Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey hey. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. message to workers and families is that standard care is still negotiable. Public safety still leans on temporary funding. Fully funded capital projects are still waiting because the staffing capacity needed for review is not there. We are now just trying to recover from the Adams administration's two for one hiring reduction. Too many neighborhoods still go through hotter summers with less shade and less relief because the tree canopy remains uneven. And as we head into summer, beaches and pools will again depend on lifeguards and other seasonal staff to open strong and to stay safe. Routine expiration does not make the impact routine. If these services are essential every year, then the funding should be there every year. Our workers, our parkies need stable jobs, better pay, and real protections. and our communities need a park system that serves every burrow with the same standard of care. The fiscal 2027 preliminary budget includes $50,000 in new needs for fiscal 2027, $127,000 in other adjustments and no savings. There are only two new needs included in the plan with majority of funding coming from mold and aesus removal at the Owen Dolan uh recreation center. There's also a state grant of 1.6 6 million for lifeguard recruitment. The committee is excited to hear testimony related to the FY27 preliminary plan, specifically oneshots, lifeguards, and recreation centers. Before we begin with testimony, I would like to thank council staff for their hard work. Our finance team, Issha Wright, Jack Surrey, Michael Sherman, and our committee staff, Christopher Satori, and Patrick Moville, and my own staff, uh, chief of staff, Marisel Kenno, uh, Cleave Destiny, uh, and Amari Johnson. I will I will now ask the committee council to go over some procedural items and swear in the representatives from the department. But before they do so, let me acknowledge council member Sha Krishnan, council member Sandra, council member Frank Morano. Uh I think that's all we have so far. Uh with that, I give it to the committee council. Thank you, chair. With commissioner with the commissioner and representatives of the parks department, please raise your right hand if you're able. >> Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? I do. >> I do. >> Thank you. And you can begin when ready. Thank you. >> All right. >> Great. Uh, good morning, Chair Hank Hankerson, members of the parks committee, and members of the council. My name is Trisha Shimamura, commissioner of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. I am pleased to be here today to testify regarding the AY's fisc year 2027 preliminary budget and to be joined by several members of our AY's senior leadership. Since this is my first opportunity to testify at a council budget hearing as commissioner and some of you may be new to the council or to the parks committee, before we speak to the proposed budget, I'd like to offer a brief overview of our agency, outline some recent successes we've enjoyed, and provide a sense of what we want to achieve in the years ahead. New York City Parks is responsible for over 30,000 acres of land, 14% of New York City's surface area, including more than 5,000 individual properties spanning from Rockaway Beach to Palm Bay Park with an incredible array of uses and functions ranging from tiny community gardens to miles of green streets. In the properties under our jurisdiction, you'll find over 800 athletic fields and nearly a thousand playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 700 public restroom buildings, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 miles of beaches, 1,200 monuments, 23 historic house museums, and over 5 million trees. Two months ago, I was appointed by Mayor Mom Donnie to lead this incredible agency, tasked with improving the lives of millions of New Yorkers each and every day. The mayor has outlined his vision for a more affordable city. And I am very proud to be leading the agency of affordability because parks are for everyone. Our park spaces are free and open to all New Yorkers, regardless of your zip code, your ethnicity, or your tax bracket. To go out and enjoy our city parks, you just need a comfortable pair of shoes and the clothing on your back. In a city where a gym membership can cost you hundreds of dollars every month and a simple family night out at the movies can break the bank, we are providing completely free recreational, educational, and cultural programming and parks throughout the year, as well as free and lowcost access to our recreation centers that every New Yorker can enjoy. As commissioner, I will work to ensure that our parks and facilities aren't just accessible. They need to be engaging and active spaces that New Yorkers can be proud of. Whether they're looking for a chance to exercise, get closer to nature, gather with family or neighbors, or simply just sit and take in a moment of peace from our crowded and noisy streets, New Yorkers rely on our city parks as essential city infrastructure. So, our staff needs to care for these spaces just like their own backyards because for so many New Yorkers, that is exactly what they are. And they need to be clean and welcoming public spaces that provide a sense of belonging and joy. In just these few past months, I've already seen countless examples of the hard work and dedication that are incredible employees who are essential workers striving for excellence in the public realm and delivering for New Yorkers every single day. When New York experienced record levels of snow and severe weather from the re recent winter storms, including a deep freeze that felt like it would never end, parks employees were out on the front lines working 12-hour shifts cleaning our park perimeter sidewalks and intersections, resolving dangerous tree related conditions and patrolling the lakes and ponds within our parks, keeping New Yorkers safe. This is the level of dedication that our employees bring to the this agency every day, and I look forward to living up to the example that they set. Last month, we were thrilled to celebrate the opening of Shirley Chisum Recreation Center, the first new park recreation center in over a decade, the first ever in central Brooklyn and the largest recreation center in the entire burough. Located right in the heart of Little Haiti, the residents of East Fl East Flatbush in Midwood finally have access to a state-of-the-art facility with 74,000 square feet of space offering swimming and competitionsized six lane pool, team sports, exercise, educational programming, a teaching kitchen, and even an audiovisisual production media lab. Like all of our parks, recreation centers, memberships are entirely free for kids and young adults and incredibly affordable for New Yorkers of all ages. We're grateful to our partner agencies for their collaboration, especially the Department of Design and Construction for delivering the project through a design build contracting years faster than would have otherwise been possible. And to our elected officials and local community members for their tireless advocacy and support for the project. Shirley Chisum is an American icon and a hero as well as a hero to me and millions of others. Opening this facility in her honor is an incredible testament to her legacy and a reminder that our government can and must deliver for everyone, not just the rich and powerful. This commitment to equity and fairness meant that we means that we also believe that all New Yorkers should have access to vibrant, highquality parks. So, we were excited to recently announce the newest phase of our community parks initiative, also known as CPI. $50 million in new capital investment will deliver the transformative reconstruction of 10 parks, serving neighborhoods in all five burrows that have historically been neglected and underserved. Through this initiative, we are using datadriven methodology and working with local communities to create and revive thriving public spaces. Over the past decade, we have wholly reimagined and reconstructed 70 CPI projects for local neighborhood parks with dozens more actively underway. Over half a billion dollars of capital funding for rebuilding parks and playgrounds that haven't seen significant investment in decades. Many of those underserved neighborhoods are also impacted by high higher heat vulnerability and some communities aren't benefiting equally from city's urban tree canopy which is vital living infrastructure. We believe that every every New York City neighborhood should get to enjoy the benefits that trees provide. And we're working to expand our tree canopy to with new plantings all over the city delivered in a more efficient and equitable fashion thanks to the concentrated planting strategy adopted through our recently re launched neighborhood tree planting program. Now new streets are planted on a datadriven basis of fairness and efficiency, prioritizing the most heat vulnerable neighborhoods first as a matter of environmental justice. Even in its early stages, this new efficient approach is already delivering results for New Yorkers. In our mo most recent fall winter planting season that just concluded, we planted over 9,500 trees along our streets and in our parks, the highest planting levels in over a decade. With the support of the mayor and many of your offices, we engaged in a massive publicity campaign to get the word out to New Yorkers willing to rise up to the challenge and become part of our lifeguard team for the up for this coming summer. And as we offered qual and we offered qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qu qualifying tests at indoor pools around the city including our recreation centers as well as New York City public school sites. We are working to get these new recruits trained, certified, and ready to protect New Yorkers serving alongside our returning lifeguards so that the upcoming beach and pool season can be even more successful than the one we enjoyed this past summer. In summer 2025, over 9 million people visited our public beaches and pools, and we expanded the number of free summertime learn to swim classes and were able to bring back senior splash and lap swimming programs to our outdoor pools for the first time since the COVID pandemic. This was all made possible through an incredibly focused campaign to recruit and retrain lifeguards and expand training opportunities, which is an effort that will carry on as we seek to build on that momentum. As seen in the fiscal year 2026 preliminary mayor's management report released earlier this month, our MMR ratings for overall park condition and park cleanliness in the first four months of this current fiscal year increased by 1 percentage point in each category compared to the same period of FY25, rising to 86% and 93% respectively. Among other factors, we believe this improvement can be credited to the expansion of our second shift maintenance staffing approach, which strategically targets 200 heavily used park locations during peak use evening hours and weekends. To be clear, this metric data, which helps inform our maintenance strategy around the city, is not self-reported by our operational staff. These metrics are derived from thousands of inspections made through the year by our parks inspection program or PIP. This is a detailed objective quality assurance program independently independently administered by our operations and management planning division conducted conducted completely independently from our maintenance and operations staff similar to what many in the retail business would call a secret shopper program so that we hold ourselves accountable and adjust our strategies in real time as problems arise. The PMMR also reflects the growing interest in the recreational programming that we offer in parks around the city as over half a million people attended our programs outside of recreation centers in the first four months of FY26, an increase of 77% over the same period in FY25. The increase was largely due to the addition of nine more program sites and an increased number of operating days for our Kids in Motion program, which is our free drop-in program led by New York City Park staff, offering active outdoor play and playgrounds to keep kids active and engaged on those warm summer summer days. Because we are committed to accountability and transparency, I will also mention that the new PMMR reflects a significant decrease in the number of street trees pruned in the first floor months of FY26 compared to the same period in FY25. Unfortunately, we expected loss of services in of an experienced block pluning pruning contractor due to the tragic passing of the company's owner in late June forcing the agency to rebid these contracts. The preventative care of our tree canopy is a hugely important priority for us. So, we're working to advance these new block pruning contracts through the city's procurement process and bringing those vendors on board as quickly as possible so we can resume meeting our Brock block pruning targets as we've typically done over the years. Even though it is felt at times like this winter would never end, we know that warmer days are approaching and our parks, athletic fields, and playgrounds are going to be busier than they've ever been. As many of you know, thanks to once-ina-lifetime celebrations like the 2026 World Cup and Sale 250, the New York City metro area is expected to receive a truly massive influx of visitors and tourists this summer with an estimated 2 million people coming into or passing through New York City as they cheer on their favorite teams and celebrate the 200 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. We are confident that our employees are up to the task as we are poised to begin onboarding our seasonal employees, reactivate our water features, and getting our sports fields in shape for our busiest as our bus busiest season approaches. There is no denying that this summer will present some very unique challenges. But we extremely excited that so many visitors will be able to come experience our worldclass green spaces alongside the millions of New Yorkers that enjoy our parks each and every day. Turning to the specific topic for this hearing, the fiscal year 2027 preliminary 10-year capital plan for New York City parks includes a total budget of 12 billion, demonstrating this administration's ongoing commitment to pro promoting equitable investment in a greener, healthier city. The FY27 preliminary expense operating budget for New York City parks is $654 million, providing our agency with the resources we need to continue getting the job done, delivering core services, and keeping our city's parks clean and welcoming. To be completely clear, this proposed budget figure does represent a $33.7 million decrease from FY26 adopted budget of $687.6 $6 million, which it is important to note is due to the routine expiration of single-year oneshot funding items that are typically added at each budget adoption subject to negotiations between council and the administration. In our current FY26 adopted adopted budget, this yearly funding includes council's park equity initiative discretionary expense funding as well as additional staffing supplies and equipment to support various efforts throughout our agency. Our maintenance teams, green thumb community garden program, urban parks rangers, forest management framework and parks enforcement patrol are all significantly supported through this supplemental funding which provides tremendous added value and the parkies serving in those staffing lines are a hugely important part of our team. So we very great greatly appreciate the council's long-standing support and advocacy for that dedicating dedicated funding. that we don't have time enough time to ex today to exhaustively outline every operational aspect of every effort and initiative been being undertaken by the agency to ensure the long-term success of our park system. I hope this overview has helped demonstrate our commitment to growing and protecting green and open space around the city and we look forward to working with the council in close partnership to make sure our park system can be the envy of cities around the world. To be clear, we cannot do this alone. We rely on the support of our elected officials, our partners and friends groups ranging from large conservies to small neighborhood associations organizing volunteer cleanup cleanup events. And most importantly, the individual New Yorkers and park visitors who use our parks every day and who need to do their part by treating these public spaces with respect and dignity that they deserve so we all can enjoy this vital resource that we have to share. In closing, I want to thank my entire team for their continued hard work and dedication to our mission. I'm honored and grateful to have been granted the privilege of leading this agency and I look forward to working with each of you to continue improving our parks and open spaces for all New Yorkers. We would be happy to answer any questions that you have. >> Commissioner, thank you. Uh we're going to I also want to acknowledge uh my colleague and neighbor in uh Queens, Council Member Lynn Schulman, who has joined us as well. um as we dive into the questions um you know let's just jump right in actually. So during his campaign the mayor uh supported allocating 1% of the city's budget to parks. Unfortunately this campaign promise is yet to materialize. In fact we are now at an even lower level of parks funding compared to the total budget than before the mayor took office. Has there been any discussion regarding increasing the department's budget to meet this campaign promise with OM or the mayor? >> Yeah, thank you so much for your question and I want to just also say thank you to the many advocates who I know are in the room and in overflow rooms who have all kind of called out for additional funding to parks to hit that 1%. I just want to say that we are very excited to be in kind of constant communication with this administration about uh the campaign promise that he's made and also about the real benefits that parks bring to to all of New Yorkers. So, this is a kind of an early part of our budget process. We're really uh encouraged by the conversations that we're having and and frankly in regular conversations with this administration around the benefit that we bring and around what what additional uh tasks we can do with more resources >> um from those conversations has there been any commitment? >> I think that the mayor has said uh has said publicly that he is committed to seeing through the 1% for parks. Uh although I will also point out that of I'm sure as you know that we're facing a very serious budget crisis at this moment. Uh and the mayor has reiterated that uh that we're interested in creating a more transparent, honest budget that's really reflective of of truly anticipated income uh revenue and and costs. So uh you know, we're certainly continuing to be in conversation with this administration again around what that means for parks. Um, but I'm very encouraged and uh to to have your support and to have advocate support kind of continuously talking about the real benefit that parks bring to New York. >> If if the decision was made to allocate additional funding in the adopted budget, >> um how would you allocate the additional monies? >> Sure. That's a great question. Thank you. So I think that um in that like that the the gap between what we currently have budgeted and what advocates and and others have called for as 1% is around $616 million. It's a very significant pot of money. Um so certainly as the leader of an agency I I would welcome additional resources at any time. I think that uh you know we know many of the most successful programs that we have are are really data driven metrics driven and we um as I highlighted in my testimony we really do have some rigorous uh metrics that we hold ourselves to be it through our PIP ratings which really look at every single park or through uh inspections over all like our MMR report that comes out and we see as we saw an increase an improvement just based on what we believe is to be the impact of second shift. So there are a lot of uh kind of programs that we have out there that are data driven that we always you know are always happy to kind of point to towards successful initiatives, successful kind of uh programs that parks runs that we we know are are proven to be to have a real impact in the parks >> from those assessments. Can you name a few of those programs? >> Yeah. Yeah. So I mean certainly we uh just to point to our MMR ratings again um our overall cleanliness and um and kind of use uh of our parks is rated through our parks inspection program but we also uh provide data in our uh MMR that comes out. I um we had discussed in just this MMR versus last year's that um that we've saw an uptick in overall cleanliness in our parks. We believe that that has at least in part if not more been due to our sec the imple uh implementation of second shift at a larger level. We have right now second shift staff that come out on weekends and uh f Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday I believe. Although I'll look to our acting first deputy commissioner Mark Poke to give us more information on this. And with that program, we just we see our parkies kind of go out um and be in our parks when a lot of people are park patrons are using them in the afternoons. And we saw that with that implementation expansion, we went from 100 sites at first to now 200 park sites. Uh we've seen kind of tremendous kind of success with this overall of higher ratings, overall cleaner bathrooms, cl trash is cleaned out more more frequently and um and so we we have these kind of examples. That's just one of uh knowing that that this is a a truly data driven program that has that can deliver results. >> Thank you. Uh we're excited to see that um there are no savings in the uh cso plan, the chief savings officer plan, but there are also no restorations to the agency budget uh the agency's budget after the effects of the PEG program. We saw hundreds of positions reduced and many programs delayed or outright eliminated as cost savings measures. This has undoubtedly uh had an impact on our parks and the city's ability to care for our parks and green spaces. While there is not a PEG program, there is still an instruction from the agency to institute savings across the board with recommendations by the cso. Can you please explain the savings that you found as well as any impact on services in your report? >> Sure. So um our uh I think the EO12 had instructed our uh agency to um to designate a chief savings officer and then to kind of look through and see uh look for opportunities of inefficiencies, look for opportunities of savings. Um that report was uh supposed was to be submitted by March 20th which I think was just on Friday. Um and and uh we and the agency has complied. Uh I want to reiterate though that that uh to reiterate something that the mayor has said and and that is certainly true with within our agency that none of these uh efficiencies and savings were to have any sort of impact on the actual services to New Yorkers and we know that parks provides many services. So while this is uh still very kind of early in the conversation and we have not had any sort of kind of formal uh kind of circle back with OM so it's a little early to talk about the details. I will just tell you that any sort of savings that we were able to to identify um will have no impact on overall services uh to our parks or recreation centers or any other kind of impact to New Yorkers. >> Just just to be clear, so there hasn't been any conversations with OBS yet. >> We just submitted on Friday. So, so not yet. >> You mentioned bathroom. So, I just want to jump there really quick if it's okay. What's the current cost to construct a ba a bathroom or conversation in the park? Yeah, thank you so much for the question. Um, so if you don't mind, I would just like to just kind of set the stage a little bit here and um, and just say for a moment of pride, I'm very proud uh, as leader of this agency and I know that Parkies share this pride to be uh, to be playing a role in providing New Yorkers a very critical public amenity. Uh, of uh, the bathrooms the public at restrooms that are in our city, parks provides 70% of them, over 700 of them. And uh you don't have to be a mother of two small children like I am to know that this is absolutely critical if you want to be in our parks, enjoy our parks or playgrounds if you want to do take on a basketball game or play or just sit down on a park bench or actually enjoy the play one of our playgrounds. All of these uh these kind of desires to use our parks and rec recreational kind of pro uh programs rely on the idea that you need to have a public restroom nearby. Uh and so we're very proud to be continuously providing that service. Um and but that also means that these are that uh building and reconstructing public restrooms um has oftentimes come up in conversations with communities because they do really range um to build it. So typically when you're uh reconstructing a restroom, it can be as low as $2.5 million or so and go up from there. When you're doing a completely new restroom building, it can start around three and then go up from there. Typically three to five million is what we see for a new construction. Now, I am looking here and there are so many council members who have been sitting in their seats for a little bit. So, I'm sure that you're not new to this idea that we oftentimes have been saying that now more often than not, we're probably recommending that we are doing fully new construction of restrooms in in your districts and in your parks when possible because really we also know that it's not just about restrooms. When we that you oftentimes hear us talk about like maybe restrooms plus restrooms plus an additional staff space that we can then have a fixed post staff in there. It does cost more, but it typically has a lot of benefits to be able to have the option to have fixed post staff in your parks. Uh maybe we're talking about re reconstructing, but reconstructing will only barely give us the accessibility that we know that this park or neighborhood needs. And so it would just make more sense for us to construct a new facility that will give us more accessibility, more stalls instead of kind of reducing down a limited number down from there. So, it's a little bit of a complicated answer and I'm happy to talk to you more about it. Um, but typically depending on if you're reconstructing or doing something new, uh, your your costs can range. >> I mean, just as a follow-up to that, has the agency explored any ways to decrease the cost of construction and design of bathrooms and parks? >> Absolutely, and thank you for the question. Uh, so there are two components that oftentimes we hear about when it comes to any sort of capital project. And I'll also look for our deputy commissioner of capital, Eric Borston, to come join me if you have any other questions on that, if there's anything that I'm misstating or any additional details that you'd like to add. But um just a couple years ago, the agency in recognition that it was taking too long and too expensive to build these restrooms that we undertook a little bit of a pilot to see if there was ways to speed this up and uh and reduce some of those costs. And so that's when you started to hear about the Portland Lu, which was a a a pilot in order to put like a single stall openair year round uh bathroom in uh every single burrow to see if that would bring down the cost, if that would be successful. We also tried uh pre-fabricated modular bathrooms, some of which have been very successful. We've received design awards, did it very quickly. uh but some of them have which have kind of brought up other problems that that were uh not as not as uh quickly anticipated. So I'd say that we uh the Portland lu just went through that whole kind of initiative to try out different pilots of different types of bathrooms just went through its first winter season. We've learned a lot of lessons in this some um good, some bad. Uh but certainly we're continuously looking at ways to to kind of again to deliver this incredibly important public amenity at faster pace and for a cheaper price. I'll just look to our uh deputy commissioner to see if there's anything you'd like to add. >> Thank you, commissioner, and thank you for your question, council member. I must say to begin that the commissioner got it all right and told um a very complete answer to >> I'm sorry uh commissioner. Uh we have to swear you in. >> Yeah, deputy commissioner. My apologies. >> Thank you. Please raise your right hand if you're able. Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? >> I do. Thank you. >> So again, um the commissioner told a very complete story and and really did get everything right. Um I would just add to that that first of all, we all know that construction in the city is expensive no matter what you're building. Construction in parks more so because you're far from utilities, sometimes you're far from the street and the delivery of materials and workers adds to the complexity. We're also building, you know, the smallest public building imaginable. Um, larger buildings have greater efficiencies. Our buildings are built uh by union labor. So, you're talking about full union wages and and operating governance. And to build a 720t building has a lot of inefficiencies that you don't encounter when you're building, you know, a more normal size building. But to that end, we have a number of different design options that we're utilizing. The commissioner mentioned our standard uh prototypical public restroom building PRB. It has six fixtures. Uh there's it's handbuilt, I should say, on site once the foundations are in. These are masonry buildings, uh handlaid masonry. Um but these are intended to last, you know, decades. These are not um uh buildings that we expect to uh suffer from weather or abuse. They're designed to be where they are. The existing buildings that we're all familiar with, the 20 by 20s, they're much smaller. They have currently four fixtures in them, but again, as the commissioner said, to make them fully handicapped accessible, we lose two of the four fixtures. So, in that case, you're getting a public restroom with two fixtures, one men, ones, one women. Typically, the alternative, you have three of each. So, the capacity and the service is far greater, and the cost is really not that different on the scale of things. Um, we also have a a pre-fabricated option that we've rolled out twice. Um as the commissioner mentioned one digits win an AIA New York design award uh where most of the work is done offsite that is the superructure. Below grade same challenges foundations infrastructure all the typical uh costs and and and potential risks that one encounters there. But above grade the building is predominantly fabricated offsite in three large modules uh delivered to the site uh craned in. Again, access is an issue there and that intends to not so much reduce cost, but it reduces the amount of construction activity on site that disrupts the use of the park for other uses. Thank you. I um I'm going to circle back back to the bathroom piece or conversations. I want to acknowledge some of my other colleagues that have joined us. Uh Council Member Gail Brewer, Council Member Sandy Nurse, Council Member Virginia Maloney. All right. and uh council member Kayla Sensoso who is who has joined us virtually as well. Um just to switch gears really quickly, every year as part of the budget negotiations, the council pushes for the same few budget items to be funded. However, the administration has only set them for one year at a time. This leaves the jobs of working-class New Yorkers up in the air every year. They don't know if they will have a job to come to next fiscal year. Uh this is no way to live and it puts intense stress on these dedicated employees who work to make our parks clean and enjoyable uh as much as possible. Uh is it the commitment of this administration to baseline these oneshots once and for all particularly the oneshots associated with headcount? >> Thank you so much for the question. um you know and I welcome the opportunity to talk more about these one about these oneshot uh positions which account to around 277 staff members overall. I'm happy to talk a little bit more in detail around these positions, but uh just at a very high level, I would just like to say that from my from what I understand, these uh these oneshot funding opportunities really have come out of are part of the essentially routine conversation and dialogue in between the administration and our council. I'm incredibly grateful for these opportunities and can really speak to uh operationally how these how these positions have worked to complement and supplement the work that we do. They span from green thumb to our forestry management to our maintenance and operations of course PEP rangers and stump removal. All of these kind of components are are incredibly important to the breadandbut work that we do and the services that we provide to New Yorkers. uh and and as I as I understand, we're very grateful for the kind of continued support that uh both the council and the administration has has looked at. >> I know you listed some. Can you list some uh all with the headcount? >> Yeah, let me I'll slow it down for you and and go through. So, there are six uh six kind of oneshot initiatives that uh that have previously came through in our FY26 budget. Um the first one I'll talk about is the forest forestry management. This is not our street trees but really our natural areas uh management. That's uh 37 positions. Um we have a year-round headcount of 63. So this is a a sizable supplement to that work. We we are very proud of the fact that we uh maintain over 800,000 trees um in our natural areas. There are actually six million trees in our natural areas which is amazing. uh but 800,000 of those we we kind of maintain at a higher higher degree of touch and higher degree of maintenance there and this uh would help us this has continuously helped us do that. We are very excited about of course in these natural areas as we've spoken about at previous hearings because we understand that the maintenance of our existing canopy the maintenance of our urban forest is really contributes to our overall shape. >> Commissioner I'm sorry as much as I appreciate that information if you can just list the that's okay. Thank you. >> Yep. uh rangers is uh is 50 positions. Our stump removal is uh $2 million. It's just OTPS. Uh green thumb is 11 positions plus a little OTPS funding. Uh uh we have maintenance park or park workers 73 positions. This is mostly CPWs and APSWs and some gardeners. Uh and then 100 PEP officers. Uh, by chance, did you list the urban park rangers? Did I miss that? >> Uh, the park rangers is 50. >> 50. >> What's the breakdown of the park rangers by burrow? >> That's a great question. So, let me um let me just say so overall we have uh our park rangers are um budgeted for n uh for 94 inclusive of our 50 additional one inclusive of the 50 oneshot positions. I'll look to our deputy commissioner Margaret Nelson to give us a little bit more of a breakdown of how we deploy them. Um, but at a very high level, um, just because members may not be aware, our park rangers are essentially, um, have the same civil service service title as our PEP officers, but really focus on that educational programming. So, they are the ones who you see typically running out of our nature centers, doing nature walks, doing educational programming in our public schools, providing kind of that that kind of essential programming throughout our parks. They don't typically uh they don't typically stay out of one center, but are really kind of there. You'll see rangers uh kind of throughout our park system at different times of the year doing really incredible educational programming. I'll look to our deputy commissioner to talk a little bit more about the deployment of those rangers. I I just want to mention, you know, just for the record as well, that a third of our PEP PEPA officers are funded by uh the city and if the council didn't fight for them, >> that funding wouldn't be there. So, I just want to just, you know, >> make that uh say that for the record as well. >> And thank you for Thank you for that. So, I'm actually and I'm happy to talk to you about PEP. So, our rangers we do look at as a little differently than our PEP officers. uh they have the same civil service title, but uh whereas our PEP officers you will see typically uh enforcing our park rules, educating the public in in terms of just kind of again those park rules, they'll they try to hit as many parks and like spaces as possible. Our rangers are doing a little bit more of like deeper programming. So they are doing uh for uh black history month we are doing a lot of uh history like programming around uh about around cities uh black black leaders in the city and their impacts on parks. We were uh rangers will do nature walks. They'll do a little bit more of that kind of deeper they'll do uh shoreline kind of educational programming. So a little different in terms of their overall scope. I'll look to our deputy commissioner Margaret Nelson to talk a little bit more about how we deploy those rangers. And I'm also happy to talk about PEP. >> Thank you. Uh before you answer, I believe you have to be sworn in. Is that right? >> Thank you, chair. Please raise your right hand if you're able. Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions. Thank you. >> I do. >> Um as the commissioner said, uh first of all, we're incredibly grateful uh for the oneshot funding for the rangers. our baseline uh uh ranger number is only in the 40s. And so when you think about adding 50 more rangers, we really have been able to expand the breadth of our programming throughout the city. Um and we did take a a special look at making sure that we are providing programming in every single council district, which is something we weren't able to do with our baseline staffing. So I just want to point that out. As the commissioner said, you know, we have 11 nature centers which are open on the weekends and we provide programming and open hours there. Um, we also provide programming in schools through our natural classroom program. So, we're going out into schools doing programming there and also bringing those school children into our parks. We do popup programming and we do scheduled programming. So it's um really throughout the city and it's uh not necessarily based on you know specific parks at a specific time. So happy to provide you more detail and I would say that those rangers are really spread equitably across the five across the five burrows. Um >> what what does a typical day for a park ranger look like? So, a typical day for a park ranger, you know, they're going to spend some of their time planning programming that are that's upcoming. So, they do some reaching out to schools to see if schools are interested in programming or following up on inquiries that they've gotten. They do do some um patrol in parks. So, and and they use that as an opportunity if they're if they see wildlife in a park, they might gather people around and do some education. That's called our popup programming. So, if they see a seal, you know, in the river or they see a hawk in a tree, they'll be doing pop-up programming with the people that are in the park. Um, they will also do some patrol around canine conditions. So, dogs off leash. They will try to educate folks around that. Again, as the commissioner said, both our rangers and our PEP officers both have the same underlying urban park ranger civil service title. They're both trained as peace officers. They both have the ability to make arrests if needed. that again both our rangers and our PEP officers really look for education first to educate parkgoers on our rules before having to move to enforcement if they do >> in the instance that they have to make an arrest uh the person that they've detained would they be brought to a local precinct >> exactly >> is that correct >> um >> would the agency be supportive of the council's push for the administration to baseline I think that as again as the leader of this agency, we'd always be happy to see more certainty and more um and more funding in our in our budget. Um certainly for our rangers and for our PEP officers in particular. Uh we do this require those positions take a lot of training and require a specific type of recruitment. The training alone takes around 16 weeks to do and then recruitment can take any number of weeks to to do. So, um I think operationally it's it is nice uh for our other for our other uh kind of baseline funded positions to have that certainty in effect so that we can kind of continue just kind of get them trained and get them out in the field as for as for as long as they'll stay with us. >> I thank you for your support. >> Um so before I turn it over to my colleagues, I I want to acknowledge Council Member Mercedes Narcissis has joined us as well. Uh, and finance chair, council member Linda Lee. Um, I have one last uh, maybe three questions and then I'm uh, in the fiscal 2025 adopted budget, there was a mixup between the administration and the council on funding for forestry and natural areas. This resulted in a reduction of headcount and forced several people to find new employment either within or outside of the agency. The natural resources group is responsible for almost 1,000 acres of natural areas and performs tasks related to mulching, watering, and managing invasive species. This loss of funding will certainly lead to reductions in services that are provided by the agency and may even result in damage to our natural areas due to neglect. Can you please give a full timeline from the perspective of DPR on how this funding was lost and then I'll have a follow-up to that. >> Sure. Um so I uh I think again while uh just to give a high level kind of overview and then I'll look to um my team to kind of speak to a little bit with more detail but again these oneshots um these oneshot funding opportunities as I understand it are really come out of negotiations directly between the council and the administration. We are incredibly grateful uh for these opportunities and frankly a lot of times as after a couple years of seeing these oneshots coming in uh it gives us a lot of uh it gives me a lot of kind of direction and data so that I may be able to demonstrate that maybe something shouldn't be oneshotted and it should be baselined. A good example of this is that we had gardeners that were uh oneshot had were oneshot funding for several years and then uh from what I understand the council and administration kind of saw that this was something that was constantly discussed and ultimately became baselined. So I will say that it is it is pretty routine and pretty typical to see these oneshots come up, but they are in direct communication between the council and the administration on how and what whatever kind of finally comes up. Um, and so I'll I'll look to you, Matt, to give us a little bit more detail. >> Sure. Thank you, Commissioner. Um, uh, my name is Matt. I'm the, um, chief of citywide legislative affairs. Um, yeah, and I can kind of talk a little bit about the sort of tick tock that sort of that sort of led to the des, uh, situation you described. I'll take a step back and note that, uh, the forest management framework uh, is a partnership between our agency and the natural areas conservy, and that was released in 2018. And what that sketched out is sort of a forward-looking 25-year plan. Again, specifically uh looking at our forested natural areas. So, this is different and separate apart from all of our efforts related to street trees or trees within landscape parks. Um so, it is very much focusing on those natural forests and uh because obviously natural forest health is where the vast majority of our raw, you know, in terms of the raw value of individual trees that make up our canopy, our natural forests are a huge huge part of that. So starting in FY20 uh the agency uh received oneshot expense funding. I believe that was four and a half million. I believe there was then a pause during the COVID uh related FY21 uh discussions. That was that funding was resumed in FY22. In FY23 and 24 we saw funding oneshot funding of $2.5 million. And then uh and again and so you can through these years you can think of sort of the forest management uh framework uh staff and that sort of planning and other analysis and other work kind of getting underway right and then FY25 for you know again we weren't directly involved in these discussions so it's a little hard to speak to but it does appear that both council and and the administration you know that that in FY25 it was not funded. Uh however uh so that there were >> I guess not to not to cut you off uh what was the result of the loss of funding? There you go. What was the impact of it? >> For sure. So, there were 27 uh uh FMF focused staff that were employed at the time of FY25 adoption. 20 of those were able to stay on uh on hand and shifted to just other gruntfunded uh grant funded parks uh opportunities and positions. So, 20 out of the 27 stayed on board. Uh three uh were able to fill full-time vacancies that already existed and then four uh resigned and went on to others. So, so 23 out of the 27 stayed on with the agency and I I believe to a large degree still still do today. >> What's the current budgeted and actual headcount in the forestry uh division? >> In the forestry division, sorry, not I don't mean the split hairs, but so do you mean sort of the natural resource group maybe like that? That's sort of or do you mean forestry in >> uh >> so we have uh four forestry we have 200 active staff who are dedicated to caring for our street and landscape tree uh park trees and that includes 58 foresters and 90 climber and pruners. >> Is that enough to manage the city's natural areas? So, our forestry staff here actually take care of our street and it's just a terminology thing, but for our forestry staff, that that's the team that's taking care of our street trees and like park trees, uh park trees in any in any given park. Um that's that's that team. in terms of our natural areas cons uh natural areas staff that's uh that's our kind of I'm sorry there are 73 in our uh who are taking care of our natural areas uh space that's like the kind of wild more um forgive me I keep on saying the word natural but uh more like typical forest of what you think of >> is it enough >> we're I mean we are happy to we're happy. I mean, I think that you can look at our our MMR data for how we're doing with the resources that we have. We are, again, I'm more is always more in in the sense that we're always happy to receive more resources, but at the same time, I would also say that parks has a we understand to a very intimate level that we have mandates to uphold and essential services to provide New Yorkers, be it in our landscape parks or in our natural areas. And so we're going to uphold those mandates with any resources that we're given. >> I I'm having I'm having a slight challenge and commissioner, it's not it's not with you, but you did mention something um that park workers and the work that parks does is essential. Um but unfortunately the way that the current budget looks, the preliminary budget looks, it doesn't seem as if it is essential to the administration as it stands. And so um I want to just go back to a question I asked in the last uh hearing regarding the snowstorm. >> Yeah. Um and regarding the staff that were required to work um during the snowstorm, would the department be willing to use funds from acrruels given that acrruels from the current vacancy rate are projected to provide more than enough funding to provide retroactive pay comparable to the pay provided by DSNY to those DPR staff who worked to shovel during the last snowstorm. >> I'm sorry. I think I just want to make sure I understand your question. So, those staff who who responded to the snowstorm and and happy to give you kind of again the larger overview when we when we have major snow events like the two that we had in just uh in in February, um our entire maintenance and operation crew responds to those storms. Nothing else kind of takes higher priority than en ensuring that we are doing our part to help New Yorkers get to where they need to go. Um, so that does and we have a kind of very thoughtful, very thorough, extremely dense winter weather response plan that really prioritizes perimeter sidewalks, c um, uh, hightra areas, major transit hubs, uh, kind of high part JPS are up there um, at the top. Uh we work with our brothers and sisters at DSNY to help clear bus stations and crosswalks and and really understand this to be a full city effort to to get out of a storm and recover as quickly as possible knowing that there are priorities to getting to helping people get around. Uh that works works very closely in handinand with uh with our other sister agencies DSNY, NISM, DOT, NYPD and uh FDNY to kind of respond to the storm. And during the while those parkies are responding, they are they are getting paid for that work. So they are they are there. So they are getting paid for. >> So I I don't I don't think the question has to do with them being paid. We know they were paid, but it doesn't seem that the pay was comparable to those in the department of sanitation and those that were hired per DM by the city. Um I personally feel that it's only fair to provide equal pay for equal work, especially since some park staff had to uh sleep in rec centers overnight. you know, that that is a that's a huge ask. Um, and it it speaks to the essential nature, I believe, um, of park workers, parkies in general. And so, um, I just want to I would like to know, uh, if the agency would consider, uh, matching that pay, uh, to that of those that work the snowstorm that were in DSNY, uh, and or the PDM workers. >> Yeah, thank you. you know, just one det one kind of caveat to that and I'd say that, you know, we're happy to I I'm always happy to to uplift the work of parkies. Um I we'd have to I think look closer and I don't know if I can speak to exactly how those DSNY or do DOT staffers were compensated or it like to do a comparison between them. Um although we did provide um overtime for when parkies were there. The only caveats that we, you know, to talk about a little bit about that snowstorm which was so intense, um, you know, frankly only in rare occasions did we request uh those park staff to stay overnight. Um, we offered it though because we we do want to take care of our staff and oftentimes we know how important is that the work that they do is that they would that they would go through extraordinary lengths to show up for work the next day. So, this was oftentimes we were doing that we were kind of helping them accommodate and stay overnight in parkous and rec centers and things like that because we knew that that um that it was going to be dangerous for them to kind of travel back and forth and that was an offer to them, not necessarily a um you have to do this sort of thing. But um just that was a small caveat. >> Out of curiosity, uh were meals provided to them for those who stayed overnight? You know, I would have to check, but I in most cases, and I myself was going around to to uh the centers uh and to checking on staff the during the entirety of the storm, um park staff were overall in in really good good spirits. They were very happy about the situation. Most of them had all had gotten pizza or gotten other kind of um like the managers had gotten pizza for them and and kind of helped support them. and some of our rec centers, they were watching movies instead of the night and then like getting up the next morning doing their and getting getting back to work. So, I think overall we're happy to give you a little bit more look into that further, but overall we we do what we can to make sure that they're supported and most of all safe. >> I I'd appreciate you all following back up with us. I I don't want to take too much uh time. I have a lot of colleagues who are here um who have questions. I want to acknowledge uh Council Member Pina Sanchez who has joined us as well. Uh for questions, we'll start uh in Harlem with Council Member Ysef Salam. >> Thank you, Chair. Uh thank you for your testimony as well. I want to start with um Central Parks maintenance decline. As noted, there was a decrease of about uh $18.7 million from fiscal year 26 to 27. wants to know what services or maintenance activities will be reduced and does this decline affect park cleanliness, safety, or recreational programming. >> Um, thanks for the question, council member. I to my knowledge, although I I'll look to my team to see, I don't believe that we actually have a decline of 18 $18 million to um to see to Central Park. Um although we can double check that to confirm. Uh I am happy to actually talk about there is maybe you may have seen there is a line in our budget that goes towards uh maint like funding that goes directly towards uh CPC's maintenance. Um and that is around I think it's $14 million although we can confirm and I can I can talk a little bit about that because it is a little bit of a a strange thing to see overall in our in our budget but essentially this came out of uh this came comes out of a our license agreement with the Central Park Conservy. the overall maintenance of Central Park uh just given the the kind of prominence the landscape the kind of long time the long scale vision of this park uh is is well into what I understand to be like a hund00 million uh a year uh if not more. And so that sort of uh kind of matching from the city was came out of their license agreement that the city struck with the Central Park Conservancy um many many years ago. Uh, and so while the city does contribute, I think I think it's $14 million, $16 million, sorry, 16 $16 million, um, that is kind of matched many times over by the Central Park Conservancy. And to my knowledge, that has not changed. Um, there's nothing in the next budget that I think is going to is going to impact that. I do want to point out that out of this relationship also has come something I think that spans beyond Central Park, which is very important to me. CPC has uh and I'm sorry I say CPC but Central Park Conservancy has agreed to partner with parks to expand the horiculture uh practices and kind of maintenance of that park and expand it to other parks throughout the city. Uh and that's through a kind of um year an annual kind of parks like beyond like an annual kind of fellowship where CPC puts their resources in other parks around the city to help kind of maintain and up and uh other kind of portions of of different parks and help teach our staff and others kind of some of those practices. We're happy to talk a little bit more about that and I'd look to our acting first deputy commissioner if he wants to speak more to that sort of program, but in fact our kind of relationship goes beyond just Central Park and you should see actually we had we were in um your district in Marcus Garvey Park for um for a while and then we are now um I think finishing up we finished up two years in what is it? Hybrbridge um and then are now moving to a different park entirely. But we you see this kind of residency happen with CPC staff and generally we see a lot of benefits from that. >> Thank you. Uh the capital budget capital program budget decreased by 2.675 million from fiscal year 26 to 27. What capital projects are being deferred or delayed and how will this impact the East River esplanard phase three and the Hen Park pool reconstruction timelines? >> Thank you again for the question. Um so I will look through so I'm happy to talk through um those two projects in particular although we're happy to also get you more specific details um but um so happened sorry >> okay >> okay so I'm not sure about the any sort of about the budget reduction component to to where you're where that number is referring to although we can look it into it and get back to you if there is Um, our kind of 10-year capital plan is is reflective of 12 billion dollars of capital projects. Um, I can talk to you a little bit specifically. We have 500 capital projects that are currently either in design, in procurement, in construction. Uh, and then we have 91 projects that are coming up in this next year. Um, 91 projects that are kind of in the queue that have not yet started design. Um, and so the two projects in particular though I I'm not aware of any sort of like out and outright delay for East River Essenade. It's one that's very close and near and dear to my heart. Those two like we are kind of continuing. You should see actually construction happening right now on portions of of the esplanade, particularly in East Harlem where uh work is happening right now. And we I think we just broke did a groundbreaking with you um just in the last year um with the kind of Harlem component to it right at 135th Street with the Half-In project. We are moving right along with this and are eager to see that rec center back and reopened. >> Yeah, >> thank you, Chair. I just have two two quick ones. Two more. Um, recreation membership growth versus funding. The recreation center membership increased uh 5.3% >> uh 7,737 members new members I would say in the first four months of fiscal year 20 uh 26 driven by young adult growth. Does the fiscal year 2027 budget include the increased funding to support expanding programming and staffing for this growing membership base? >> Thank you for the thank you for the question. I too am looking at membership and rec center visitation very very closely. Um you know the truth is is that we have uh over a billion dollars $1 billion dollars going into recreation uh facilities over the next several years. We opened up Shirley Chisum this year. This won't even be the end of the conversation around rec centers that we're opening. We'll be opening up Mary Cali Dalton. I hope by the end of this calendar year. We've got uh four more rec centers kind of in the queue. Uh particularly in the Bronx and Queens. Really exciting projects. Um and typically when we do open up these new facilities, particularly when you saw with Shirley, um we do receive additional funding to to staff those facilities. um the budget that you have in front of you, it does not reflect any additional staffing at this point, although we are kind of constantly in conversation with OM as we open up those new those new centers. I will say though and as proud of as I am around this major investment and opening up of of new rec centers, the first in a decade truly is that the rec center component is just one piece of a larger puzzle of how we serve New York City in terms of our recreational programming programming. Outside of our rec centers, we have playground associates. We have shape up classes. We have uh other kind of wreck programming that helps get New Yorkers access to these incredible services even if you don't live near a rec center. So, we're very excited and can provide you additional information around that type of network. But really, you should look at our rec centers as just one component and then see this larger kind of mosaic of services that we provide um even without a stationary building attached to it. And finally, uh, DPR received $1.6 million in state funding for lifeguard recruitment bonuses to achieve 1,200 lifeguards. Is this sufficient to meet the workforce needs for full pool and beach season? And what is the current lifeguard vacancy rate and how does this compare to fiscal year 25? >> Thank you for the question very much so. Um, so I I just want to say uh in recognition of of um my predecessors, particularly Iris Rodriguez Rosa, but also Sudan Hueghue, both of these commissioners uh really saw what was a nationwide issue with lifeguarding and focused in on changing the narrative in New York City. Um it was truly anywhere in the in the country you would see lifeguards coming in in short supply and particularly Iris uh really took on the challenge of changing this around and working very closely with our union and with our lifeguards to both change how they were received within the agency but also deliver on some real kind of financial incentives to increase our numbers. So now lifeguards are making $22 an hour. That was an increase. they also receive a thousand retention bonus. Um and and those two things mixed with ultra also just a cultural shift and I wish I could spend an hour talking about this within our agency um has really resulted in increasing numbers instead of that kind of continuously decreasing amount and I really want to just again say thank you to Iris and Sue who really took this on. Um and frankly we're going to continue that under under my leadership here. We've seen um significant retention with this to the tune of around 70 to 80% of lifeguards are now returning back. That's higher than the national average. Uh and we had just shy of 1100 last year lifeguards. We had 1,082. It's still too early to be able to tell you exactly what we're going to have this year, but I'm I'm I'm very hopeful and the numbers are looking good. We're just in training right now. So, it kind of depends on who sticks out through training and ultimately we do the last tests and we won't be able to know for sure until frankly the end of June, start of July as turn in terms of our total numbers. But you you do feel a difference here. Um I have to tell you um particularly even at our pools you saw at our big Olympic size pools just a couple years ago we were only able to open up those pools to like 15%. It was really tight. um you know this year in this last summer just in f in uh this last past summer you saw uh diving pools opening up you saw we were able to bring back adult swim senior slash which was such a beloved program um and so I we're really hoping to see kind of that continued growth and um are very grateful frankly to to my predecessors for their kind of their focused effort here. >> Thank you commission. Thank you chair. >> Absolutely. Uh, I