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(1) Review of the Draft of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Recommendations to the City Council; and (2) If Desired, Authorization of Transmittal of the Correspondence to the City Manager.
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Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: Ted Stevens/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-6682
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (03/15/2025); (Email) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (03/15/2025)
Department Approval: Ted Stevens, PRCS Director (03/13/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission (1) review the draft of the PRCS Commission’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget recommendations to the City Council; and (2) if desired, authorize transmittal of the correspondence to the City Manager.
BACKGROUND
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2014-2015, the City Council instituted an enhanced budget process. This process provides additional opportunities for the public to provide input into the budget document. Further, the City Council now specifically invites members of the City’s Commissions, Committees, and Boards to provide comments during the City’s budget process.
On January 7, 2025, the PRCS Commission reviewed the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget, and discussed potential topics for the PRCS Commission’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget recommendations to the City Council. There was consensus that PRCS Commissioner Maggie Peters with the support from Commissioner Palvi Mohammed would draft the correspondence to the City Council.
Fiscal Year 2024-2025 PRCS Commission Budget Recommendations
As noted in the January 7, 2025, staff report, the PRCS Commission Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget Recommendations were as follows:
• Personnel Enhancements - (Ongoing Cost)
o The addition of one Maintenance Worker I and one Irrigation Maintenance Technician position will allow PRCS to “provide comprehensive preventative maintenance [and] result in improved safety, lower repair costs, and extend useful life of our facilities and equipment.”
§ Status: PRCS received an additional Irrigation Maintenance Technician in the 2024/2025 budget. The Maintenance Worker I position was not funded.
• Upgrades to Culver West and Lindberg Park Playgrounds ($2,000,000)
o The Commission requested $2,000,000 “to redesign and rebuild Culver West and Lindberg Park playgrounds.”
§ Status: For the 2024/2025 budget, $600,000 was added to the CIP PP014 Park Playground Rehabilitation in addition to the $400,000 that will be utilized from the 2023/2024 budget for a total of $1,000,000. This funding is slated for the Culver West playground. For Lindberg Park, the goal is to begin community meetings during the 2024/2025 fiscal year to discuss that playground with residents, and then use funding of $1,000,000 in the 2025/2026 fiscal year and $1,000,000 in the 2026/2027 fiscal year to cover design and construction.
• Include Playground Maintenance in the PRCS operating Budget ($35,000)
o The PRCS Commission “suggest[ed] that a standing budget line item be incorporated into the PRCS operating budget to conduct regular inspections and sustain playground maintenance.”
§ Status: $110,000 was added to the CIP PP016 Playground Equipment Repair.
• Fund In-house Youth Sports Programs (One-Time)
o PRCS Commission “recommend[s] that the Council provide support to develop and maintain these activities to ensure success in this endeavor.”
§ Status: This was funded with supplies and personnel in the Sports programs account (10130240).
• Ensure Compliance with California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) (Multi-year)
o The PRCS Commission wants to “ensure the Department is meeting the City’s commitments to comply with the statewide MWELO.”
§ Status: This was funded in CIP PP026 MWELO Consultant for $85,000.
• Procurement and Delivery of Wood-grain Fiber City Wide (Ongoing)
o The PRCS Commission “also requests that Council considers an annual ongoing funding for continued maintenance of mulch citywide in order to comply with SB1383.”
§ Status: This was funded through the department’s reallocation of funds during the budget process. $44,000 was moved permanently into the Parks Division account (10130300.514100) to cover the purchase of wood-grain fiber.
The City of Culver City Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget was adopted by the City Council on June 12, 2024.
Fiscal Year 2023-2024 PRCS Capital Improvement Projects
In Fiscal Year 2024-2025, there was an estimated $4,198,979 carried over from previous fiscal years to continue long term ongoing projects. An estimated $2,376,000 was allocated for new projects.
DISCUSSION
On January 7, 2025, the PRCS Commission began discussions on their recommendations to City Council for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. On February 4, 2025, the PRCS Commission reviewed the first draft of FY 2025-2026 budget recommendation letter. At that meeting, the discussion included how to correctly classify the administrative positions to ensure a grant writer is requested, the importance of launching the Parks Plan with Tellefson Park renovations, and how to specify their request for additional salary and benefits for lifeguards. Attachment 1 is the second draft of the PRCS Commission FY 2025-2026 budget recommendation letter.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact associated with the discussion of this Agenda Item. However, the discussion does include consideration for changes in the budget accounts associated with the PRCS department.
ATTACHMENT
1. 2025-03-18 - ATT 1 Annual Budget Recommendation Letter FY 2025-2026 Second Draft
MOTION
That the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission:
1. Review and finalize the PRCS Commission’s draft Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget recommendations to the City Council; and
2. Authorize transmittal of the correspondence to the City Manager.