the spring.

Yeah, thank you.

I I just want to say that you know, and many individuals that knows Elmwood Park.

It's one of those underrated park that is busy.

Very, very busy, especially during summertime.

So I think it makes sense to really you know quicken the pace of making sure that we get that gazebo in there because it it people do really enjoy their park and they take advantage of this space.

You know that, Chris, right?

It's a secret garden of our parks.

It is, it is but it is busy.

I I agree with that.

I try to go swim in there once in a while, but it's it just it's always packed in the summer.

Josh, thank you for the hard work on it.

And all of you that can't, I know you all show up here at this budget hearing every year, so thank you for the hard work you do.

We we appreciate you.

Any other questions for our parks commissioner?

Thank you very much.

Uh motion to end the meet the hearing.

So move.

Step back in.