also want to uh give kudos to um former commissioner Iris Rodriguez Rosa. She did amazing work. Um, so I just want to I know she's watching. So, >> yeah, she I know. Yes, she'll be she'll happily be texting. Yes. >> Uh, I want to let's travel to Queens uh to my neighbor, Council Member Lynch. >> Thank you, Chair. And I want to uh Commissioner, welcome. And um I did this privately. I'll say it publicly. I think you're going to be a great commissioner. Um and I know you from a lot of other things. Plus you're the Manhattan right commissioner. So you have a wealth of knowledge and all of that and you've been particularly helpful to me recently. So um anyway um we look forward to your great work. I have a I have a few questions. One is about accessibility. So, I have actually funded >> accessible access to Forest Park. And then I'm told that it's going to take years for anything to happen because you don't have enough engineers. So, that's one. Um, and this this is, you know, this is a fully funded project that we, you know, that I did in my first year here. So, um, that's so that's the first question. >> Yeah. Thank you, uh, first and most importantly for your partnership and for your continued advocacy uh, for our parks. I very much appreciate it. Um uh second of all, thank you also for prioritizing accessibility in your parks. Um I truly think at a very high level we should be judged based on how we serve our most vulnerable and that means our accessibility. Um so I appreciate the funding and the continued followup here. Um, you know, while I'm happy to get you a specific update as to where we stand on this, the it is true that that these projects, our capital projects, and it doesn't really matter if we're talking about a bathroom, but in this case, we're talking about accessibility, accessible pathways into our parks, they do take quite a long time. Um, and truly, um, I can go into details around this, but the the truth of the matter is is that, um, that we are looking very closely at how we can shave down some of this time. Really what you see is when you start design may be and it's been pretty typical around 12ish months. >> Haven't even seen a design yet. So we're told that you know there's not enough personnel to >> when you see those design um those design projects when it gets into design. Um but for any project or a project that's right before your project or where our um after the design phase, you really do see and what we're looking at very closely is um a kind of prolonged time when we're trying to get through some regulations and kind of checks with our other agencies. All good things, truly good things, but things like, and you may hear this word a lot, the SWIP pro process or something else like that. those uh those kind of um um those kind of those type of checks within our other agencies are very important but also time um just can really lengthen projects significantly. Uh we're looking at this closely there are uh there are some things that the agency has done actually a piece of legislation that uh council member uh Krishnan had passed just a few years ago around the whole capital process and ways to actually shorten this. I read I both read your legislation and the report that came out which was very helpful. Um and the agency has taken steps to actually reduce some of this. We need to be doing more. Um so we will certainly get back to you on this one >> because it's a park that's accessed by everyone including uh the chair's uh constituents and you know it's rather big. So >> um all right that's one. The other is what is the new process now for trees to ask to get trees planted because a lot of the public doesn't know about that or there's issues and >> yeah thank you for the question. Uh so in recognizing that every single community in New York City deserves trees. Every single community needs to benefit from the overall canopy. the city, we the agency has shifted away from what was a very long kind of ad hoc list of 311s and elected official requests kind of where we were jumping around to different areas based on the requests that count came in and then decided to shift to a comprehensive tree planting plan. Uh the good news is with this plan that I can tell you that in nine years, which is I know a long time. Uh but in nine years time, I can confidently say to you that every single corner of this city will have been reviewed, assessed, and planted for. But not only are we planting, but we're also expanding tree pits to for overall tree health. We're removing stumps. We're filling empty tree pits that can can no longer sustain trees in them and really touching every single corner. So typically it is from from essentially this in these nine years we will be able to touch every single corner of the city for specifically for your exact neighborhood or if you have a specific location we're happy to look that up and tell you where we are in the queue because you know >> it's done through the parks department now is what sorry it's done through the parks through the parks department. Yes. >> Um and can you explain artwork in the parks and you know that I >> Yes. because a lot of people don't realize and I've I've figured that out. So, if you can >> I love artwork in the parks. Um, frankly, just to be very clear, we have a a really great program where for 364 days you can work with our agency to put up artwork in our parks. And we know that this is not just a luxury. This is something that shows investment. It shows excitement. It can show a sense of place and pride of place as in the case of the one that you and I were just working with in Queens. Um, and so we are very excited to work with artists of all types uh uh to really think through how they might be able to showcase their art in the parks. And I actually think there are some advocates here today who have uh run really successful sculptural programs, photography programs who uh are showcasing their works in the parks. Uh they should work with us. We're excited about the opportunities here. And if you have a park space or a green street or some other space that you think could be activated by artwork, we would love to hear about it. But it do you mind if I just finish up my So just so folks understand it's for it's for a year like there's there's the ch it's under the charter. That's what I want people to know. >> Yes, it is. So we so we base our rules off of the public design committee which is also based on the charter. Uh if you do something if you hold a piece of artwork for over a year or out a year then it it requires additional kind of reviews. It's it is then seen as a permanent artwork. Uh but we like to have we are committed to having temporary artwork that can have a revolving kind of audience and have other opportunities to bring in other artists. So in order not to to trigger some other um other kind of problems with adherence to the charter and around kind of permanent artwork, we do it for 364 days. >> Okay. And then my last question is who has because I we get a lot of constituent complaints about the sidewalks when they're lifted up by the tree roots. Yes. >> Like who has responsibility for that? because we can't seem to get answers to that in general. >> Well, first of all, I'm very sorry to because I I understand how frustrating this is. We're a very human people focused agency. So, I don't want any of your constituents or anyone in the city, frankly, to not feel like they're getting a direct answer from parks. And so, we are happy to follow up directly with you and your constituents. But, it typically is the property owner's responsibility. However, there are some situations we do have a program for for single family homes where where parks can help take care of some of that work. Uh we still want to know about it so that we can monitor these things. So, it it's probably worth a long larger conversation, but would love to follow up directly with with your >> chair. Thank you for the for the accommodation. >> Absolutely. I I just had a followup to the council member's question uh regarding that nine-year plan. Um, the legend has spoken. Um, given the budget, uh, is the nine-year plan, you know, set to be stay on track? >> Yes, it is the 9-year plan. So, we've received baseline funding uh to to continue with this comprehensive tree uh tree planting program. So, yes, it is it is funded. >> Okay. Okay. Um speaking of uh uh great predecessors uh the former chair of this committee um council member >> well thank you very much chair but you are taking it to another level now with your leadership so great to see all you're doing with this with this budget hearing too and asking all the important questions commissioner first of all good to see you Matt good to see you too and everyone from parks very nice to see you all um I just want to echo what's been said before too I I want to thank you very much for for your leadership commissioner you've been great both with your passion for parks and your pride work and how you're leading the agency right now, too. Um, and I know that, uh, Commissioner Rodriguez Rosa, who may be watching as well, would be proud of all that you're doing, uh, to take her work to the next level. Um, I just had a few questions to follow up on some of the things that we've talked about already. So, you know, I have to say I I am disappointed that the mayor's preliminary budget uh does not fund parks at the level that we needed at. Um, essentially if you take out uh the oneshot uh as you testified to as well, the budget the preliminary budget proposal is lower than what it was last year and and if you put it back it's about the same. So it's basically at best it's the same, at worst it's actually lower. Um and we obviously need to be much further along. So one question I had for you was um you know what what gets impacted most? I don't we we all agree and I know Mayor Mandani agrees too on the importance of um you know increasing our parks budget to 1% or more. So when we're not there what gets impacted the most. Um and I I think it's you know I think we should have an honest conversation about what that means. Of course you're going to do all that you can with all that you have but I do think if we're all in agreement of where we need to get what are the trade-offs that are being made right now when we are not getting there with each successive budget. >> Sure. Thank you. Thank you, of course, council member, first and foremost, for your leadership and for your continued advocacy. Really appreciate it and your and your partnership. You know, I I I will just say uh this being my first time around that the preliminary budget is just that it's it's a preliminary component to this and I I understand that there are many kind of conversations that are happening. Certainly, we are having them with a with the administration as well, but we're grateful for the council me the council's kind of continued advocacy and the council understanding on a very granular level uh what's at stake here. And I think that's really what your question is about too. Um and so to to respond with it as level as detailed of granular level in response to that you know when you look at those oneshots and um I think our deputy commissioner for public programs had mentioned it before but the ranger pro I mean I think it's it's a fact that the amount of funding that's going to our ranger program is almost 50% of like the ranger program and it's a fact that the uh as you me as the chair mentioned that the pep program um has 200 around 250 baseline nine uh PEP officers but uh the one shot is 100 additional officers. So a significant component to our to to that kind of overall uh unit completely. So I think that it's it's you know you can we can kind of see at a level and same thing with forestry management even uh maybe not to that high degree but significant supplemental support. So, I think that you can look at those and and understand that the that even though overall it's 270ish positions of our 5,000 kind of workforce, they are significant components, supplemental components of of these kind of work units. >> I mean, it sounds clear to me, I think we all know what these are all the core functions of of the department that obviously when you have more funding where you need to be, you can more, you know, address these core better address these core issues, but also do it more equitably, too. Um, and I do uh think that, you know, and I hope to see improvement in the executive budget that brings us closer to it. Even though it's a process and it'll take time to get there, we've got to start somewhere and not be sliding backwards. Um, and I I'm glad to hear the conversations that you all are having with DMB and city hall to get there, too. Um, my next question is, um, you know, what where do things stand with the hiring freeze that we've had for a long time at the parks department? Um, and if it was if it's going to be lifted, what were the conversations to get it to to that place to have it lifted? >> Yeah, thank you for the question. Um so just to give a little bit of background um over the last several years as I understand it the um agency has been instructed as many agencies have to uh be uh kind of to not be allowed to replace uh one for one the vacancies of people who who naturally leave our agency be through retirement or finding another job or what what what have you. Um, and so we uh we do have a number of kind of vacancies here in our uh in our in our agency that we're very excited of the possibility of of kind of bringing on additional folks and filling those vacancies. I want to just say that this is a really direct result of this administration's uh kind of desire to see a honest, transparent, and um and functional budget uh that allows agencies to do the essential work that they're able to do. We're very excited and kind of because this news is it will both be uh kind of freeing up uh and right sizing of those vacancies but also will be allowing us to hire from from outside of the agency which is great. Uh really exciting news and so those details are still kind of getting uh finalized with OM. We're kind of in discussions with them right now around what how many vacancies will will be released and and kind of those lines. But um we are very excited. It's it's really welcome news to us. Um as you know it's been difficult and while we are always happy to see somebody from wreck going into operations or somebody from PEP going into wreck it it's tough because ultimately a loss of a person is a loss of a person. So we're very excited about that. >> So just to to finish up Sharon if if you me to to to ask my final question. So I just wanted to confirm. So, the hiring freeze is going to be lifted, but part of that is a conversation on what vacancies will be removed as a part of that too, right? Doesn't that do the two work against each other? Like, if you have the ability to lift a hiring freeze, but positions that you'd want to hire for and fill are now going to be reabsorbed. Doesn't that kind of limit the impact of lifting the hiring freeze? Like, why pit the two against each other? >> Yeah, it's a good question. And you know, I'd say that, you know, just to say that the higher this this kind of inability to really bring on and replace one for one as we've had before has been in effect for so long that frankly our agency as I'm guessing others have have evolved. So positions, roles, uh functions of units has not not dramatically changed, but certainly how the portfolios of individuals have shifted. So, it's I think it is fair to to kind of look closely at ourselves and at what lines that we're accounting for to make sure that those are actually truly the vacancies that actually need to be that need to be filled um versus, you know, versus just looking at numbers and saying that we we absolutely are demanded these numbers. you know, we're we're trying to be honest and and work uh work working working with the understanding that ultimately we all have a role to play in getting a balanced, fair, transparent budget. Uh you know, we're looking at this and and trying with the understanding that it's been several years. Our these roles, these positions have shifted, have evolved a bit. like we still are very excited to fill these vacancies, but it's it's fair to be honest and look at our look at the division of labor here to make sure that uh with OM that, you know, everybody's on the same page with the jobs that absolutely need to get filled and there are no new new kind of roles and different responsibilities that need to get filled. >> And I would just say, you know, I hope that in those conversations though and BOMB is also aware that it doesn't turn into a zero sum game of the freeze, but taking away with the other. Um, my final question is, you know, every year we're looking at these one shots that we're arguing over and putting back in. I strongly believe that these oneshots should be baselined because it's both people's jobs and as I've always said, a park's budget is a workers's budget. It's workers jobs on the line. I've heard it from them numerous times. Um, there's always uncertainty coming this time of year. Um, is it your belief as well that they should be baseline positions? How have the conversations been with uh OM um and city hall to to help us move to a world where we're not every year trying to fill positions that are about to expire? >> Yeah, thank you. You know, I I want to say that our the relationship and the conversations and dialogue between city hall OM and the agency has been very very promising. I want to just say it's been very understanding, very supportive. I I truly believe that this administration really sees the benefit of parks and sees the importance of the work that our staff do every single day. Be it in a rec center or in a park space or in our natural areas or anywhere in between and taking care of a green street or anything else in between. Um, you know, I think that what uh that uh my understanding is that uh is that the kind of oneshot funding is really the mechanism that part that council has in order to to advocate and get funding in. So I think that we there's no there's never a world where we can get rid of oneshots altogether. In fact, I I would welcome as many of them as as you're able to negotiate. I think it would of course always be wonderful. Um but I think you know ultimately I as I said before the baseline funding is a different beast and different uh benefit alto together. There's a level of certainty with baside funding and you said it yourself with uh workers. It's >> uh it's always about caring for our staff and understanding kind of operationally how they function. And so certainly I think that you know we can talk about how how helpful it's been to see an increase of our baseline for PEP um over the years. Even just 10 years ago we were not seeing 250 baselines in uh in our PEP. And as that's grown, it's just been very helpful operationally to have those that consistency. >> And I just close by saying, you know, I appreciate that. I know we all share the same perspective. And I think you know there to your point, you're absolutely correct that one shots over time keep adding up. In the past four years ago, we were able to baseline a number of those positions. So the new one shots were additional ones. I hope that as we move forward, we can keep up an approach like that. So we're baselining, adding more, baselining, adding more. So thank you, chair. Appreciate it. >> I want to acknowledge Deputy Leader Chris Banks who has joined us and I would like to turn it over to Finance Chair Linda Lee. >> Thank you so much, Chair. Um, just really quickly, hi Commissioner. >> Hi. Um, I just wanted to reiterate and make sure that going off of the oneshot question. So for FY27, it's 33.7 million lower and you're saying in your testimony that that typically is is that due to the oneshots? >> Yeah. Uh, almost largely. I think it's around the oneshots consist of maybe around 22 or$23 million of that 33 million. The other 10 million that's like that's not accounted for is like some other grant funding and um and other >> yeah the council's discretionary funding initiatives that that amounts to about 6 million as well. But of the 33 that we noted in terms of the delta uh from adopted uh about 22 million of that is what we're referring to as the sort of oneshot uh bundle of funding. >> And in your conversation so far I'm glad to hear that they've been promising. So, what are some of the um one shots from the admin side that hopefully will get put back in? >> You know, unfortunately, I'm not able to speak on I I don't want to put the cart before the horse or whatever it is. Where >> what is it that you would like to see back? Yeah. >> I mean, I think that uh you know, all of those six the six buckets or the six oneshot initiatives that are that uh are being discussed here, each of them are absolutely critical. Um, and we've spoken a lot about them again, but uh, the but I'd say operationally um, the the PEP the PEP one shot, the Ranger one shot, those are oftentimes with one shots maybe a little more difficult in that um, in that we take it requires us at least 16 weeks to train uh, weeks more to recruit. So first recruit then train. So in order to get these folks into the field, it does take a while. So, it's, you know, it is nice to have our baseline funding for those positions because we just there's a little bit more certainty. Um, but I want to also say that the amount of support that we get for our forestry like maintenance uh team, which also heavily supplements it, the stump removal, the green thumb, these are also very important role uh positions and the supplementary uh help that this one shots provide is is absolutely crucial. >> Okay. And in terms of headcount, I noticed that the headcount is relatively flat. There's only a negative 10 headcount um from FY26 to FY27. Um, and does that mean though with the headcount and I guess this is sort of piggybacking off um, uh, council member Krishnan's question is how is that going to impact services um, with the decrease in the oneshots potentially and how would that impact um, your ability to meet some of the goals that you have to meet? >> Yeah, I I mean our headcount is uh, relatively flat from FY26 to FY27. You're right. Um I will say that overall we are at a kind of very high headcount overall from from if you look at you know from FY20 or something or FY21 and up. Um but uh certainly you know if we were to in a world where we would not receive any one shot of any one shot initiatives of of those six I sure that that would be um you know that would be tough to keep up the same um the same level of kind of services that we were able to provide if just that just by the numbers alone some of these oneshots are heavily supplementing the work that we have baselined Um but again, parks is is good with the resources that we have and um any sort of level of resources that we're given, we're going to we're going to continue to follow and get the job done, follow our mandates. >> Okay. And then just really quickly in terms of the number of contracts between FY26 and 27, I've noticed that the number of contracts are the same, >> but the funding has decreased and most of that is um in general contractual services in terms of the decrease. And so I'm just trying to understand and then there's some areas that have increased like the motor vehicle equipment and maintenance repairs which you know I think the cost of that have gone up but I'm just trying to figure out where that decrease is coming from and are some of those contractual services including not headcount officially but you know folks working on tree removals or something. I just wanted to get a better sense of what that was. >> Yeah, thank you so much for the question. So, I'm going to um look to um David Starker on our team to talk a little bit through any um some of those other contracting pieces, but let me just say on the forestry piece uh because that one is more of what I'm familiar with. We do look uh look to uh to supplement our work heavily with contracting work when it comes to like our street tree pruning uh and and planting plans. Um, and that the overall kind of approach to this contracting work is to try to make sure that we are diversifying the scope and kind of type of contracts that we're awarding as much as possible. Uh, that's in order to like kind of not exhaust or like uh put too much of a strain on one kind of like on one size of one portion of the industry, but like we're we're trying to double down on MWBE contracts and smaller contracts for that work. So, we really are trying to diversify that kind of portfolio as much as we can. Um, do you want to speak a little bit more to the general contracting piece? And you may need to do this morning. >> Thank you, chair. Please raise your right hand if you're able. Uh, do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? Thank you. So the biggest okay the biggest change is probably if you look our zoo contract is somewhat underfunded as it is every year and you'll see another 10 to$15 million coming for contracting at the end of the year in surplus needs and then that will bring us up and of course we also drop some of our contracts due to ventures. >> Okay. So so timing of it is part of it. >> Timing is part during the year. Yeah. >> Okay. So when usually does that get recognized? Is it during the >> That'll be at the at adoption actually. You'll see budget increase. >> Okay. So not during exec. >> No, not during exec. It could happen during exec. You know there's a lot of nuances here. It's unusual in this time. >> Okay. >> Interesting. Um thank you. And then um really just quickly for I know that uh park's budget is lean. We would like to see more obviously, but um in terms of the chief savings, uh are there areas that you've identified in terms of um savings or you know without obviously sacrificing on services and are there any alternate revenue sources from grants or miscellaneous revenue? >> Yeah, thank you for the question. So, uh we did work very I we worked very closely with our chief savings officer who's uh Yatting Chang. Um she's the uh chief of budget um within our agency. It was really great to work with her and and really great to look closely. It was an opportunity frankly for me to learn a little bit more about our budget and about how uh in our initiatives. Um as I mentioned before uh the kind of initial report on opportunities for savings um and just overall efficiencies was due to OM uh just on Friday. So we have submitted that report. I can confirm at this point that um the kind of opportunities and just overall efficiencies have no impact on uh services provided. Uh but it is just an initial kind of our initial thoughts on on how we might be more efficient with this. I you know would love would be happy to go into more detail um you know perhaps by our exec budget. Um but I would love to like kind of talk to OM first and kind of dig through a little bit more of our initial thoughts and get their feedback to kind of work work all this all of this through. I love your second part of your question which is about revenue uh generation. Um and I think that certainly um you know we it it is an opportunity for me to say that parks does generate uh revenue. Not maybe to the degree that other agencies do, but we we do have um we do um do have a concessions kind of team that works through this. And so um we are kind of constantly talking about both the revenue that we bring in um while also highlighting that like we very much like that we get have the freedom and flexibility to be creative with our concessions, be creative with how we generate revenue to really bring in vendors and um businesses and ideas that really kind of complement um what's going on in the city. And one example of this uh that you're going to see right here downtown is uh we're really excited about kind of unveiling a deliverista hub right here at city hall um where you'll see kind of a battery swapping library system over there serving uh helping serve uh our deliveristas with some modest bike repairs. That's actually going to be a concession uh of ours that we're really excited about unveiling very soon. Um, and while you also see things like your, you know, regular sandwiches and soft drinks and things like that, it's also really kind of fun to think through, uh, through our kind of revenue generating, um, concessions piece, how we might be creative about other services that we can provide New Yorkers. >> No, no, I love the creativity. When is that happening? >> Uh, in April. >> April. Okay, great. >> Very, very soon. >> Awesome. And then my final question, sorry, chair, is around tree stump removal. Speaking of one shots, um cuz I know that the council put in a very modest budget of 2 million. Um but how many tree stump removals have you been able to do with that funding? And is that something that um because I I got to say in terms of the timeline of when they happen, I think a lot of the residents going back to council member Schulman's question about the sidewalks and the you know just wondering what the timeline is for requests for those tree stump removals to happen and when they actually happen. >> Okay, thank you. So I think the thank you for the question. So uh it it does vary from year to year. We are also doing tree stump removals through um our kind of block uh tree uh tree planting uh program that we've t our neighborhood tree planting program. But typically with that amount of funding, we're able to remove somewhere between four to 5,000 tree stumps per year. >> Okay, great. Thank you, chair. >> Thank you. Uh I I did have one follow-up question and then I'll turn it over to uh Council Member Brewer. So you mentioned that some of the roles uh require 16week training. Is that for PEP officers and rangers? So how do you how do you deal with retention um if three months out of the 12 months u that you know these roles are essentially in effect until the one shots come up again? How do you deal with retention? That has to be difficult. >> Yeah, it's a great question. you know, in general, retention for uh PEP has been a like a big priority of ours and an ongoing >> 15 weeks. That's that's four months. >> Four months. >> Wow. Okay. >> Uh it's a great question. In general, I'd say retention for PEP has has been an ongoing conversation within our agency for some time. Um and let me just start out by saying that I I'm so incredibly grateful for this incredibly talented workforce. Um they have extremely difficult jobs. um you know and and they are trained peacekeepers. They are there to educate, but truly oftentimes as as I'm sure anyone would know around PEP, their their jobs are to enforce rules to tell people to make sure that they're that they're not allowed to park in parkland, that they're uh that they need to get their dogs on a leash and out of the flower beds, that they um need to adhere to our rules, not throw garbage on the ground, really follow uh the rules that we have in place. And that is extremely tough. Um, so I think that, you know, it's it has been difficult in terms of retention. We saw at some point a a loss of around 25% per year, which was very very concerning. I do want to give a huge shout out to our leadership, particularly uh our deputy commissioner, Margaret Nelson, our assistant commissioner, Asha Harris, whom I'm sure many people have met with here because she's so good and such a wonderful advocate for her unit. Um but we have been um through kind of a dedicated uh campaign to really remove uh this notion of PEP as a stepping stone and really um remind folks that this can be a true career um that this is this doesn't have to be a stepping stone to NYPD or corrections or any other kind of uh unit that you can have a very satisfying career in in PEP. uh that's only been that's been accomplished through um kind of a very proactive campaign and really kind of robust recruitment. That's more than just kind of sitting at job fairs and having anybody who kind of comes by to fill out an application. We're really trying to explain to folks the benefits of this job and and what they are signing on for at the very very beginning. And we've seen that that retention rate has uh has increased. We now see a much lower attrition rate of around 15% uh just in comparison to the last two years. And that's in large part thanks to the efforts of the >> So you mentioned that many of them, you know, go to PD or corrections. Um, have you considered offering pay parody to those agencies uh with the PEP officers? >> It's a it's a good question. Again, I I don't I'm I'm unable to speak to the kind of uh uh pay that these other agencies are providing to their staff, but we're happy to to look into this and get back to you more with further. You know, I we've also been though, I will say, trying to break this idea and this narrative of of this is like the natural way or this is the same thing or you are essentially NYPD for parks. Uh because it's not true. Uh we really rely on a good partnership with the NYPD to deal with serious crime uh in the entirety of the city, not just in parks, but everywhere. Uh what our pep officers are doing is is really different. They are peacekeepers. They're there to really provide education first. They are there really to to protect our patrons, all of them, care holistically for everybody who comes into our parks, also protect the parks themselves. It's a kind of different thing and um and so we're, you know, uh while we're happy to look at those uh kind of pay scales and certainly I don't have the information in front of me. I can't speak to other agencies. I will say that we're also trying to break this notion of of this being like the same thing for but just in parks. We really want our officers to feel pride in in being parks enforcement patrol and and letting that stand on its own without without feeling the need to compare to corrections or NYPD. >> Thank you. Uh Council Member Gil. >> All right. Thank you. Uh I just want to thank the staff for something. One is that there's a lot of hate messages on benches and rocks, mostly anti-semitism. And to the credit of your staff, they uh call PD. We know the process. They take the photo and then parks removes it. But it happens weekly. So I just want to thank the staff for that. Okay. So I have a long list. Number one, water fountain. 