Updated 2:25 p.m.
The Green Lake Community Center and Evans Pool will remain open through 2010
This morning (Monday, June 14, 2010), the Seattle City Council Budget Committee met to announce the 2010 mid-year budget reductions, including cuts to Seattle Parks and Recreation and The Seattle Public Library.
A PowerPoint presentation titled City of Seattle Budget Update: Mid-Year Reduction Results & 2011 Budget Strategy was used by Beth Goldberg, Director of the City Budget Office, at the meeting.
Some highlights:
Parks and Recreation
Goldberg relayed that the public had sent a strong message about the importance of parks.
All swimming pools and community centers will be kept open for the balance of 2010.
Some wading pools will be open every day, some will operate on reduced schedules, and some will be closed. The Green Lake wading pool will be open 7 days per week, June 26 through September 6, 11 a.m – 8 p.m. However, the Wallingford wading pool will only be open 3 days per week, and the Ravenna wading pool will close.
Goldberg explained that wading pools are costly. Some wading pools are being converted to “spray features,” which are are less expensive to operate (due to smaller staffing needs and better water quality) and appeal to a broader age range of children than wading pools. (Read more about spray features on My Wallingford.)
Decisions on which wading pools to close were based on three factors: attendance levels, proximity to other wading pools, and geographic equity.
An updated city-wide wading pool schedule can be found here [pdf].
The Parks maintenance budget will be reduced by 5%. Goldberg warned that garbage cans may not be emptied as often and grass may not be mowed as often. As a side note, she acknowledged that the grass at many parks is quite long right now, but explained that this is due to the recent heavy rains, not due to budget cuts.
Full lifeguard funding will be preserved.
No mention was made of Parks and Recreation program cuts.
Libraries
The library’s collections budget and staffing levels will be cut. However, all library branches will remain open at present levels. Overdue notices will no longer be sent through snail mail.
Police and Fire Departments
The Seattle Fire Department budget will not receive any reductions.
Twenty-one new police officer positions related to the neighborhood policing program will remain vacant.
2011 Budget
A $50 million General Fund shortfall for 2011 remains after mid-year reductions. Goldberg warned that “we are not out of the woods,” and there will be “many challenges” while planning for the 2011 budget.
Mayor McGinn released a statement following the meeting, echoing Goldberg’s warning: “Make no mistake. We continue to face difficult choices in the city budget, and the projected deficits for 2011 will require us to work even harder to provide the needed services. We’ll continue to let our values as a community guide us in those decisions.”
The Mayor will present his proposed 2011 budget to City Council on September 27, 2010. Public safety and human services will continue to be a priority.