63% don't work. So how are you dealing with water fountains that don't work across the city? Number two, great to have new bathrooms, but what about the bathrooms in my parks that are um probably um preserved for landmarking and need to have the kind of 13 to5 million re retention and renovation. That's number one, two, three trees. I hate that program. So my question would be, we have a bill that's going to be introduced to have a parallel program. So, do you have a list of all the vacant tree pits, uh, stumps? Is that on your map? I think your map is just new trees. So, that program, we can't wait nine years. I got people call me every day. And so, I'd like to know if you have some suggestions of what it would cost to have a parallel program. You can do this neighborhood thing, whatever the hell it is, but I want to see something in between. How often are parks clean? We have the FIFA people coming, the sailing people coming, the visitors hopefully on a grand scale to hopefully be in the parks. And my experience is the parks is Sunday night and Sunday night is a bad situation. So I want to know are parks cleaned seven days a week or is it five days a week? I think it's five days a week. Um, we know that snow may not come till next year, >> but the JOP program didn't work great in terms of getting rid of the snow in the schoolyard. So, I just want to know how that's going to take place next year. Um, the new stands at West 72nd Street, I guess they're just like the one here. We'd love to see them filled with something. I think the flower man is supposed to come. I don't know what happened to the flower man. And then the other one is vacant. So again, revenue and finally, drums on the Hudson wants to know what happened to their um uh I guess electrical issue and also they want the uh the stage which they don't have this year. They need it back. >> Okay, great. Okay, I'm going to try to get I think I got you on most of these. Okay. Okay. Uh water fountains. Uh none should be on right now because it's still early. >> But they were on last year. They didn't work last year either. >> We're happy to look into this. I think that I saw the list particularly because I was the Manhattan BC. So I saw I think the list that was mostly reflective of water fountains that were in Central Park. Uh we worked very closely with our Riverside also. Oh, in Riverside, but we work very closely with our conservancy partners and we'll happily be kind of proactively looking at this, but nobody should have water fountains right now. Everybody should be having water fountains in just a couple weeks from now because even if it's warming up, it's not time just yet. >> If they work, >> um we'll make we'll be following up there. we hear you and we're very we're typically pretty much on it and our entire team in terms of plumbers will be doing this work. Thousands of water fountains will be being turned on in just a couple weeks time. Uh when it comes to renovations and PRBs, yes, very aware of of definitely really high ticket ones particularly in your district. And you know this, but it's just worth repeating that when we talk about PRBs, there is your standard 20 by 20, and then there's something that's like a dinosaur playground in Riverside, which is just kind of beyond in terms of landmarks, in terms of the staff space, in terms of the fact that it's retaining wall and it's got stairs associated with it. It's built into a wall. All of these complications are extremely frustrating, very important, very unique, but also mean just a higher ticket price and a higher kind of overall price tag. Not that it should be impossible, but certainly has um we've been kind of in regular conversation with again the Riverside Park Conservancy and others around ways that we can try to address this in a in a faster way. um when it comes to trees uh and tree pit map, I don't believe that we have this, but I do think that this is why in part we this is again I know you don't care for the nine the nine-year program, but it is our way of being a our timeline right now to be able to assess every single sidewalk. >> We have hundreds of vacant trees. Hundreds. That's not going to work. >> Nine years. It's not going to work. >> Yeah, I definitely hear >> we're going to do legislation to try to come up with something else. Just so you know, I hope my colleagues sign up. >> Great. Um, but we we're happy to get back in terms of any other data around your district entre. Uh, parks are cleaned seven days a week. Uh, parks are clean seven days a week and parks are cleaned at a minimum. Uh, we have staff mostly and particularly in your district, we are we have staff uh because your parks are often opened and closed. We have staff who are opening them doing an initial >> I'm talking about the big parks, not the community parks. The big parks is Riverside is clean seven days a week. Yes. And I'll look. Yes. Yes. Uh, so it's clean. And then on top of that, we have our second shift staff which are also in both Riverside Park and others that provide additional layer of cleaning on top of that. But parks are clean seven days a week. Uh, we are we JOPS are built into our snow winter weather respons. >> We're not clean this year. That's a fact. >> It's definitely a second it's definitely secondary to perimeter sidewalks. So first and foremost, we hit those perimeter sidewalks. First and foremost, we hit those major transit hubs and then we go to JOP's. Happy to look into this closer, but that is definitely our kind of prioritization. >> The kids were not able to play in the yards. That was it. >> Okay. And then in terms of the revenue uh for 72nd Street, we're happy to look into this further, but I think that that that concession spot in general has been discussed and we're actively >> They're vacant right now. >> Yeah, we're looking to we're looking >> You would think you'd want some revenue for them? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. and my drums on the Hudson. What about their stage and electrical? >> So, I'm happy to look into this more. So, >> they've always had one. They didn't get it this year. >> Yeah, if this is a good question for every for the group, we do have uh limited access to Wanganger wagons and this policy has been adjusted in the last year or so. So typically uh because this is uh and just to be very clear uh we started to look at how uh groups in Manhattan were having access to winger wagons versus groups in Queens versus groups in Brooklyn and realizing that the rules were not the same based on the burrow which is not great. >> This group has had it for years that brings in uh Native Americans from all over the country. So I hope that it can be reconsidered for this particular one. >> We definitely have a policy in place. I'm not sure if they're in adherence with that, but we're happy to talk to them. We're also happy to direct them towards other alternatives if it if that if for whatever reason it doesn't comply, but we're we know drums on the Hudson really well. We've worked with them. >> They're calling me every day. >> Okay. Well, we can certainly follow up with them. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um we've been joined by Majority Whip Kabila Hanks, uh who does have one question and then we're going to Brooklyn uh to Council Member Sandy Nurse. >> Thank you, Chair, because now we're going to Staten Island. The burrow of parks. >> The burrow. The burrow of parks. Thank you so much. And it's good to see you um commissioner. Uh one quick question. So parks is responsible for uh planting trees in front of um and particularly in Staten Island in front of uh homeowners um houses, >> residents. Um often the uh our homeowners wake up and they see a tree plant and they're like, "Wow, this is great." and then the tree grows, concrete is broken, and then possibly it's DOT's issue. But then, so my question is, how are we going to work with uh residents of the city of New York when of course, you know, trees are life, we love them, but how are we going to mitigate some of the sidewalk damage? And is there a an avenue for residents to say, "Hey, I don't want a tree." Thank you. Thank you for the question and it's good to see you. Um, you know, to be very honest with you, this is often times where we can see some conflicts arise because we see, of course, it's our it's our responsibility to both increase the amount of tree canopy, but also ensure that every single neighborhood benefits from the from what trees can provide, particularly shade, particularly uh resiliency, um, water kind of retention uh, from storms. And one more thing to add. So Staten Island homes love their solar panels because that is one way we can be environmentally um you know conscious >> and those trees >> harm them from doing that. So we just add that in. >> Yeah. Uh and you know, as in any part of New York City, it's pretty common to see infrastructure butdding up against other infrastructure, be it solar panels or sewage underneath the ground or electrical or things like or streets and sidewalks. So, it is, you know, I kind of believe in just embracing the conflict there and and understanding that that all of these pieces of infrastructure have a role. They are all incredibly important uh inclusive of trees and we have to find the best way to kind of coexist with all this infrastructure. So, um, you know, one thing is that I really would love to make sure that your constituents know and can anticipate when a tree is getting planted. We should have no surprises to the extent possible. I don't want them to wake up one day and just realize that a tree is there. I would like them to know beforehand. We want to make sure that you know beforehand that the community board knows beforehand that they can be excited about additional infrastructure coming in. So, one is just trying to manage everybody's expectations and and have them understand what we're trying to do and what we're trying to accomplish. The second is that when those trees eventually grow and we hope that they do uh and we are we do have a mandate and we are trying to plant in every plantable street in New York City. So, uh that that does mean that that you know that we are looking to do it regardless of of uh maybe And they didn't staffing of Staten Island. Very impressive. Um, so you know what I'd say is that uh, you know, we are looking at it's not just uh, looking at every single bureau to to just make sure that that they have the exact amount, but we really are looking at uh, we take a datadriven approach. We look at our PIP ratings, our parks inspection report ratings uh, to make sure that to see where we stand, to see where we're hurting in terms of maintenance. I spoke to the council member uh from Brooklyn just uh just a couple weeks ago about wanting to make sure that uh for her constituents that are live in Brooklyn, they should not have a vastly different experience of their parks and the cleanliness of their parks in Brooklyn than they do in Queens. For Staten Island, Staten Island has a really good picture right now of overall incredible PIP ratings. I could tell you when I was the Manhattan Burough Commissioner, I used to hate going behind Staten Island in terms of our reports because it would always be a dip compared to what's happening in Staten Island. But you're also right that there are some pieces to the maintenance and operations plan that we are keenly aware of uh when it comes to making sure that the team in Staten Island has what they need in order to to again carry out their responsibilities. We're kind of in constant communication particularly with this administration uh and all our colleagues at OMB to try to make sure that we're continuously advocating for what Staten Island needs to continue to have high ratings, high high performing parks. um and also make sure that the rest of the the rest of the city is also getting the support that they need. But we do use a datadriven approach. Staten Island's data is very strong. It does currently they do currently have one deputy chief of operations. Uh you know, we're always happy to kind of look at this closer to make sure that uh that staffing does not impact kind of their their overall. >> So in general, Staten Island has the most parkland per capita in the city, right? So and we're proud of that. That's why we're the burough of parks. In general, do you think we're receiving staffing and maintenance resources proportional to that responsibility or are we being asked to do more with less? >> Yeah, it's not uh thank you for the question and I appreciate the advocacy. It's really not just the amount of park space per capita. We really look at overall usage. We look at overall uh kind of like where where we see most New Yorkers gathering. We look at our PIP ratings which again are like our secret shopper program that is completely neutral to see where are we performing highest, where are the most folks going, what what like overall looking at that picture. Of course, how much ground are our staff covering and how much are we responsible for? Where are we seeing additional support? And so with with all of that bigger picture in mind, we make our staffing decisions. Ultimately, I think that given stat Staten Island's consistently high ratings, we're very we're happy with that. But we also I I trust me when I tell you that um and I just came from Fresh Kills just yesterday. I was spending the day out there with my kids. I was just uh at South Beach just two weekends prior to there walking along the boardwalk, looking at the boardwalk there to think about what can be done in the future. Uh it it is I certainly don't want anybody in Staten Island to think that they are secondary to any other portion of this portfolio that is parks. They're a very important burrow to me. They're the parkland over there is incredibly important to make sure that we upkeep to the highest degree possible. Thank you. And the next time you're on Staten Island, I hope you'll let me know so I could show you some of my >> favorite places to go. I was looking around. >> You just let me know the next time you're there and you will not be disappointed. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Commissioner. >> All right. Um >> I know I stepped out for a second. >> Back to the time clock for me. >> Uh I'm going to go back to Brooklyn. Yes. Uh Council Member Narcissis and uh Deputy Leader Banks. Um uh for the sake of uh we can give them an additional two minutes uh each to their to their time clock. So seven minutes each. >> Thank you chair. But Satan Island took 20 minutes so I'm going to take 30 because we're the best part of the city of New York. Um commissioner again congratulation. I appreciate you so much. I I had to go to the best part of New York City but I had to stay here because it's Brooklyn in the house. So we have to ask a question because I have the pleasure to represent one part of the New York City that have a lot of parks and um thank you to all your leadership because I love parks. Um I don't know if you know we fought very hard to get that billion dollars but we did not but God knows we probably will get it's probably before we leave here. Um so thank you for all the work you're doing. I looking at um the uh lifeguards. >> I wish I can have some in my district. I I I'm helping to hire, but I don't have no place to give them. >> We don't have no swimming pool except the beach. So, I hope we're looking at to how we can get swimming pool equity around New York City. The prior speaker foot fought very hard for that. And congratulations for Shirley Chisum. I know my colleague Far Lewis worked very hard to get that. And um yes, you can go like this for her. She worked very hard to get it and I'm looking forward to have one before I go even I would not cut the ribbon but I would like to see it happening. Marine pub playground I know one of my colleagues start talking about it six years in the making for the playground. The families are getting to me every single day. >> Um I hope we can do something about it. So for me what the delay is so bad. six years in the making fully funded that's not acceptable and it's playground for the children that become a safety issue >> so I'm going to leave to that so we have a few because I have some of my colleagues in the house that really helped me um NYC2O thank you and all the organization that doing amazing thing to follow up with the chair question about um park department salaries the average salary for a New York City parks garner is $55,000 the guard gardener at Tomkins Square Park hasn't been filled in two years. How many gardener position need to be filled? >> Yes. Thank you so much for your questions and for your partnership and advocacy. It was really good to see you at Shirley Chisum um a couple times I think and uh I also look forward to talking to you about uh certainly about additional funding for either pools or just also just access to the water for your constituents. It is incredibly important. We know that what parks is doing is teaching life-saving skills that completely change the game, change outcomes for constituents, and it is a very important work. So, I would love to continue to partner with you on on thinking through what that looks like. Um, when it comes to Marine Park, I'm I want to tell you that when I wasn't just uh I was in Fresh Kills yesterday, but I was also took my kids to Marine Park. They loved it so much. We wanted to see for ourselves the playground project. Um, I did and I wanted to take a walk around there. So, I definitely hear you that it is far time to see this capital project move forward. We're happy to give you specific updates as where we are, but you know, I'll just tell you that often times um, and I admittedly don't know for certain if this is the case here, but it's worth mentioning when we look at because Marine Park's so big and the scope of these projects does have a tendency to grow. It's good that it grows. Oftentimes, it's good to make sure that if we're going to do construction in your park that we get in there once, we do it and then we get out of there because ultimately it does take too long to to see these projects go forward. And we want your constituents to really feel a comprehensive difference in these spaces and then to continue to go on and service other parks throughout the area. the kind of increase in scope, the increase of design. Oftentimes what we see when it comes to storm water retention and things like that. Uh all very important parts, but have we've seen kind of expanded the timeline for these projects. And I take no pleasure in telling you and saying yes, it's completely acceptable to have a six-year project. Certainly, I want your constituents to see to see faster results than that. What I'll tell you is that we are seriously commit looking into uh ways that we can shorten this timeline. We are happy to give you specific updates here, but looking to partner with our other agencies to try to speed up these internal agency reviews. We want your constituents to understand that these projects are moving ahead. And so any ways that we can try to shave down what it is already too long of a process, just know that we are deeply committed to looking at. And I I know I've only been here for about six weeks time, but I I do commit to you to coming back to you with any sort of ways that we can find to try to to try to shorten that up while consistently kind of delivering in kind of long-term good projects that are going to serve your community for for decades to come. And then when it comes to I'm sorry, you said uh and then gardeners. Yeah. uh the you know happy to look to our uh to uh my team to kind of talk through exactly the vacancies here but we have had a little bit of a you know we we've noticed that uh the gardener that uh our gardener lines were kind of difficult to fill just with the requirements needed for getting gardeners. And so this was one uh one specific title that we actually tried to now create a gardener training program on to help build a little bit of a pipeline to get folks more interested into becoming into into coming into these roles similar to what you may have heard around climbers and pruners. Uh another kind of forestry role was also another kind of uh piece where we tried to build out a little bit of a pipeline program. We're really excited about it's early but um I think just less than two years old but we're very excited about the kind of results that we have from that. So we are I think very excited to see uh a new wave of gardeners coming into our ranks. It's very promising. We're very eager to see that happen and we'll continue to be creative around ways that we can kind of increase this uh workforce because the requirements are pretty high. You can't unfortunately um I thought actually naively enough when I before I came to the agency that you it would be something where if you had enough experience doing gardening in your backyard or if you were a little bit of a green thumb person you could do it. But we actually have pretty high standards when it comes to uh actually being hired for this role and you need to have kind of a lot of work experience out there. That's been kind of the reason why it's been hard to kind of get folks into this field. But I'm really uh I'm personally very encouraged by this kind of new pipeline program that we have coming out and we're seeing some promising results. So happy to talk about that more to come and I really thank you for your attention to it because the more we can get New Yorkers and other folks to think through like what a horiculture career could look like um helps me uh it helps me attract more people to forestry. It helps me to attract more people to to uh gardening to to gardening programs and other kind of resiliency and natural areas. I appreciate you but we have to because my time is coming up. We need equity around it because compensation attract people when you give them then you can retain them and people will come more. Given the shortage of resources for natural areas, what concrete steps will parks take to establish a reliable and sound protocol for entering into legal relationship with governmental park steward? How will parks ensure an accessible, transparent and actionable pathway for NOS's to have um formal status in fulfilling essential services in parks stewards world. >> Yeah, thank you so much for the question. So we are only able to do this work frankly with uh with the help of not only the team that we have at parks and I'm very proud of but also a kind of robust group of partnerships. many of the folks who are in this room or who are listening in from home or uh to this hearing. Uh and our park partnerships come in all different types. They come in volunteer groups who are three people strong who show up every Saturday to weed uh to robust kind of conservies and friends groups and and alliances that um have much more of a formal role. We are in constant communication right now about ways to make sure that we are supportive and open partners with them. be that through creating maybe some sort ofou that could could better encompass some providing some more best practices kind of even from being just the convenor to allow for more of these kind of dialogues to happen from across different groups and different bureaus. Uh kind of all all options are on the table, but we certainly hear the desire from our park partners for more uh easier ways to kind of fasttrack and streamline formal relationships. And the answer to that is that parks is definitely working on on kind of talking through what this could look like. >> I appreciate you because I have great colleagues as partners and collaborators that help me going with my parks in my district. There's something I'm going to ask you the last question. Dog wasting the parks. I know it's a very minute things for some but for my community it's persistent on a very every day there's complaint that coming through about folks are bringing their dogs and they're not cleaning after the dogs in the park. Um, now I want to know what are you doing? What parks is doing to help us out? Especially in the parks if they're getting summones. That's not a way that I would like to go. But what are we doing to educate folks and let them know signage something that have to be done because you don't want to lay down at a park thinking you bring your kids and that's what we getting in the park and all over to in all fairness. It's not only in the parks all over. Now we have to re-educate our folks. say, "Well, you have a dog, you have to clean after yourself." >> You're absolutely right. And frankly, we we again uh rate ourselves through our parks inspection program on the prevalence of dog waste. As as minute as that may be, we our kind of internal rating system holds ourselves accountable to a very very like kind of granular level. We rate ourselves on whether or not there's soap in bathroom dispensers, whether or not there's to there's toilet paper, whether or not there's dog waste, graffiti, uh the grass is cut, there's broken broken steps, any of those kind of features all uh if the kind of light pole is open uh and leading to the the electric wires inside, we get dinged for that. So, it's not minute. It is does impact people's experience. It does uh talk to the level of care and investment in these parks and it is something that we take very seriously. We can do additional signage. We can talk through with you. We can do some addition. We can think through if maybe the area needs a dog park somewhere. We should think about that. Maybe we should be uh flagging for our PEP officers who are education first. So, they wouldn't be doing a summon first, but they would be there to try to educate folks first, warning people. So, let us follow up with you offline because particularly if you have a given park or a given, especially as the weather gets warmer, we know it gets more prevalent, but it is an important aspect of your park experience. We take it seriously. My my chair is ready and I got to go too. But the the dog park is so expensive. I don't know. I'm going to try. But um the old bathroom, the intake, the one that we can probably put an auction. We need to look into them, too. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, chair. >> Uh I'm going to uh keep it in Brooklyn uh with the deputy leader and then we're going to jump to uh council. >> Thank you. Thank you, uh, chair, and thank you to my amazing partner, uh, Council Member Nurse. Uh, particularly Brownsville Recreation Center. I spoke to you the last time about it on my way out of the room at the last hearing. Uh, want to know the project status, the timeline. Uh we're constantly getting calls uh from our seniors and our young folks and uh just everyone in the community who uh you know the BRC is a staple in Brownsville and East New York. Um we want to know uh you know we know $160 million was allocated uh to this particular center from the last administration along with the council. uh can you provide an update the current status of the project whether the design has been completed and when the groundbreaking is expected and then I'm going to also move on to my next question as well and you can answer uh capital delays and budget uh execution large capital projects often face delays due to procurement uh design or inter agency coordination can you speak to uh if this project has any challenges is it's that is currently facing and whether the uh FY2027 uh preliminary capital plan includes the necessary funding and timelines to ensure that this project moves forward without further delay. >> Sure. Thank you so much, council member, for the for the question and for your continued advocacy for our recreation centers. So, we do have $160 million that's allocated for this project. We do right now the project is still with our colleagues at DDC and and frankly the the amount of damage that's happening that's happened at down Brownsville and the amount of the scope that we're looking at covering is still something that we're trying to reconcile with uh which is why I believe you haven't seen a design yet for this project. I I >> is there a time frame? Can you give us some sense idea when we're going to see some progress because the the residents constantly call? I mean, you got seniors calling your office and they're petitioning. you know, this is a a commitment that was made to them and um they're in limbo now because if you do know the the way the the situation at the center is ended, they can't utilize the building and they're operating in the building where you know the half of it is is is cut off from them and even the young folks and we know in Brownsville, East New York, when we have activities, these centers are lifesaving for our community. So, we need uh we need a lifeline and we need to move forward with this. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we can we can reach out to uh our partners at DDC who are going to be managing this project to get a to get a tighter timeline for you. I will point out that uh the good news is that this is going to be using the design build approach which you may have heard and Shirley Chisum helped accelerate things. So what will be happening is that the design and construction services are going to be sort of retained at once and therefore so there is a little bit more work that's done on the front end in terms of what they call front-end planning to make sure those bids go out appropriately. But you see some real savings. So we hear you loud and clear though. obviously, you know, a lifeline to all the local residents there, a beloved uh very important facility, and nobody wants to bring it back online more than more than us. >> All right. So, we we're hoping to see some progress being made on that, and I'm going to continue to bring it up wherever whenever I can. Uh now, going back, I know the last hearing we had was on the tree pruning or tree services, tree pruning services. Uh uh when it comes to homeowner input on tree planting in the council in in my district, uh do homeowners currently have any formal mechanism uh to provide input or uh opt out uh regarding a uh tree placement adjacent to their property. >> Yeah, I appreciate the question and I I mentioned a question that was answered earlier. Unfortunately, no, there's no opt out kind of policy or opportunity with this program. We have a a mandate really to look at every single plantable area in New York City and to put in trees where >> you don't engage the community at all. >> We we definitely you know that's the that's the other piece but we I don't want your constituents to feel that this is a surprise to them or that but but this is essential absolutely critical infrastructure. The amount what happens here with our trees not only retain like helps retain water but also cools down. We we get that we get the benefits of placing trees, but there needs to be some level of input from local residents as to where trees are being placed. It's about the placement. And when you're just imposing on a community, on residents, that's not fair to them. >> Unfortunately though, it's not actually a, you know, just like a sewage line or an electrical line would be placed in. the decisions around where we place is not based on on it's not a surface kind of where people would like to see them. It's where we actually can. So I I definitely hear you. I I've served on my own community board. I don't like any surprises at all. I would want want to make sure that your that your constituents anticipate >> notification notification and I think that that will go a long way with helping to you know ease the sp you know the surprise. So typically constituents we we notify and I'm sorry just because I know you have a limited time but typically your office is notified, our community board office is notified and we just came out with additional messaging that we put on individual residences so that they know when trees are coming in. So we definitely want everybody to be aware. I I can't allow for kind of decision like p placement of trees because so much of that decision is based on infrastructure that nobody can see. >> And I hear you on that. I just want to let you know uh uh in front of my residence there was no notification given how I found out a tree was being placed there uh about 3:00 4 in the morning I heard the uh I guess the vendor come and they drilled the hole and then I woke up and I I saw I saw a bed and then a tree was placed there a couple of couple of days or couple of weeks later. Um, let me move on to uh tree roots uh tree root damage and infrastructure coordination. Uh, in many parts of my district, tree roots are causing damage to sidewalks and the surrounding infrastructure. How is the parks coordinated with agencies such as DOT? And is there any adequate funding in the preliminary budget to proactively address uh the these issues rather than relying on um reactive repairs? Yes. So, thank you for the question. So, we are I mean a couple parts to this. We are regularly in communication with our colleagues at DOT, D, DSNY, uh FDNY when when needed uh both just in in general when it comes to all of this infrastructure. A clear example of that was and in front of my building actually, we had a tree go down uh that we were talking to FDNY, NYPD, our forestry team on to make sure that we can clear these things out. when it comes to the kind of proactive repairs, uh you know, as we said mentioned before, uh how we're learning and how we're thinking about tree planting is evolving so that we can make sure that we're planting trees that don't have kind of these tremendous large deep roots that are making these kind of these popups of the sidewalk and that sort of that sort of piece. We also have a program for uh eligible single family homes that where parks will come in and do those repairs uh to help kind of ease that sidewalk tension and and kind of expand those treatments. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, chair and uh to the commissioner. Thank you. Uh looking forward to continue to work with you. Great. >> Thank you. >> All right. Going to the Boogie Down Bronx. Uh Council Pina Sanchez. >> Thank you. Thank you, Chair. I just want to share that I've had to resist the urge to like cheer Yeah. No. Okay. All right. Thank you, chair, and congratulations in person, Commissioner. I'm I'm very happy to to get to work with you in this capacity. >> Um, and I also just want to start with a shout out to to the Bronx team, to my commissioner over there, and the recreation team. Like, we put on incredible events that my neighborhood would not otherwise be able to afford. And I really appreciate that partnership. Um, so my my first question, um, I know this is a common complaint to parks and your partners at DDC, uh, that we're seeing the the cost of capital projects at our parks reach levels that make it nearly impossible to deliver improvements with speed, >> right? With speed in our communities. Um, I personally in conversations with our the capital team about Bronx Parks can't fund any parks upgrades in a single fiscal year without like heavy lobbying to the mayor or without heavy lobbying to the speaker. Um, and then at the same time, I hear from staff in the the capital divisions that targeted fixes are not possible because projects have to be bundled into holistic renovations. Uh, specifically ASM guidelines, which I then Googled, um, have been cited. From the user perspective, this approach doesn't really make sense to me. Uh, families don't experience parks as capital projects. They they just want to go and and not trip on the floor mats, which is the the example that I've been raising to to the staff. Why can't we just fix the floor mats? Why do we have to fix the whole park? They're just tripping. Just fix that part. Everything else looks great. Um, so the question is why exactly does the part the parks department need to opt for larger scale full rebuilds rather than allowing for smaller, faster, user- centered improvements and what changes could we consider to make capital and maintenance practices deliver those kind of fixes more quickly and cost effectively? >> I really appreciate your question and um and thank you for the kind of continued advocacy. It is true. So, typically when we uh particularly if we're talking about safety surface and and that sort of uh piece where you see safety surface starting to buckle, we typically like to see instead of uh doing this kind of targeted repair, we want to see uh and want to deliver for the community. If this is going to be our time where we have to shut down this playground, we want to deliver as much new kind of improvements to this space as possible. Um we definitely don't want to do a peacemeal approach where we have to close it down for safety service but then you know we don't use the opportunity to create more ADA accessibility or we don't use the opportunity to frankly redesign the space so that it's more age appropriate where we have three to five area space and then a lower a larger kind of big kids space and then maybe expanded swing sets and and those kind of pieces. It does mean bigger scope and bigger projects. Um, but typically it's been our kind of policy to try to to try to do as much good in one go as possible. But I hear your question too about then having to wait years for something that starts out as simple as safety surface. So, what I'd say is that in the Bronx, we actually have seen some success with maybe having trying to have our cake and eat it too essentially where we do kind of focus on raising the funds, getting together a big capital project, but not letting that be the reason why your constituents don't see any sort of improvement between that and, you know, five years from now, whenever it happens. So, what we can do in house where we can think through creatively to show a little bit more investment, I really call that lowhanging fruit. And I think we need to double down and and do more of that. So, what I'd say is that, you know, we it is we are interested in trying to just be in there once, do one disruption, do as much good as possible, and get out of there. It shouldn't be um an excuse for your constituents not to see any sort of increased attention to a space. So, we're happy to work with you. Jesse Puonte, as you mentioned, is a great burough commissioner who kind of focuses on this, too. in my capacity as possible, we should uh we should uh work together to try to find other opportunities to show at least a little bit of uh increased care for these spaces that are very important. >> Yeah, thank thank you so much, Commissioner. I appreciate that and I appreciate the partnership. I just like double want to emphasize floor mats. They got a big problem. I heard there was like a contractor issue. Get our money back. Please replace those floor mats on the new ones that are still rising up. Uh just a sidebar. Um second question. Oh wow. Okay. Second question and then I'll just uh bundle in the third one. Um how is it possible that $50 million is enough to renovate or reconstruct 10 parks through the community parks initiative? Because every almost every estimate that I have for an upgrade in district 14 is like 11 million, 20 million, 15 million. >> That's question two. Question three is around uh Bailey playground and the example of that being a park across the street from public housing next to the highway like certainly in a an environmental justice uh highlighted park that hasn't seen upgrades I want to say in decades. Um I can't quite figure it out. Just want to understand how a park like Bailey playground can be in the new need priority category for parks for years and years and years but not see um upgrades. And then the last question, sorry, thank you chair. Thank you, Jerry. Um, so that's question two. And then the third question is just any updates on swim education. As a Dominican who can't swim, uh, I am particularly interested in what the parks department is doing with the laws that the previous council passed. >> Yes, thank you so much. Uh, I really appreciate your question about CPI. It's it's just my favorite I'm allowed to have favorites. It's my favorite funding initiative. Um uh so just very broadly the city parks initiative which we just very proudly announced our kind of new uh new parks that we're going to be under undertaking renov major renovations on is uh one of our premier kind of equitydriven uh capital uh capital initi programs where uh we're uh typically as you know uh a lot of the funding priorities that come that come uh to us the capital projects come from council members taking it on with advocacy groups or a burough president maybe taking it on with an advocacy group. But it can just be based on maybe popularity or or like kind of where you're hearing the most uh the most voices, but that often can lead to a little bit of a a uh inequity around the parks that are also serving populations of people but are not getting the investment that they need. So that's when uh several years ago we we decided to to try a new approach that was based on parks that have not been renovated in like 20 years plus that were also serving vulnerable underserved underinvested in communities and what we could do with a pot of money that could really inject some major capital improvements there. I will tell you that you're right that the 50 million is kind of a like a starting number, but it it actually is not encompassing all of what's happening. and your investments even if they are $1 million 50 $50,000 $500,000 $300,000 that actually takes we take that into account when we look at which projects we're going to fund next for CPI because it shows that there's a council member a burough president somebody who's got some skin in the game who like who knows that this is a renovation that's like really worth it I'm going to give you one example from Manhattan because I know this best uh but uh Council Member Salam uh funded St. Nicholas Park for $2 million uh just maybe a year ago. St. Nicholas Park is a massive park and it was supposed to be just for a little tiny playground. Then the then burough president Mark Lavine funded that project another $1 million. So technically it could have been done right there with the three million. But then we saw that there was an opportunity with CPI that this whole area had not been invested in for over 20 years, 25 years. So, we decided to put additional CPI funding into that project. And then we um to to kind of increase the overall scope of that project, start dealing with erosion issues, start dealing with the adjacent basketball courts, uh barbecue areas, picnic tables, and on top of that, we were able to tap into some baseline funding for public restroom buildings. So now all of a sudden a project that started with House Member Salam's $2 million that could be your million dollars has now ballooned to $14 million that could actually deliver big changes for that one for that one park in that one area. So I'd say thank you for asking about it. It is a tremendous initiative, something that I'm very proud of, something that I think that we should be doing more of datadriven equity lens sort of work that looks at capital projects and what can happen with it. Um, and what I'd say is that we'll happily look at Bailey playground. We'll happily keep this in mind. We want to work with you on thinking through additional projects and where they're needed, but please don't forget to fund them even with modest amounts of money because that does make an impact on us and how we think about kind of prioritizing projects. And then when it comes to swim education, we are very proud of of what we're doing. We um I'm happy to give you more numbers on this. I don't know how much time we have, but if we are able to provide a little bit more time here, I tell you that we are that this that um we are increasingly partnering with DO with New York City public schools uh with other partners like Asphalt Green and others and then doing our own swim education to try to serve and teach kids how to swim as many as possible. I think that in our in kind of this concerted effort has been undergoing for just a couple years and we're just hitting I think hopefully aiming for around 5,000 young people to learn how to swim in this next in this next year. Um although I'll look to our deputy commissioner Margaret Nelson to confirm that number for me. Um there is always more to do that uh 5,000 is not every single second grader. We would love to have more even though you're not in second grade. I want you to know how to swim uh and others. So, you know, we're constantly in conversation. I was just in the conversation with your burough president uh about thinking about access to water, access to pools, and trying to see think through creative ways partnering with the YMCA, partnering with others, looking at pools that are defunct, even if they're not parks, to think through how do we kind of comprehensively think about access to water and access to swim classes. >> Thank you, chair, for the time. Matt Drew is the best, by the way. Good to see you. >> Yes. Yes. >> All right. Um, we're going to go to Southern Brooklyn, Council Member Susan Zank, and uh, following some questions from your neighboring council member Kaiso. >> Thank you. Very nice to see you in person, Commissioner. We are excited after the meeting, you actually comfort my team. Uh, and we feel we see the hope for Southern Brooklyn. >> Thank you. >> And then we have I have some questions. First, in my district, we have a lot of huge trees. During the storm, it's always damage the um house roof and sometimes when it's in the storm, fell down and have the branch dropped on the cars, break the car windshields. Uh we haven't seen any improvement in this type of situation. >> Thank you for the question, and it's good to see you in person, too. So, I'm I'm really looking forward to working with your you and your team. You know, the during storms when it comes to tree damage, it's you would think that it's these bigger trees are are the only ones that are susceptible to storms, but the truth is is that any type of tree, be it a small new tree or a large hopefully not, but oftentimes like 40, 50, 60 year old tree can also be down in a storm. Um, and truthfully, as with we were just talking about this infrastructure, trees are very important. This is living infrastructure. It is common to see this butt up with other types of infrastructure like our streets where where folks are parked. I believe that when it comes to kind of uh claims on this, any sort of claim for damage should be directed to the comprollers's office uh to to get issue those claims. I'm happy to work with you and your office to make sure that your constituents understand this. the best uh but really the best kind of uh approach and offense to this type of damage is regular block pruning. That's the best thing that we do. Meaning that like on a seven-year basis, all of the trees in your neighborhood need to be pruned. Uh and that means that we go through proactively before a storm hits, cutting down extra branches, making sure that there's no interruption with the other kind of uh power lines or things like that. And that's the that's the kind of goal of the parks department is to make sure that every block in every neighborhood is pruned on a seven-year basis. >> Okay. Thank you. And I'm going to my team going to follow up with you because it's always the same block every single year have the same issue and we have been sent emails and letters to previous commissioner. We did not get a response. >> I'd be more than happy to make sure to look into this. So please do. We're happy to follow up with you. >> Thank you. And also my colleagues talk about the dog waste. I actually have a good idea for you. We need more PAP officers. They can help to address this issue and also they can help to um generate the revenue for the city. I just want to know how many PP officers you have right now. How many you think you need? And uh I rarely see any PB officer in my neighborhood. And I believe personally believe they are peacemakers because they don't carry any weapon but they come to talk to the people in the community and make sure everything run goes smooth and the people when the kids actually see them the bad behavior they have in the park actually uh they behave themselves better. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your support of PEP. We appreciate it. We appreciate you talking about them being peacekeepers. They are certified peacekeepers. They do provide a I believe a holistic sense of safety. Um it's eyes in the park. It's education. They are incredibly important. To specifically answer your question, we have 254 PEP officers who are baselined plus 100 through this oneshot uh funding which we've discussed today. Um so that's 300 currently 300 we are uh funded for 354 PEP officers. Uh and in terms of how many we'd like again I I I would welcome as many re more is more in this case and I I of course would welcome any number of additional resources as kind of the leader of this agency and and thinking through uh our our resources. What we do with what we have is to make sure that we're using a datadriven approach to deploying our PEP officers, making sure that we're going to where the people are. Now, you actually have this data, too, and I'm happy to follow up with your team to make sure that we're following up because we just launched the vital parks explorer just in the last few years where you can actually go based on council district or by community board district and look at how frequently PEP is in your parks. Uh, so we're happy to look at this with you to make sure that your constituents understand how frequently they're there, but I also hear you that ultimately even if we have our PEPs officers who are making visits there, you it's a sense of safety and you want to have eyes in the park. You want you'd like to see I we do understand that PEP officers do provide this kind of sense of uniformed presence in the park and we very much appreciate your kind of ongoing advocacy there. So if we if the park hire additional 200 PAP officer, how much it's going to cost for the city? >> Oh well, I think a hundred the oneshot funding that was allocated to us last year uh was for a 100 PEP officers and so and >> and so it's 20 million for 200 officers. So is that the same amount going to happen this year or >> you know ultimately the oneshots are are the the are the product of the conversations between the council and the administration during the budget process. We we really appreciate the advocacy that this council you and your colleagues have done in the past and we're you know happy to continue to do this work with whatever resources that we're we're given. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Okay, so we've been going for about three hours. Commissioner, would you like to take a five minute break? >> I I could do this all day. Let's keep on going. >> Wanted to offer I want to be courteous. I want to be courteous. >> You're very sweet. >> Okay. Um given that we're going to jump online. Um we're going to go to instead of Southern Brooklyn, we're going to go to Brownsville, Brooklyn, and then Southern Brooklyn. So, we're going to jump to Council Member Darlene Meely, who's been online, and then Council Member uh Virginia Maloney. Uh, council member, I think you have to unmute. Good afternoon. >> Good afternoon. There we go. >> Thank you. I was just wondering congratulations to our new commissioner. I have not met you as as of yet. Um but I would love to know um I had a quick question. We have I was in office, came out of office and now I'm back in office and I gave money for a comfort station at Lincoln Terrace Park and I was wondering could you tell me um what's the status of that and what is the hold of the community? I mean, I go there a lot and it's sad how they say, "When is this going to be finished?" You know, Eastern Park, Buffalo Avenue is almost like a eight lane highway. So, for that comfort station to be there, that would be a tremendous help to this city and to my community. So, could you please give me uh um uh Lisa status on this comfort station? Thank you, for giving me this opportunity. >> Hi, council member. Thank you so much for your question. It's really lovely to meet you and I'm looking forward to meeting you in your district uh in person. Would I would absolutely h be happy to walk through with you in any park. If it's Lincoln Terrace Park or any other one, I'm I'm looking forward to working with you and thank you so much for your for your question about funding. So, I do not have at my fingertips here the current status. However, there are two pieces and one I'll be sure to get back to you directly with where we stand, but you can also look online. Uh we have what's called a capital tracker uh in as part of our parks website. You can just Google capital tracker and typically uh for any capital project that we have fully funded in our queue. We have we uh put together this kind of data tool online where you can look up exactly where a project is. if it's in design, procurement, if it's in construction, anticipated timeline. Um I, you know, certainly I don't want to have to have any of your constituents go through a website to try to learn this, but we are trying to just make sure that more information about timeline that is available. >> Commissioner, I don't know if you understand the severity of this. I I gave about 2.5 million or three million for this comfort station. That was almost 18 years ago. If I did not get back in office, I don't know where that money would have went when I when the community graced me with another opportunity to serve them. >> The first thing was why we do not have this comfort station. So, Department of Parks had had the money, did not do what they say they was going to do with the money. And now that I I'm back in office, it's been four years. And the first year I came in I said where my comfort station they started working on it. Now it's four years and still nothing. So it's not about looking it up. It's about seeing what is the hold up and why you have the city money and we cannot have a comfort station. And it needs to have some kind of budgetary timeline on this because the community deserve it. And if the chair could give me another opportunity to ask one more question, I would love to, but I would love to get authorization first. >> Sure. Absolutely. Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. Um, I definitely need that question. And we talk about preservation um uh of holocaulture in Lincoln Terrace Park. I've done two >> press conferences inside the parks. I did one in Harlem, one in Brooklyn. Could you tell me are you are your holocaulture or your people are still using Round Tree to clean our public parks? >> Council member, are you referring to Roundup? The uh >> herbicide? I'm sorry. Yes, Roundup. >> Not Not a problem. I I can confirm that our our so uh pursuant with local law uh parks department uh is isn't generally uh able to use synthetic pesticides which would include uh like glyophate. >> We we that passed and I came back like 20 uh 23 and you were still using it. I had a meeting with you and you're still using Roundup. So I ask that you really look into that and stop using that for this whole city. >> New York cannot handle that. And remember, our young people are going into these parks. Our dogs >> are eating some of the grass and that's a detriment to their health. >> Yeah. >> So do you want to ask it or have a question a conversation later in regards to that? >> Absolutely. Uh you know, we're happy I will happily look into this more. I definitely understand the the stakes here. Um I too have I have a three and a six-year-old who are in the parks in our planting beds far too often even when they're not supposed to be. So I we understand the the importance of this. This is frankly why we we have very kind of what I think is kind of crazy ways of killing rats and things like that because we we are very careful about what type of of poisons and and pesticides and things like that that we're using in our parks. So, we will happily get back to you and and confirm uh what's being used and what's not being used. >> I thank you for that. And you could check um the Black Institute. I did two press conferences and we keep looking into it and it's still you're still using it. So, please could you talk to me? The environment deserves better. Thank you so much, Chair. >> Not a problem. All right. Uh, I want to acknowledge council members uh, Alexa and Lincoln Wrestler who we've been joined by. Uh, at this time we're going to go to council member Maloney. >> Thank you very much, Chair, and thank you, Commissioner Shimamura. It's great to see you here, and as a Manhattanite, congratulations on your role. Uh, I have to ask about district 4 parks, which is one of the lowest ratios of parkland per resident in the city. And my office has received a lot of inquiries regarding the ongoing closure and renovation of the tutor city playground and um that's located on 42nd Street. I'm wondering if you could give me a clear update on the timeline for when it plans to reopen and the cause for delays, if any, and what steps you're taking to improve communication with the community on this project. >> Yeah, thank you so much, council member, for the question. So, um, we'll have to get back to you specifically about where we stand with the Tutor City Playground project, but I'm I am somewhat familiar with both this playground and the playground that's across the street. You have two kind of sister playgrounds, one on each side. And I will say that I uh recall from my time as burough commissioner that in understanding when and the timeline for Tutor City's playground reconstruction, we really were thinking through also uh making sure that your community has also access to the one across the street. It does not replace it by any means, but uh the like how we think about anytime there's scaffolding in a park, anytime a park playground has to get closed down. We take this really seriously and particularly when we're going into the spring and summer months, it's not something that we do lightly. Um, so where we can either allow for partial access, where we can try to push this work to be only uh only relegated to some portion or phasing of projects. That's really going to be our approach whenever possible. We'll get back to you specifically about where we stand with Truder City Playground, but overall just know that we understand the significance of access particularly in your district, but really across the city and wherever we can, we're going to limit that. >> Thank you for that update and we will be following up. >> Um, I also wanted to ask about park concessions revenue, >> uh, which the preliminary budget shows has dropped by nearly 9 million. Um wondering if you can give more information on the breakdown of the cause, specific concession sites or contracts um or any specific locations that account for those losses and uh also what steps the agency is taking to backfill loss concession revenue. >> Yeah, thank you for your question. I really appreciate the attention uh to to the the role that parks plays. It may not be as much as other agencies, but we're really proud of uh our contributions to the overall uh fiscal health of our city and uh ways that we bring in revenue. Uh particularly, and I'll uh flag our assistant commissioner of uh small of uh revenue. I'm sorry, I forget the actual title that you have, David, but um who's also here to uh who can also answer a little bit more on this, but overall um you know, I'm not sure where the nine million kind of uh >> Oh, yeah. I'm not sure where I see it like a going down in in kind of overall budget here, but we do contribute um over $50 million uh per year to the general fund in terms of our concessions and other kind of opportunities that we bring to parks. Um, I mentioned this earlier, uh, but you know, we find in general that the type of concessions that we bring in, the type of businesses that we work with, um, really does provide a benefit to our park system. People like to have access to sandwiches and and drinks and food options. They like to uh to uh take advantage of uh opportunities to either to rent a bike and go bike riding through the park or uh in the case of Central Park to uh rent a sailboat and sail through the model uh sailboat piece. There's also it's also an opportunity for us uh because we don't have necessarily kind of strict uh targets to meet uh or high extremely high targets to meet. It gives us an opportunity to be creative with our the type of concession that we look out for. And a good example is what you'll see in city hall park uh in just a couple weeks from now. We've uh partnered with the uh workers justice workers justice project lost deliveristas to create to take over one of our what was a new stand and then turn it into a uh bike battery kind of library system where you can swap out those batteries get some um tuning of your bike done. Uh it is also a concession of ours and we're really excited about how that's going to complement and provide essential services to New Yorkers. So it's it's a really diverse portfolio. So, I'll look to our assistant commissioner to see if there's anything else he wants to add about this portfolio uh of revenue and concessions. Uh forgive me, David, to uh for for forgetting your exact title, but um we're really excited about kind of the opportunities ahead. And I'd say the last piece is that we're deeply committed to making sure that the type of opportunities that we have to do business with parks and to do business with the city are diverse and accessible to as many people as possible. >> Please raise your right right hand. Thank you. Uh, do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the but truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Hi, council member. Thank you for the question. I'm David Cerrone, assistant commissioner for business development, special events. Apologies for any confusion. Uh, I you know, the good news is we are we are doing well uh this year. Uh we're tracking ahead of of the same time last year. Our revenue target uh for OM for this fiscal year is $54 million. We do intend uh to meet that uh to meet that goal. As the commissioner mentioned, you know, we are always seeking to do more, looking for creative ways to make our parks engaging and fun and activate our open spaces. Uh so, you know, if you have ideas, if there's other suggestions that you'd like us to look into, uh we'd be we'd be thrilled. >> Thank you very much. And thank you, chair. >> Okay. Uh, we are going to go over to is that Western Brooklyn? Yeah. >> Okay. Council member Lincoln Wrestler. >> Thank you so much, Chair. Appreciate your uh thoughtful leadership of this committee and commissioner. It's great to see you. >> Good to see you. >> Um, I want to thank you for being so generous with your time uh earlier this month or last month in meeting with me and my team and talking through I don't know a hundred parks related issues in district 33. Um, we could have gone on for hours, but um, you were uh, incredibly gracious and really appreciate your thoughtfulness and and eagerness to partner. Um, which really comes through in every appearance you have before the council and in every conversation I've had with you. Um, I apologize that I'm late, so I I may be uh, bothering you about something that's already come up, but as I think you've heard me say before, I've been deeply concerned about the reduction in part-time headcount in the parks department. Uh, you know, in the Adams administration, we lost 1,600 part-time workers. Uh, it's had an enormous impact on the conditions in our park. And so, while the full-time headcount has been steady, the reduction in the part-time headcount uh has uh has been a major concern for me and for members of my community as they look around their parks every day. Could you give some insight into what you're planning for currently for headcount for the part-time headcount for next year? um and uh how we can be helpful in supporting your efforts to ensure that parks is fully staffed. >> Yeah, thank you so much, council member. It's really lovely to work with you always. Um and I really appreciate the the focus here. So, uh in the in the short term, uh and speaking of part-time headcount, um I think through also what our seasonal headcount is going to be, um we in general, and we haven't actually covered this yet, uh in general, we jumped from a 5,000 person agency to uh nearly 10,000 uh for our summer season. And that uh includes uh all types of roles but the ma vast majority of those come in the form of maintenance and operations staff. Uh on top of that that we also do lifeguards this way, summer camp programs this way, additional kind of recreational folks that come on board. Um everything else in between but but really that's uh we double frankly in size. um you know for uh the next for this budget cycle what we see is essentially um the the difference is those those oneshot funding items um is where um is where you see that big differential between it's essentially what would be the budget that was given to us in the last fiscal year that uh those oneshot items reflect 277 positions uh and they fall across the spectrum from green thumb park rangers pep officers maintenance uh folks and others. Um so uh certainly uh as was mentioned before uh they are highly supplemental um to these units. Uh the chair has has recognized that PEP is essentially the oneshots essentially reflect one-third of our entire workforce there. Uh for something like Rangers, I think it's almost 50% of that workforce. And so we we very much greatly appreciate the kind of oneshot funding here and it is a major part of our of our overall operations. >> So you know when we for the analysis that's shared with us when we look at the FY22 headcount for part-time workers which I think includes the seasonal workforce. It was counted at 4,460 workers. As of FY26 our current fiscal year it was down to 2774. So a a major 1 1600 plus person reduction. And you know, I I think that there are lots of different ways that parks can count this and look at this. And to be fair, we saw a meaningful increase in the full-time headcounter in that same period. But the significant reduction in the part-time headcount is something that I'm really hoping we can fix together in this budget. So, you know, prelim is the beginning of the conversation. We've got three more months to go. I'm certainly eager to support the chair's efforts to help us increase headcount at the parks department. I think it's one of the areas that we frankly just over the last three years got an enormous amount of push back from Mayor Adams and his budget team and we shouldn't have and I'm hopeful that if the council's willing to put up the resources and we're willing to fight for the parks department that we'll have a much more cooperative partner on the other side of city hall. I know we do in our parks commissioner. Um I I I heard some of my colleagues ask and council memberang in particular about pruning and tree management. I'll just add I know that this was a tough winter and a tough storm and I know that there were some declines in the first few months of this year as a result of a contractor passing away, you know, the CEO of a contractor passing away. Um, but the timelines on pruning, the the reductions in total pruning, the timelines on getting uh hanging tree limbs removed for the most urgent cases to the least urgent cases, I think all of the timelines are really unacceptable. So, I really hope that this is something that you can look at with the team and help to to speed up. I just wanted to highlight a couple other items in my last 19 seconds. Um, one is I'm just, you know, MetPool has been a real source of frustration. Members of my community are having a a protest this Wednesday um about the conditions and the fact that it's been closed so long. We had tried to get the parks department to begin the capital project while they were trying to identify interim repairs. I don't think that happened and so we're we're looking at an extended closure there. Um, would love to get an update on parks containerization of garbage. I know there was funding in last year's budget for that. My office has funded parks garb containerization of garbage at Cabinet Plaza, WNYC Transmitter, McCarron, McGor, and other parks, which my community is thrilled about. I think you guys are putting in the money, so I don't need to cover anymore, which is great. Um, but would love real updates on that. Um, and then lastly, and then I'll let you talk, is um, thrilled with well, briefly on two things. thrilled that uh Deputy Commissioner Borsin and others have been really helpful in supporting the Care and Asphalt project, $15 million parks project in Williamsburg that we're thrilled about. Really appreciative of parks partnership there. And then lastly, Anchorage Plaza in Dumbo. Um we just heard from David, you have a a terrific lead on your concessions team and really appreciate um all of his partnership. We're trying to figure out if there's some compromise between vendors and the pickle ball um vendor um you know, the street vendors and the pickle ball vendor to share that space. I know that you're looking into it. Is that something that we can follow up on as well? >> Sure. >> I'm sorry for peppering you with so many questions. >> No, you did. It's great and thank you. I'm going to look for our acting first deputy commissioner to come up just to talk about the containerization piece, but I think that I can handle these other ones. So, I think we owe you a follow-up conversation around Anchorage Plaza. It is tough uh because ultimately um even in even in the case where if we were to kind of try to rethink this space, we still need to have kind of parks appropriate uses on these spaces. and when it comes to vending and and that sort of thing, it just gets tough. But happy to follow up with you on that. I know it's important to you. Uh when it comes to pruning, yes. Uh you I mean you clearly have read our PMMR and like know that this is in in part due to our contracting piece. What I'd say is that there's a bigger understanding that relying on the contractors that we have relying on this pool is the wrong is the wrong method. We need to diversify. We need to think through. We needed to continue to pilot things like in-house plant planting, in-house pruning, but we needed to diversify the size and scope of our contracts, both to keep costs down, but also to get this work done faster and to make sure that we're not building an environment, an atmosphere out there that's that's not sustainable uh and and just dangerous in so many ways. So, we definitely hear you on that. This is a frustrating piece to be in, but we're on the right track. I plan on coming back to you in many future hearings with better numbers on pruning, but ultimately there's a bigger push here to make sure that we are consciously thinking about how we do contracting to build in um to build in different size scopes and to add more diversity to this whole pool uh for MetPool. Speaking of pools, um in my in my first six weeks on this job, MetPool is a priority visit for mine. So, I can tell you that I I myself have visited this site because I know how deeply important it is to the community. I too have heard them. I understand the rallies. Um you don't have to tell me how important it is to have access to pool service and I know that particularly this one serves many different communities and is truly a gem. Um we are trying to work as quickly as possible to make sure that this gets reopened in time. And frankly, while we're while this pool is out, I was in there saying we need to do more in this space. Cosmetic, but still more. Let's replace that those uh glass panels, make it clearer in there. Let's make sure that we're uh that every single piece of exercise equipment on the second floors is actually working and functioning and order. Let's make sure that when this community comes back in, they know that it was time well spent. And so we are trying to do everything we can to push this project along just like the Brownsville project, another rec center that council that another council member had brought up. Um but in particular, I'll tell you that I I definitely hear that the community's concerns on this one. We're keeping it close. We're trying to push this along. Um it is complicated just because some of the filtration system is underneath is underground and it it just means that there's it's such a tight space that it's very difficult to do this work. Nevertheless, I I don't want your community or your constituents to think that to hear radio silence from us on this. They need to know that we are there constantly that I myself was there looking at this project that we are pushing this along. um even if it's not massive updates where they start seeing cranes in that space, I want them to understand that this is not a forgotten project that we will not let this get lost in in the shuffle that we're going to see this through. So, um please know that we'll be getting back to you with updates as soon as we have them. And then when it comes to containerization, I'll let uh our acting first deputy commissioner give you an update. >> First, first deputy. I'm sorry. Um >> Okay. If if you can if you can keep your response to 60 seconds. I have to get to the other members. I'm sorry. >> Sorry. It's my fault. I have too much. >> Council member, good to see you. Thank you for your leadership on containerization. Um, we have now a new custom design enclosure for containerization. We are getting the first several thousand units delivered before June 30th. We are then going, we're already determining which sites will get them for FY27. The funding from OM is baselined for this. So, it'll take us multiple years to roll it out, but we are now very much in the implementation phase of uh trash enclosures, trash containerization. >> And do you have a timeline for full containerization of parks garbage? >> Four years. >> Four years across the city. That's great. Um, thank you very much, chair. I really appreciate it. Um, and thank you, commissioner. >> Thank you. All right. Uh, although we're jumping to the other side of the deis, uh, they're not far in geography, so we're going to council member Alexa. Thank you, chair, and very impressed that Queens knows the geography of Brooklyn. If >> it's Queens or it's just me, but it's okay now. >> I many much kudos. Much kudos, chair. So, congratulations. Um really delighted to have you on board. Um I I hope what you heard from my council colleagues today is um serious support for the parks department. A call for maximized um funding that um obviously we believe in the 1% of our budget should be dedic dedicated to to our parks department and making sure that our funding is we can fund what we need. Um, as as you know, Commissioner, I represent district 38, which has the privilege of having uh two recreational centers with two pools. Um, and uh, you know, I think one of those, Sunset Park, >> has been under construction for quite a long time. Um, and I'm getting angry emails as the weather is getting nicer about why this time frame continues to push out further and for further. But I will say I'm deeply concerned about the capital pipeline here. Um when I came in, CPI has been a fantastic project to pick up. Many of the green spaces in my district had never been invested in and CPI is covering a few of them. Among them, Demic Playground, we're invested in Pña. We invested in um uh three other playgrounds. So right now we have five spaces including our major parks that have all received mill multi-million dollars of funding with no seemingly time to see that they're even breaking ground. What is the problem with our capital pipeline and not making sure projects are moving in a reasonable time frame? >> Thank you so much for the questions, council member. It's really good to see you. Uh so I think I want to just talk about two pieces. First is uh Sunset Park. Um I uh I too have visited this this park and this recreation center. I hear the community their their uh their eagerness to cut to come back into this space. I I trust me when I tell you that we um uh that we are continuing to work here that they're we're eager to see this back open. Um I was just asking for more updates here. we'll happily we'll happily give them to your office, but it is top of mind when it comes to trying to reopen these these spaces. We've uh we've had multiple conversations in just my first two months here on the job and and a lot of them have been around uh Sunset Park. So, in particular, so we'll happily give you some more updates, but know that it is top of mind here and we understand that this is a community that heavily relies on it. It's a beautiful space. It's a beautiful center. It's a beautiful community that you represent over there and I'm really eager to deliver for them. um when it comes to but your bigger question around uh cap the capital process um you know I I'm happy to talk a little bit about it but let me just get get to the point at the end here is that this is a process that is extremely long uh we have made improvements particularly around procurement procurement has gone down and you do see it faster but there is still certainly much more that can be done and you have my commitment that we are looking at this very closely I um have already had I'm guessing at least 10 meetings with our deputy commissioner of capital to try to understand this process step by step and see where we can shave down the time. I do not want to sit here for years to come and just tell you yes it's years it takes five to seven years to build a project. Um we are deeply committed to trying to shave this down and make sure that that your community can actually see some benefits. Ultimately you do see a pretty standard design timeline of 12 months but before you get to pro procurement you do see a postdesign uh kind of process where we are trying to adhere we have to by law adhere to a lot of different regulations around be it storm water management or other or other type of uh kind of adherence to rules with do and others. Um it's all good things but it takes time and oftentimes the back and forth between our agencies is in my opinion unacceptable. So we are working on this together. We've uh done some takes a D actually has a staff member who actually sits in our office to try to increase that communication. we are kind of in we are in frequent communication with our colleagues at other agencies and I I really sincerely hope to come back to you to demonstrate ways that we've both uh improved this because we have since 2023 we have made some modest improvements but there is still more work to be done and we're looking forward to continuing to to think through this uh with our other sister agencies to make sure that this this timeline can get shortened. >> Great. Thank you. We look forward to to certainly those conversations and and having you come to our district to walk through the many many projects that um are on the table. I think I'd also like to just put forward glad to hear about the containerization. Certainly Sunset Park um is a is a great uh park for containerization. It now welcomes uh illegal trash dumping and trash dumping because it has no place to put trash at its entrance, which is really a new thing that's only happened the last couple of years and it's um it's offensive actually um to our community. So, love to work with you more on these issues and we need to get to 1% for parks. Thank you. >> Thank you, council member. Um, I just want to say to the public, thank you for your patience. Uh, the advocates that are here, we're almost there. Uh, so thank you for your patience. Uh, all right. We are we're in your district. >> All right, Council Member Chris Marte. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, and thank you for the advocates for waiting for so long. And thank you, Commissioner, for being here. Sorry that I was late. I had a hearing next door. Uh but I want to thank the administration in investing in Vladic Park. Uh it's a hidden park within a massive public housing development that's been overlooked for decades. And so to see that announcement last month brought joy to me, joy to the tenant association and many of the residents. And so it just really shows where this administration's, you know, values are and their moral compass when it comes to investing in green spaces. So thank you so much for that. Uh my question is, you know, parks department has made a commitment for tree canopy all throughout the city. However, there's certain neighborhoods that can't have tree canopy like Soho and Tribeca because we have vaulted streets. What methods are you looking to to help green grainify or make those streets greener uh to try to at least accomplish something in those neighborhoods if we can't accomplish tree canopies? >> Yeah, thank you for the question. And um if I do can I just want to spend just a quick moment on Vladic. Uh you know this Vladic is very near and dear to my heart. Vladic uh even to our community board uh was unknown as a park space for years and I and that community board knows their stuff. So it was amazing to to know that this park went under the radar smack dab in the middle of very very dense Nicha housing around everywhere has not been touched in over 20 years. This is the beauty of CPI. This is the beauty of projects like this. It's done in partnership with our elected officials. When we know that something needs to get done, when we know that it is going to take in a major influx of money, we're very proud to to be able to have a program like this. So, thank you. I look forward to breaking ground on that project. uh when it comes to uh neighborh parks in your neighborhood and you you mentioned them that have like an inability because of the underground infrastructure to grow trees. This is where then we look at other tools in our toolkit particularly around the green streets and and you have worked in one you and I have both worked on one in particular. Um you know we have a a a good partnership with DOT to think through some of these green streets and the areas where we can add more green infrastructure. We know what's at stake. This is not just uh kind of luxury tree trimmings here. It is actually water retention. It like really does create a sense of community in these spaces. And so where we can, we're happy to work in partnership with our elected officials with our with uh with the community members there to think through how do we improve these green streets and make it make the most of these spaces. It is always in partnership with our a other agencies and I want to emphasize that because sometimes that gets frustrating to work work with more people and more pieces of government but to the best of our abilities what I can commit to you is that we are trying to ease this as much as possible that we're trying to be the convenor that we're happy to to work in in partnership with DOT with others to try to build out as much kind of green infrastructure as possible and parks is really the human entity that's really the difference between us and I'd argue in with other agencies. With all due respect to my other agencies, we start every single capital project with community input. We really do think through what is going to activate these spaces, not just how what are they going to do and serve, but how are we going to activate it? How are we going to bring into the community? So, wherever possible, that's going to be the lens that we take to these spaces. We're one of high collaboration and try to build spaces that that the community can actually use and appreciate. >> Yeah, thank you for that response and also thank you for all your quick work and Bartet Newman Triangle. It's >> it looks night and day out there and I think the community >> is really loves it honestly. Um is there a database to show not only all green streets but parks that don't have a friends group and so as elected officials maybe we can help organize our neighbors to start some sort of you know coalition or group to to be that partner on the ground. >> It's such a great question. um you know so the green street piece we have lists but I don't think we have a uh like access publicly accessible database it is long and we are frankly actually in communication with DOT right now on refining that list so we can happily get back to you with either an information that we have but thinking through how we make that more publicly available when it comes to the friends groups what I think that you have currently on the vital parks explorer which is public is looking at any sort of volunteer projects that have happened so it's not necessarily a friends group, but it gives you a sense of like where is there good things happening in these spaces? We can certainly think through that. We have partnerships for parks, which is of course our kind of arm of the agency that helps activate. But I think it's a great kind of uh goal to set to make sure that we have active groups in every single park, Green Street, and any other space that we have in our portfolio. >> Awesome. Thank you so much, Commissioner. >> Thank you, chair. >> Oh, thank you. All righty. Uh with that 11. Okay. So I do have just a couple questions and then that is it. Um has the department considered putting housing on top of future recreation centers? >> Thank you for the question. So uh two pieces. One is that just in in general uh parkland needs to be used by law for park purposes. So, um, any sort of, uh, like looking at any this is wouldn't wouldn't happen, I'm assuming, but, uh, you know, if you wanted to put a piece of, uh, housing on Central Park or something like that, it would mean the like a true alienation, uh, would go into effect and you'd have to go through several kind of steps, uh, with passing legis legislation on the state and city level in order to make that happen. However, uh on the flip side, uh while we are kind of mandated to protect the parkland that we have and use it for parks appropriate purposes, we are also thinking through creative ways to expand park services and recreational services beyond parkland. And one example of that that has just recently come up is what's happening at 388 Hudson. This is a a lot of land that um that will have uh completely 100% affordable housing go up on it. And on the first three floors, we're very excited to be partnering with HPD for the first time ever uh in a uh new recreation center that will be put and located on those first three floors. So, we're talking competition size swimming pool, basketball tournaments that could happen in the new basketball court, weight rooms, media center, dance labs, areas for after school, the whole the whole nine yards uh that could happen uh in partnership with HPD on a completely affordable housing development. It's gamechanging and is a really innovative way to think through kind of extanding park services on non-p park parkland spaces. So, we're really excited to see that to continue to go through and are happy to think through other opportunities like that. >> Okay. I' I'd love to um have further conversation with you about that. I think I may have an idea for a space in my district. >> Great. >> Okay. Uh couple more questions. Has the department considered Sorry. Okay. Has the department considered completely in-housing certain parts of their operations to provide more New Yorkers with well-paying jobs and lowering the cost of contracts? I'm referring to uh pruners and climbers for the most part. >> Yeah, thank you. So I I think that right now um given our the finite resources that we have, the balance that we hit is one where we're very excited to kind of work in concert with both the the contracts that we have as well as our in-house crews. Um typically just for like pruning work, our contractors do the work for most the vast majority of pruning on the seven-year cycle. We really want to keep to that cycle because that is the best practices and standard within the industry to prune all of our trees within seven years. However, our in-house team is able to to do like slightly more technical uh highly skilled kind of work that like requires a little bit more kind of attention and detail and and can come out of a priority list that's not this kind of cyclical piece. So, it it complicate um I'm sorry, complements uh that um that work in a in a very good way. similar with our in-house tree planting. This is something that we just started to undertake just since I think 2024. Um, and we're seeing that that also is able to to complement the work of kind of our contracted work. Actually, our in-house tree planting, I was just looking this up beforehand was actually uh working in Queens right now. Um, not I believe in and around your district uh trying to plant as much as we can there first and prioritizing these neighborhoods. So, um, you know, it is something that it's a bit bit of a balancing act between the two. Um but certainly we're looking and monitoring very closely the impact of having in-house crews and how that how that has helped kind of further our work. >> I appreciate that. Um what is the current budgeted and actual headcount for climbers and pruners and what is their average salary? >> Thank you. So I think our um while I looked this up I believe our climbers and pruners are around 90 uh individ we have 90 climbers and pruners uh and starting salary is I'm looking again is at 75,000 75,000 um and uh you may recall this but um our climbers and printers are very specific dangerous very intense technical work um and we're very proud of the fact that we've had just the second cohort of kind of in-house training that we've done to kind of build up those ranks. I just uh congratulated 14 new graduates. We've already started training another crew and they'll be graduating in a year. >> Is there an update on the apprent apprenticeship program? >> Yes, that's that is the update. So, we're in so we've had two successful cohorts go through um each adding around 14 or 15 people every time. Um this is a really intensive training. I can't emphasize this enough. getting up at four o'clock in the morning, starting work, working in very cold, very hot conditions, trying to uh do heavy duty tree work as you heard from other council members in very tight condition, very tight spaces and trying to work in in New York City is is an art. Um, and something that needs to be really kind of has a whole different type of skill set. And so we're very very proud of uh our success thus far. Uh we're looking forward to having another third successful cohort in the next year. Out of curiosity, uh, are there any positions or areas where the department could effectively reduce its contract budget by bringing those operations in house? >> It's a it's a good question and we'll continue to monitor this. Like I said, the in-house programs that we have both for uh tree pruning and for planting are relatively new. So, we're still looking at how that work is complemented or uh can double down and work and work in concert with the contracts that we have. So certainly we'll we're continuing to monitor this and look forward to kind of continuing to to be cognizant of of what happens inhouse versus with external. >> Um as you all monitor that uh is it more of an informal monitoring system or do you have a formal way of of of assessing? >> Well, what I'd say is that uh certainly we understand the significance of there are a couple major things that are coming up. One is that this year we plan on releasing the urban forest plan which talks about the significance of planting trees and and maintaining our canopy in order to get to 30%. Two is that we understand the significance and here we heard it all day today around making sure that we're caring for our trees but also planting as as expeditiously as possible um to to serve these communities. So it is something that we are kind of internally uh discussing uh and happy to happy to loop you into those conversations too to talk about what lessons we've learned thus far. It's only been a year or so since these programs have started. So um you know the ability to understand that impact and and what our intra house teams are doing versus contracts is still something that I think needs a little bit of time to actually fully understand. But I I'm certainly interested in holding ourselves accountable because frankly it makes a difference in terms of how I advocate for funding and how I talk to our administration which is very in interested in making sure that we're serving New Yorkers uh as expeditiously with the best possible services possible. So we expect to be hold ourselves accountable. >> I I appreciate that. I'd like to have follow conversations about this as well. >> Um okay I do have I'm sorry I almost forgot about Council Member Suso. Uh just a couple questions from the council member. >> Have the requirements set by intro 800 and 97A 8 um passed in April 2025 been met by parks? Um yeah that would be uh publication of criteria for pri prioritizing tree maintenance, pruning schedule, etc. >> Great. So, I'll look to our assistant commissioner, Ben Osborne, to give us an update on uh those specific pieces of legislation. At a high level, what I'll say is that we are tracking those p those passages of the legislation, and I believe that we are on track to to meet those requirements. But I'll look to our commission. >> And that I'm just going to uh move on. How much does an inspection by a private contractor versus an in-house for uh forester cost the city? And I'm sorry, how much does a 12inch tree removal by a private contractor versus an in-house crew cost the city? So, it's kind of >> I'll So, what I'd say um before the our assistant commissioner comes up to talk about that first piece is that we again we we frankly monitor the cost of what it costs our city, but um are not probably able to speak to the kind of private industry and and what the costs can range. Um what what I would say is that the average cost to remove a tree including the stump uh is $3,028. Um that's our average cost for FY26. Um and then I'm happy to give additional cost if it's based on stump or pruning one tree or planting one tree. We can also provide this information to the council member to give her that entire breakdown. But we, you know, typically I think if if what the council member is getting at is like the cost of like private industry versus public, you know, without without even looking closely at that private data, I would probably say it would be likely to see that it costs more for the city to do it. But there are good reasons for that. We use labor. We use unionized labor. We are comprehensively looking at this work. We are doing it based on larger contracts. We are not only just planting or removing a tree, but when we're thinking about this work, we said it before, uh it's not now we're not doing this peace mill. Now we're doing this comprehensively. We're going to expand tree beds to make sure that this doesn't happen in the future. We're going to plant a new tree. We're going to fill in other tree pits where it can't be where trees can't be done. And when we leave, it's going to be done. And we won't have to deal with this anymore uh in that spot. We'll have to we'll get to continue on and move on to another portion of the city. So what we're doing is more comprehensive. what we're doing does is typically more expensive. Uh but I would argue that you know we're very proud of that of that work and think that it's the best way to care for the entire city as a whole. Um but I'll turn to you Ben to give more about the legislation. >> Sure. And uh before I respond to that uh chair, I just want to make sure I'm responding to the correct uh piece of legislation. Is uh was this the one that was ultimately passed as local law 59 of 2025 or is this a different bill? This was intro 800 and intro 978 passed in April of 2025. >> So yeah, this the second one would be the uh building clearance one. So I'm happy to respond to that. The first we may need to um get back to you on. But um in regards to the >> I'm sure if there's any followup the council will will follow >> certainly. Okay. In regards to to uh the law requiring a prioritization for treework, including a request for building uh clearance, um we are on track to be compliant with that legislation, which goes into effect in May. Um we're building out the the digital tools right now to be able to record the results of our inspections similar to how we do with risk assessment currently. >> What percentage of park bathrooms are open right now? >> Great question. Uh, I'll uh happily look to our first acting first deputy commissioner to give specific data. Um, but I think I would also just flag um because I think a couple articles just came out of news articles came out about this recently. Uh, typically the vast majority of our bathrooms are opening open and functioning. If they are closed, we report on that internally to ourselves to make sure that we know if it if closure is happening due to a reconstruction project or due to some sort of maintenance issue. um you know we we do track this pretty granularly on a monthly basis looking at when these bathrooms are closed and and uh the reasons why and making sure that we are reporting this internally as well. So we take this seriously. It is not something that we that we kind of um just will say openly saying that all of them are open when the truth is is that we know when some are closed due to some sort of out other kind of issue and are pretty closely monitoring this. But I'll look to our acting first deputy commissioner to give specific details. >> Right before you answer, and I I just want to keep my word. There was a constituent who stopped me and it just came to mind. Uh St. Albins's Park uh renamed after former coun the late council member Archie Sper. Uh the bathrooms or the comfort stations, there are no doors on the stalls. Um so just flagging that for you. I don't know who it would go to, but just want to flag that. Want to keep my word to the constituent. Oh, that's Well, look at that. Thank you for that note, council member. That will be taken care of. Uh on any day, uh our average rate is 90% of our 700 some public restrooms are open. Again, they change from day to day. They frankly change from hour to hour if we have vandalism or a medical emergency or a longer term closure. But we're very proud that we again as commissioner said we track it on a very very fine basis and our average open rate is plus or minus 90% on every day, seven days a week. Thank you. Uh former council member Justin Brennan passed a local law that all agencies must coordinate with each other to perform any work prior to repaving road. Uh to what extent does DOT coordinate with parks uh when repaving? Are there any issues around repaving trees? >> So I'll look to our acting first deputy commissioner to give a little bit of detail here. I you know I think that the truth is that we're talking to our sister agencies every day if not every hour. Some some coordination is happening. Uh, one in particular which I think has to do specifically around paving is maybe state of good repair which I'd like to take the opportunity to kind of discuss or have our acting first deputy commissioner discuss. Um, but when it comes to tree work, this is something that happens at a staff level regularly. Um actually the former council the council member who was here before um knows this pretty well but we have you know oftentimes that parks won't plant a tree uh uh in an area because we have conf confirmation from another agency that they're about ready to dig up that area for another project or something like that. We do this type of clearance and coordination regularly all the time. Um when it comes to particular sidewalk pavings and rep and replacement and that sort of work, we actually have a great working relationship with DOT in particular. Um our acting first deputy commissioner kind of leads a lot of that work and so we're in close coordination with them. But I'll let you talk a little bit about that. >> Yeah, I think for two things. First of all, for paving um we work very closely with DOT on when they're repaving parks assets. We have a great working relationship with them. They've done what we call multi-purpose paved areas, large asphalt areas, they've done parking lots, they've done park roads for us. So obviously that's done at our request. So very close working relationship. And then we're into the eighth year of a relationship with their sidewalk replacement program uh where we provide the funding in the sites and they come in through their contractors and their partnership with DD DDC to replace concrete sidewalks uh adjacent to parks. So both of those are very powerful relationships. Two a two agencies working very closely together and in the in the both cases really because they're generally capitalally funded getting very good work done very inexpensively and very quickly. >> Uh the next question is is somewhat of a follow-up I think to the last question that I asked. Um there has been an increase in hiring contractors and seasonal workers in the the past the last 10 years. What barriers does your department face in hiring full-time union eligible staff? >> Yeah, thank you for the question. I think that again um to be clear, my understanding is that we like the work that our contractors do is not is not the same work that our in-house team does. They're kind of specific scopes of work. The contractor work particularly with trees has to do with your sort of um regular kind of pruning type and and that sort of work. whereas our work that we have inhouse is really more specialized in terms of like the type of technique and the technical skill level needed to address those concerns. Um this is something that's still relatively new for us to try to have those in-house teams and making sure that we have kind of discreet and specific portfolios of work that we're doing and making sure that they are complimentary to each other. So, we're still looking at this, but it is a way, the contracted work is a way for us to be able to still meet those mandates, still meet those uh best practices when it comes to tree health, when it comes to taking care of our canopy, uh, and when it comes to kind of doing rolling out this planting. um the amount of time I know that there's oftentimes been critique of how long it's going to take us to do this entire planting of the city and assessment of the city, but in nine years time to be able to do that in that nine-year time does mean having kind of the work in complement with like the contractors that we're we're working with. Um so it that's how we're going to meet those targets. Um, but I I do uh you know, I think that I appreciate the question because it it does to go towards the idea of thinking through what our what what building out our own ranks would look like. And certainly um again going back to the larger question of park staff. We're we're happy to do we know that we have responsibilities and we have mandates to uphold and and uh kind of goalpost to hit. Uh we're very happy to do this work with the resources that we have. were we given more resources, we'd happily receive them. Um, but for the time being, with with what we have with the kind of goal in mind of serving New Yorkers, making sure that they all have plantable trees in the next 10 uh in the next nine years, this is this is >> I mean, would you say it's for you all? Is it more ideal to have uh certain responsibilities contracted out versus actually having in-house staff uh that would handle those? Uh, and it doesn't have to just do a tree pruning, but just whatever work contracted out those responsibilities. >> I think it really it really depends on the type of work and to go away from trees. We also have things like like technology contracts that we have that that are doing some of this work. We have um other you know a kind of wide range of of work. So I think it really does depend on on where we're thinking this through. But um I don't know if you since we have our acting first deputy commissioner here if you want to talk about the IT side of things but um >> I mean we don't have to go into the IT side. Has there been a full assessment of the entire uh agency's uh contracts um to see where certain work can be moved in-house rather than contracting it out to uh you know these different organiz these different companies? >> I can't say that there's been a full assessment but we talk project by project or type of work by type of work. And I think as the commissioner referenced earlier or mo very recently in her remarks, generally what we find is that bringing those resources inhouse, bringing that work inhouse will be more expensive than more costly to the city than outsourcing it or having a private contractor do it. Largely because one of the reasons is if you bring the source inhouse, you have to buy all the equipment. And when you're talking about tree work, you're talking about very expensive trucks. um you have to buy a lot of equipment to out outfit those staff members. Um you have to have a building or a place for them to work out of. So these are costs that are all built into um costs that are passed on to the private contractor. So I can't say we've looked at every contract, but I could say we've looked at specific types of work >> um that are done by private contractors. So, I guess to make it more specific or just to hone it in on uh the pruning inspector and pruning work, what level of headcount would be required to bring in-house the block pruning inspector and the uh folks that do pruning work? >> You know, we'd have to look at this more, but what I'd say is that the inspector piece is just one one component. Um, and oftentimes I I don't actually know. I'd look to our assistant commissioner uh for for to confirm this, but like inspectors um when I have just recently experienced the inspector pieces uh during the storms when we have uh 2,000 uh 311 calls saying a down tree is there, we will send typically send our inspector out first to go assess what type of like what the severity of the work, the type the type of response needed, uh kind of where this is going to fall, the amount of manpower we need in order to to respond to those pieces. That's not necessarily the same thing for I think our block pruning program which is just more of your routine maintenance of these trees on a seven on a seven-year basis. Um and and certainly we we um you know I think that like our entire forestry division is uh something that that that you know is is frankly the work is only is only achieved as uh our acting first deputy commissioner said through this complement of of contracts and in-house crews. So um I'll let you our acting or AC for forestry kind of talk more about the role of inspectors specifically but just to kind of clarify um I'm not sure if actually that if the if inspectors are needed for block pruning. >> Sure. Thanks commissioner and thank you council member. So yes >> yeah no it's no problem. Um we uh we do inspect each of our trees using consultants prior to performing block pruning. And while those consultants do receive the same basic level of training um that our in-house inspectors, our foresters do um in tree risk assessment, the the work is far more routine. Um and so it's not uncommon for um folks who have worked as uh consultant inspectors to eventually seek employment with the parks department as they gain experience. Um but as as the commissioner said the the scopes of work of the the block pruning you know contracted work whether it's the um the inspection or the work itself uh are complementaryary to to that of the work that our in-house crews do which is more varied more diverse and ultimately like a kind of deeper technical skill set that that gets developed over time. >> Thank you for that. And final question from the council member um how many years long is the capital project backlog? How many additional landscape architects does the parks department need to hire to eliminate the backlog? >> We have uh thank you for the question. We have 500 projects currently right now that are either in design, procurement or construction. Uh for this upcoming fiscal year, we have 91 projects that are kind of lined up to go into that process. And I believe that out of those 90 91 uh there are going to be 24 of those that will that there's a likelihood that we will not be able to begin them in this fiscal year. So um we probably have around 24 projects that will have to wait until the next fiscal year to to start. Uh the question around specific landscape architects it it's a harder question to to respond to because every project does not require a landscape architect. Some of those projects are PRBs, public restroom buildings or require other staff. But uh right now 500 in the process, 91 slated to start in this next year. Oh, 91 that are waiting to start. Of those 91, 24 are likely to wait until the next fiscal year to start. >> Understood. Thank you. Uh commissioner and deputy commissioners and chiefs and everyone else, thank you so much for uh being here today with us. Um, that concludes our questions for you all. Uh, thank you for again sitting out five hours and thank you to the advocates and the public. Uh, we're going to open it up for public testimony now. All right. I want to remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that the quorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times. The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table. Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recording as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant-at-arms uh to the left and the right of the room um for inclusion in the hearing record. If you wish to speak at today's hearing, please fill out an appearance card with the sergeant-at-arms and wait to be recognized. When recognized, you will have two minutes to speak on today's hearing topic, the FY27 parks preliminary preliminary budget. With that, we're going to call our first panel. If I mispronounce your name, my apologies. Just please uh correct me at the mic. Um Dean Williams, president of Local 299 DC37. Ralph Bonelis, vice president of local 983 DC37. Marshall Lee Wilmer, DC37 local 375. Raina Wong, Ray Noong. Okay. Okay. Okay. Are you all staying? Oh, I appreciate that. I I really No, let me take a moment to say that. I really appreciate that. and in several in several other committees we've seen agencies leave uh as soon as their testimony was completed. So, thank you. Thank you for listening to the public and the advocates and union. Thank you so much. Really all right. No. Okay. All right. We're going tohead get started. start to the left. >> Good afternoon all. My name is Djan Williams. I'm local president of 299, excuse me, representing recreation workers in the parks department. And today our concern is retention, which you all talked about a little bit earlier. Uh some years ago before COVID, we were slated to receive about 200 employees. Then COVID hit. those employees never really it never transpired into jobs. We service uh different programs for seniors through toddlers uh swim for life, kids in motion, puppeteers, senior fitness, community festivals, movies under the sun, after school programs, summer camps all throughout the city. Um the shortage and back filling is also an issue. Um when we have members who are promoted, those recreation center staff, they're not replaced uh due to the hiring freezes that have been on for some time now. Um with seven facilities closed at the moment, those staff have been maneuvered out. We have several facilities starting to be reopened. Um, and our concern is where those staff going to come from now that they're in other locations with the brand new facilities that are opening. Those have budgets for staffing. But what are we going to do for those other staff locations who, you know, those staff people were spread out within burrows. Every summer we get about 200 to 250 summer hires in Kids in Motion and summer camp. Um those are great programs that we run, but again sometimes those numbers aren't all the way to the 200 and 250 due to low uh low salaries um which start at about $20 an hour. Um so those are some of our concerns for staffing areas. Okay, those are our concerns for staffing those areas and um just making sure we have great programming being run throughout the parks department. >> I want to say thank you uh to you and your members for the work that you do. >> Thank you. um as someone who uh was a camp director um with an agency that had a license agreement with parks department uh one of the most difficult jobs in the world but it's still one of the most rewarding as well. >> I I do want to ask you one question. Yes. >> Um because of the shortage has have your members at times um had to work additional hours or cover shifts? Yes, they are usually compensated comp time or overtime depending upon what the budgeting system is looking like for that burrow. Um, but yes, they are typically there are times where they do do overtime. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon everyone. My name is Ralph Basley's DC37 local 983. We represent a number of titles. I'm here today on behalf of the APSWs, the associate park service workers, the urban park rangers, the park enforcement officers, as well as the city seasonal aid. So, I'll try and be quick. These titles, not just because they elected me to represent them, are the backbones of the parks department. The APSWs, all the things the um that management spoke about today, those 9,500 trees that were planted, there is four APSWs assigned to them. They operate all the heavy duty equipment within the parks department. They're required to carry a commercial driver's license. They remove all of the garbage. They plant the trees, the beach rakes, all of beach operations. Those beaches wouldn't be able to function in addition to all the other property without the APSWs, those uh wingo wagons that everybody loves. They operate those as well. So, the 1% is is not enough. We want 2% but we'll start with 1%. Um, and now we'll go over to the UPRs. As the commissioner stated, she did a great job of identifying all the titles. I am a park enforcement officer by title. We all take a UPR exam. We're required to pass a 16week academy. We have to pass a pretty thorough investigative background by the police department to be special patrolman in order to make arrest issue summones. uh the beaches. In addition to everything the park enforcement officers do to preserve and protect this free recreational space at the beaches, when there aren't enough lifeguards, which happens more often than not, they close a section of beach. They put up red flags. It's the park enforcement officer's job to make sure the public is educated not to go in there, obviously, and you know, horrible things happen if you swim without lifeguards. So, I'm just scratching across the surface. Um, and then we have the urban park rangers who do the educational. Now, to put him on the spot, there's one in the back there, Harry Aguilar, Harry. He uh he can also testify if you guys would like. They basically do free educational programs all throughout New York City. Um, popup programs, camping programs, educational about wildlife, uh, trees, so on and so forth. Lastly, I'll be quick. The city seasonal aids go to maintenance as well as security. They're also at the beaches and pools keeping them clean, keeping them safe. With PEP, they do a security at all the pools. To sum everything up, gentlemen, all these services are one of the few things that are left free in New York City. Parks is free. The rec center 17 and under, you're allowed to sign up for free. The beaches, the pools, they're free. The ranger programs are free. The budget's already in place. This current mayoral administration spoke a lot about free stuff. instead of reinventing the wheel, just fund the stuff that's already there. Not because I get more members out of it, but these are free services to New Yorkers that their cash strap parents are being congestively priced out of. They're paying for garbage cans. Our members, and I could speak for all of us, the rec centers as well, which is staffed by the AM members, these are free services provided to New Yorkers. So, please give us the 1%, give us more, and thank you. And I need a Red Bull. I I do have a follow-up question for you if that's okay. Um, what's the morale like amongst your your members? >> Um, it's, you know, it's positive. It depends on the day. You know, ask me on a hot day when it's 100° at Rockaway Beach or there seven and a half, you know, uh, everything could always be better, but I could speak for our titles. I mean, uh, we need to retain members more. The salaries obviously need to go up. the APSWs, you know, they're required to carry CDLs, which is a major responsibility. They see Amazon, they see UPS, they see sanitation making these crazy salaries. That comes up a lot. The park ranger salary has gotten better over the course of my 20-year career, but things could always be better and it would help with retention and training all these individuals, which cost money. So, you would probably save money there if you know if everything could be bumped up just a little bit. >> Thank you. >> You got it. Thank you guys. >> Hi, my name is Raina. Uh I'm a park tree planting forester at New York City Parks. Um I'm here representing DC37 as the president of chapter 7 of Local 375, the Civil Service Technical Guild. Uh I'm wanted to speak a little bit to the staffing shortages we have in forestry. um in the tree planting team. It's an immense challenge. Uh I mean, ever since I started in 2023, we've had staffing shortages to with a team of about 20 people survey every street and every park in New York City. Um you know, we have people regularly managing multiple multi-million dollar contracts. I'm currently stepping in to help another team manage a contract because of staffing shortages. And I'd imagine this work will only become more intense with the neighborhood tree planting program where we will be required to plant every available space every nine years. Um, you know, a lot of people have brought concerns about the sidewalk. Uh, this is obviously a big uh concern for members of the public. Um, and really the only way we can get sidewalks repaired quickly from tree damage is to expand staffing of the trees and sidewalks team. Um, and particularly we need to be hiring construction project managers for this role because this team has uh one of the highest turnover rates because the contract management is extremely complex and um the members of this team don't feel fairly compensated. Um, and I would say the biggest staffing shortages are probably for tree maintenance. Um, you know, we I would really like to advocate for the continuation of the climber pruner apprenticeship program um because that's the only way we're able to guarantee um an adequate stock of staff um to do the essential uh tree maintenance work um alongside the burough foresters to be able to keep our city safe to be able to like um the commissioner mentioned uh meet our goal of this 30% canopy which tree preservation is actually one of the most important form parts of um and I think that's underlooked. Um and you know currently non-union contractors are used to fill a lot of these gaps and um their quality of work and their speed of work is typically not on par with parks workers because our training is centralized. So yeah, just wanted to point out some of these the ways the staffing shortages are affecting our work dayto-day. >> Thank you. And would you say with the apprenticeship program uh that the individuals have that who have gone through the or completed the program um does it seem just from you know your conversations with your members uh that they're likely to stay with the department just from conversation I know I'm asking you to kind of speculate but >> yeah the climber pruners I actually don't represent in my local they have their own local but in my conversations with them it seems to be a good job um like I think they, you know, would like more higher pay. Uh, of course, like a lot of their other titles do, but, um, I mean, it's an incredible opportunity to get a very unique training while still being paid during the training. Uh, and so I think it's something that's really necessary for both the career development of people in New York City who don't have a lot of opportunities to get this kind of training and in order to ensure that we have qualified individuals for this type of work. Understood. >> Thank you. Good afternoon. Uh my name is Marshall Lee Wymer. I Manhattan Burough Forester with DC37 local 375. I am a delegate for the chapter 7. My president here. Um the city currently spends about 20% of its budget on outsourcing public work to private contractors which has been increasing on average of 6% every year since 2009. This is a problem particularly felt within the parks department and agencies whose management and operations have been continually outsourced and privatized since the city's fiscal crisis over a half century ago. This is true in who designs our green spaces, who maintains them and who effectively controls them. In parks forestry, private contractors complete the regular maintenance pruning of all city street trees and parkland trees and how much of our maintenance work as the commissioner explained. It also includes stump removals and also force pest management of contracts which I oversee for Manhattan. Um however big the consultants and contractors again do not have the same safety standards. They do not have the same training and they also do cost the city more on average. Um in-house forestry is about twothirds the cost. Um parks should be doing a lot of this work inhouse and we can whether that be in-house tree planting or like the city of Chicago is able to do in-house block pruning of all of their city trees. Um, we if we want to reach the goals of the urban forest plan by achieving 30% canopy by 2035, uh, we should be moving more of this work to in-house and not spending so much on these expensive contracts. This is also in line with making sure we meet that budget gap that the city's currently facing at 5 million 5.4 billion. Um, there's an opportunity for the city to both save money on forestry operations while expanding them by moving this contract funding to in-house workforce development and permanent line funding of forestry landscape architect resident engineer staff in the parks department. And just as a constituent services thing, if you want your constituents residences, you know, pruned, you want to reduce the flooding and uh uh heat island effect inside your um districts. um increase the economicity of storefronts since shade does do that and ensure every New Yorker can have a safe, equitable and enjoyable experience under the shade of your urban canopy. Um we have to fund public works for public workers. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you all. >> I'm sorry. This is a committee council. I'm the member. I'm the one listening to you. Thank you. All right, our next panel is going to be Maximus Barton, Arena Goldstein, Adam Ganger. Okay. And Heather Labove. Sorry, Adam. Uh, Mr. Yeah. I'm like, I know this doesn't seem right. The testimony. Thank you. All right, you can begin. We'll start to the left, to my left. >> Okay. Uh, good afternoon. My name is Arena Goldstein. Um, I was raised and currently live in City Council District 39. Um, so grew up in New York City. Um, I come here today as a New Yorker, a union member, and a parks worker. I specifically work for, um, the NRG, the N natural resource group, um, that works to preserve and protect our, um, forever wildlands, which are what we think of as like a traditional forest. Um, right now the mayor is proposing to cut funds to parks. This means that people who have dedicated their lives to the environmental stewardship in their communities will probably continue to receive poultry wages, $24 an hour. Try raising your family on those on that wage. Um, this means that workers will probably continue to have long commutes because they do not earn enough to live near the parks they maintain or there are not enough parks jobs in their local communities. Right now, I about an hour to work. Um, and some of my fellow co-workers are commuting an hour, an hour and 15. Um, uh, and this means that the city will probably not make people who have seasonal positions funded through Playfare permanent staff, allowing people to live with job procarity. Um, from the federal to local level, when governments need to tighten their budget belts, politicians cut funding to parks. Um, I believe this is because this labor. I I believe this is because park labor is invisible to the public. People think working in our public green spaces is cool, niche, and an enjoyable alternative to an office job. But these laborers use their bodies to maintain parklands, which are places that boost our mental health, forests to capture carbon, muchneeded third places, and wetlands to mitigate the effects of flooding from storms charged by climate change. Um, and who are the gardeners, foresters, and ecologists? Um they're just people with a lot of um Oh, okay. Sorry. And then yeah, they're they're people who know the difference between that can ID an oak tree, a maple, a sweet gum um in the winter, in the summer, in the fall, and have knowledge that has they have developed over years. Um, so we have please don't cut funding for our parks, for our planet, and for our workers. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Uh, Max Barton, Labor's Local 1010, uh, union rep, uh, 200 members. We build New York City's infrastructure. Uh, New York City parks and our city trees provide a critical canopy or our natural infrastructure that mitigates heat, reduces storm water runoff, and improves our air quality. The city has set an ambitious goal to increase its canopy to 30% by 2035. Uh New Yorkers are struggling with affordability. The city is trying to aggressive affordability all while doing their best to respond to this amid a budget deficit without cutting services, especially on our beloved parks which offer free recreation and lowcost or free programming for all New Yorkers to enjoy. This administration is looking for ways to improve government efficiency. An approach we support and being creative on how we achieve this. One way to do this has been proven for time and time again to be efficient is project labor agreements. Uh for decades, project labor agreements have provided consistent labor standards across all biders, ensuring that contractors complete efficiency rather and quality rather than lowest possible labor cost. They also also support workforce training, safety standards, and predictable staffing for complex public works. As reported by the New York City Mayor's Office of Contract Services, the city of New York, and the Building Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, have been parties to various project labor agreements since 2009. These PLA's have been an important component of the city's complexion and delivery of public works by establishing consistent works rules across construction projects, reducing the administrative burden and cost on construction agencies, and providing opportunities for city residents and businesses. The recent PLA have also increased opportunities and add flexibility for minority and womenowned business enterprises, MWBEs, allowing their workforce to gain valuable experience on city projects and build their companies and provide good paying career opportunities for low-income communities. The city has multiple active PLA, but absent from this inclusion in New York parks is forestry work. An oversight hearing held in September 2025 that focused on the parks department contracting practices and vendor accountability testimony provided by Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations found promising results from these contractors operating on project labor agreements. And in recent parks databases, tree planting contractors performed by union signatory firms demonstrated faster planting completion and higher short-term surv survivability rates. My time is over, so I'll end it right there. Good afternoon. I'm Heather Lubov, executive director of City Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that delivers free programming reaching 300,000 New Yorkers, enlvening our city's parks and creating social cohesion and community. Through summer stage, the puppet mobile, sports lessons, and environmental education. Our free programs encourage people to use their parks through partnerships for parks, a public private collaboration with NYC Parks. We support more than 420 grassroots volunteer groups and 28,000 volunteers who care for parks. Through the New York City Green Fund, we raise and regrant 2.5 million annually to support groups that are programming and maintaining parks. Central to our work is the Parks Equity Initiative, which we are asking the council to expand after years of flat funding. This initiative pays for the staff who engage volunteers, provide technical assistance, distribute grants, and build stewardship capacity, particularly in environmental justice communities. Every dollar invested through the initiative multiplies into more volunteer hours, community capacity, and greener neighborhoods. Expansion of funding will not only help us to continue supporting the groups that we work with, but will also help us implement the pilot work we started on the urban forest plan to identify and train stewardship groups, increase our tree canopy, and support climate goals. Ultimately though, our work really depends on a well-resourced parks department, which is why the prelim preliminary budget is so concerning. We're genuinely excited to work with an administration that has an ambitious and progressive agenda, but in its current form, the preliminary budget does not match that ambition. It proposes millions of dollars less than last year's adopted budget, eliminates staffing lines, and fails to protect the 276 parks workers set to lose their jobs at the end of the fiscal year. The department has been cut to the bone and staffing is inadequate in every possible way. From maintenance and forestry to permitting, from legal and capital planning to recreation, it becomes harder and harder to do our work when the agency can barely do its own. New Yorkers deserve a thriving public realm. Please add funding per the Playfair Coalition's agenda and expand the parks equity initiative. Thank you. Hi there. My name is Adam Ganszer. I'm the executive director of New Yorkers for Parks. I want to thank everybody for sticking around. Thank you very much. Um, I have a long thing that I want to read, but I'm not going to read it. I just want to talk about where the parks stand on a staffing perspective. The 276 positions that we're talking about, these are oneshot positions. The idea that half of the Ranger team or a third of the PEP enforcement patrol team is funded with oneshot deals. These are colleagues of full-time staff and they don't know if they're going to have jobs at the end of the year. These are Playfair positions that we got many, many years ago. And yes, they have been restored year after year, but it's no way to run the agency and they were never meant to be permanent. The second thing is the hiring freeze. The hiring freeze has been terrible. Yet to get rid of the hiring freeze, the agency is being asked to eliminate vacant positions. That's another significant loss to the parks department. That's just not a negotiating. Those those are baseline positions that are just going to disappear. And in many ways, this administration has been dealt a bad hand. Yes, the headcount is the same as last year. Yes, the budget is the same as last year. But that does not take into account the nearly 600 positions that were lost from three years ago. Whether it's parks workers, people that are working managerial or admin jobs within the agency, forestry, we've heard about capital projects teams. You've heard nothing but complaints from other council members. We all want to work together, but unless this administration recognizes the previous losses, they're not going to be able to advocate for future gains. We need 1% for parks. We need a plan to get there. Thank you. We're going to call our next panel. Uh Carolyn Harris, Elizabeth Okconor, Sophie Stub, Stub sorry Christina Taylor. I should use my glasses. Ah, yes. Thank you. All right, we can begin. >> Thank you very much. My name is Caroline Harris. I I'm a land use attorney with from Goldman Harris. I'm representing myself and other seniors uh who live in my neighborhood. Um I want to start by saying this has been an amazing hearing and I have huge compliment for the commissioner for in such a short time being commissioner being able to absorb the breadth and significant you know all the work that you have to do. I know you've been with the agency a long time but still it's an extraordinary job that you're doing. Thank you. Having said that, I strong um I also strongly support the increase in budget for parks. Parks are the primary resource for health and welfare for our residents in the environment. In addition to its other priorities, the department should prioritize active recreation for adults, especially seniors and smaller local parks. New York City has the second highest rate of dementia in the country with the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens having the highest rates of dementia in the country. uh not Staten Island maybe because they have so many parks per person per capita. Medical studies show a remarkably high correlation between dementia and a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting on a bench as seniors have usually been relegated to um instead of having active recreation uh is also critical for bone and heart health as well as preventing dementia. It's not only a personal issue for many families. Mine experienced a senior with dementia. It is a public health issue and it's also an issue of immigration finance socioeconomic benefits uh and other health uh issues. Uh New York City's uh parks, local parks can be a key tool in endeavoring to stem the tide of uh and to prevent further dementia. Uh uh for example, the proposed design of my local park in Manhattan includes a dog area to be to the exclusion of an area for uh for active recreation seniors and adults. Yet both uses could easily and rationally be provided without substantial if any delay on procurement or parks, recreation and final design. Commissioner said just today we should be judged not by how we treat our most vulnerable. We should be judged by how we treat our most vulnerable. That includes not only the disabled who were discussed by council member Schulman, but it should also include seniors. Parks can be a leader in the prevention of this growing senior health crisis by facilitating the active recreational use of local parks by seniors and adults of all ages. It would not require a huge financial investment, just thoughtful design. Restore parks departments funds. push for the 1% and don't forget grandma and grandpa or forsake your own long-term health. Thank you. >> If you don't mind me asking, uh what's the park that you were referring to? >> Rupert Park >> in Manhattan Community Board 8. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, Chair Hankerson. My name is Sophie Stelb and I'm the New York program and operations coordinator for Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit that connects everyone to the outdoors. And as a member of the Playfare for Parks Coalition, living in New York is exciting and it's hard. The city has a major affordability crisis. And the struggle to live here isn't just about housing. It's also about quality of life. Families raising children in a small apartment wonder where can our kids play without adding another line to the budget. The answer is in the city's nearly 2,000 parks. They represent one of those amazing tech-free environments where you get to feel the earth, the sun, and the wind. But parks also need care, people to take care of them. The budget cuts 33 million compared to last year's budget. 276 positions will be lost. We need to restore those positions and move the parks budget up 1% to up to 1% of the city's budget. That's what it takes to make these parks thrive. Another major opportunity for outdoor play spaces in New York is New York City Schoolyards. We strongly support council member Brewer's position that schoolyards remain open after school hours and on weekends. These spaces exist in every neighborhood, including the ones with the fewest parks. Opening parks means children have somewhere to run near their home. Parents have somewhere to exhale, and neighbors can sit in the shade of an activated and joyful place. Mayor Mom Donnie, we see you. Many of your videos are filmed outside. You clearly love these spaces. Now, it's time to fund them. And to the council, we urge you to include 33 million more than what's in the budget just to restore what was baseline last year. Give the people of New York what they want, what they need. Invest in our parks. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon. I'm Christina Taylor. I'm the deputy director for the Vanc Courtland Park Alliance and I'm testifying on behalf of BCPA's board and staff and as members of the play fair for parks coalition. I would thank you so much for holding this important hearing. Uh in a city battling record inequality, extreme heating and flooding, declining quality of life, parks are not a luxury. They are essential infrastructure. Yet for decades, parks have been underfunded, understaffed, and unevenly maintained. In the last four years alone, the parks department has faced continued disinvestment causing our park system to tumble in national rating rankings. While most major cities dedicate 2 to 5% of their budgets to parks, New York City has been stuck at just6% trailing the nation in nearly every park metric. We were very extremely disappointed to see the mayor's preliminary budget for NYC Parks at 33 million less than last year's adopted budget. I wish I could say we were surprised, but unfortunately this seems to be a continuing pattern. While it's great that the firing hiring freeze will finally be eliminated, it comes with a loss of nearly 100 unfilled staffing lines. In addition, 600 lines were lost in the Adams administration through cuts and hiring freeze. While New York City Parks is asked to do more and more each year, New York City Parks has lost 700 positions in the last five years. The budget also fails to address the nearly 300 park workers set to lose their jobs at the end of the fiscal year because they were not baselined. We had hoped the mayor would put an end to the annual budget dance, but here we are dancing once again. These 300 positions need to be baselined. Year after year, NYC Park staff does more with less. The staff is already stretched too thin. They are tired and frustrated, and so are we. The preliminary budget maintains a status quo of historic underfunding, leaving communities without the safe, accessible green spaces they deserve. The time is now. The mayor and city council need to work together to dedicate 1% of the city's budget to parks. There's no substitute for public dollars for parks. In reality, parks deserves and needs much more than 1%, but let's start there. Parks are essential. They should be funded and cared for accordingly. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, while you were speaking, I I asked our committee council if there was an existing report uh that would that compares New York City to other big cities. Um, and I was informed that trust public land has that. Would you mind sharing that? Um, our team can get your >> Sure. Yeah. Um, it's called Park Score and I believe it comes out in May, but I would be happy to follow up um with more information. Yeah, for sure. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, our next panel consists of Elsie Sodto, Merritt Burnball, Tammy Lynn Mus, and Morgan Monaco. Again, I apologize if I have mispronounced your name. >> Good to see you again as well. >> Nice to see you, council member. Um, good afternoon uh to Council Member Hankerson and members of the committee. I'm Morgan Monaco. I'm the president of the Prospect Park Alliance and proud member of the Playfare for Parks Coalition. Prospect Park is Brooklyn's backyard, hosting over 10 million visitors annually. But a backyard is only as good as its upkeep. Currently, the city's budget is failing New Yorkers who rely on these spaces. Mayor Mandani's FY27 preliminary budget is 33 million, less than last year's. Instead of moving towards the 1% for parks we were promised, we are hollowing out our green infrastructure. Since 2023, we've lost 600 staffing lines, this budget would eliminate 100 more just to end a hiring freeze. Furthermore, 276 of our dedicated workers are in positions dependent on temporary oneshot funding lines. These workers are the backbone of our parks. They must be baselined and they must be baselined now. The lack of operational funding creates a maintenance gap that wastes taxpayer money. There are ample capital funds, but not the requisite maintenance funds to care for what we build, and therefore are rebuilding capital assets rather than have them last through their useful lifespan. We ask for the additional 460 second shift workers to keep 400 high parks and restrooms clean. Prospect Park welcomes 10 million users each year. Most visitors come to the park in the afternoon hours. They should be able to access a clean park just like morning visitors. This underfunding is dangerous. In just three years, Prospect Park has faced devastating flash floods and a severe brush fire. We cannot build a resilient city if we do not invest in the hardworking New Yorkers who manage our forests and keep our parks clean and safe. Let's make sure the administration's affordability agenda is accomplished by funding our parks and providing New Yorkers the quality green spaces they deserve. I urge the council to restore these cuts, baseline our essential workers, and finally put NYC Parks on the path to 1% of the city budget. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Uh can you speak to some of the pressures that um such budget cuts have impacted conservies? >> Yes. So we are Yes. So we're proud um I'm also a member of the leadership committee of the parks and open spaces partners POSP uh coalition and we are proud partners with NYC parks. We raise private dollars to help supplement uh city services. as many of us do direct service in terms of caring for our forests, our woodlands, uh do trash uh pickup and some capital work. Um this is essential. We don't um do this in a vacuum. Um we rely on the city and the city's budget to be able to maintain our parks in partnership. So when there's a decrease in funding for NYC Parks, that is a pressure on the private sector. And we believe in this administration's commitment to all working New Yorkers, regardless of whether there's a conservancy or not. and therefore are urging the council to join in our efforts to make sure there's 1% for bugs. >> Good afternoon. My name is Tammy Lyn Bogus and I'm the director of the Nature Conservy's New York City program. The Nature Conservancy is the world's largest conservation organization. In New York City, we convene the 200 member force for all NYC coalition that works to increase investment in the urban forest and to expand tree canopy cover to 30% citywide by 2035 equitably. The Nature Conservancy is also a proud member of the Playfair Coalition. I'm here to urge the mayor and city council to finally dedicate 1% of the city parks budget to New York City parks, sorry, 1% of the city budget to New York City parks, starting with $150 million in capital and expense fundings for the New York City urban forest starting in 2027. These funds would restore and baseline critical New York City parks workforce, expand forestry and natural areas staffing, and to support implementation of the urban forest plan across city agencies. With the city's first ever urban forest plan about to launch this spring, this is a defining moment. This 10-year plan charts a path to reach 30% canopy citywide and foster the engagement across city agencies and community stakeholders. But it cannot be implemented without restoring expanding the very workforce that sustains the urban forest. Despite managing over half of the tree canopy in New York City, New York City Parks has lost more than 600 staff positions since 2023 with another 100 on the chopping block this year as a condition of hiring the hiring freeze. These cuts directly affect the urban forest, tree health, and livabil livability of New York City. We commend the city's previous commitments to parks and urban forest, including Mayor Bondani's pledge to doubling the parks budget. However, the preliminary budget's proposal of cutting 33 million from parks, is not in line with that commitment and does not set up the urban forest plan for success. This budget also fails to safeguard the 276 park workers set to lose their jobs at the end of this fiscal year. These critical park staff positions must be switched from annual oneshot city council funding to baseline roles ensuring operational stability. I will submit a longer written testimony, but thank you so much to Chair Hankerson and members of this committee for considering the vital role of parks and urban forest to New Yorkers as you continue to work on the city budget. >> You did that in under two minutes. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, Chair Hankerson. Um, and thank you for holding this hearing. I'm Merritt Burnbound, president, CEO of Riverside Park Conservancy and also a co-chair of the parks and open space partners and a proud member of the playfair coalition. Uh I'd like to share a quote uh by the 19th century naturalist and founder of the national parks movement, John Mir. Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike. These words could not be more relevant today. Access to nature is not a luxury. It is a basic need and it should be available to everyone. We have an opportunity right now to bring our park system back to glory to give New Yorkers beauty, wonder, and that most powerful of all tools, hope. But we will not get there with the current level of funding. Not even close. To sustain a great park system, we have to invest in the foundational resource that makes any system work. people. We need more parkies. And I want to be very clear, our park staff are extraordinary. As the agency testified today, every day they are doing more with less. They are maintaining landscapes, responding to emergencies, repairing infrastructure, and supporting millions of visitors, all while stretched far too thin. In Riverside, we see the dedication of NYC park staff and the consequences of this underinvestment. The bathroom in our volunteer house is shuttered due to plumbing issues. And suddenly, a local senior group loses the place where they gather each week. A sinkhole just opened up near a dog run. And the entire community of pet owners now has nowhere to go. The 158th Street basketball courts are suffering from filthy deluge of runoff from the highway. There's not enough staff to powerwash it, so the kids have no access to their local spot for sport and connection. These may sound like small things, but they are not. They are daily disruptions to the fabric of community life in our parks. And New Yorkers notice. They feel it. And at the same time, we know what it would take to change this. You don't need to know the exact math to know that we need more maintenance staff to keep parks clean and safe, more trades people to fix what's broken, more forestry staff to care for our trees, and the capacity to move long promised capital projects forward. It's not about asking for something unrealistic. It is about aligning our investment with our values as a city. Because imagine what we could have a park system where every New Yorker, regardless of neighborhood, can rely on clean, safe, vibrant green space. A system that reflects the pride, care, and resilience of this city. The future is within our reach, but only if we choose to invest in it. we have the opportunity to break the cycle of doing more with less and invest and build something with lasting worthy of the people of New York. Thank you. >> Thank you. If I if I may ask, um can you tell me the locations uh the sinkhole and the basketball court that you mentioned? Yeah, the basketball court, our basketball court's at 158th Street under the highway and uh the dog run is uh at 87th Riverside. And our volunteer house that I also mentioned, um where we've been hosting the senior group for the last couple of years, um it's at 108 Street. >> Thank you. Maybe our team can follow with with parks department regarding some of those issues. Thank you. >> Hi everyone. Good afternoon. Uh thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Elsie Sto. I am a professional public health um and I am also a family member of two people who are buried on her island which is the New York City Municipal Cemetery and an advocate for many families who are navigating a similar experience. For us, visiting Heart Island is not optional. It is how we grieve. It is how we stay connected to the people we love. Right now, access remains limited in ways that make the grie grieving process even more difficult. Visitation is primarily on the weekends, which does not work for many families. People have varying work schedules, lack of child care, and responsibilities that make weekend access unrealistic. I am asking that at least two weekday visitations be added to the monthly calendar so family members have the opportunity to visit. There is also a growing concern that is deeply painful for families like myself. Uh it was brought to our attention that New York City Department of I'm sorry, New York City Parks Department public tours on her island are being advertised for about $39.99 by touring companies and offer around three and a half hours on the island. If those proceeds were being used to expand family visitation, we would understand. However, that is not happening and families are still given significantly less time, sometimes under one hour for visits. Yesterday, my visit was for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Still significantly less than public tours. This is unfair. Access for loved ones should come first. Transportation is another major barrier. A short shut shuttle service already exists, but it currently runs between the Heart Island Ferry and the BX29 stop at Forom Street, which is only three blocks and only at the end of the visit. Families traveling by train must still find their way to to from to and from the Pelum train station, relying on extremely limited bus service on City Island. It's only one bus. Okay. The distance from the Palum train station to the ferry is less than three miles, about 10 to 15 minute drive. Yet for families using public transportation, it can take over 30 to 40 minutes due to transfers, weekend service, and wait times. Now, if we look at someone who's traveling from Staten Island, they literally have to take a bus to a to a boat to a train to another bus to another boat. And it sounds like a joke, but it's reality for a lot of New Yorkers. Um, and I am proposing that we take this existing shuttle service and just expand it to pick up vid visitors directly from Pal Pelum train station and bring them straight to the heart island ferry. This is a simple change that would make meaningful difference in access and reliability. Heart Island is the resting place of over 1 million New Yorkers. The families and loved ones connected to this island deserve dignity, fairness, and equitable footing to mourn our loved ones. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Thank you for that. Um I I just say I just on the uh more immediate note if you can find someone from parks department that's here. Uh you mentioned something about uh tours being advertised with 399. That doesn't sound uh doesn't sound too um uh I can't even think of the word right now. Uh but if you can just talk to someone from parks department about that uh so they can look into that immediately. Yeah, I have I believe it was removed. Um, however, to know that it's been in existence for over a year and none of that funding has transpired to expanding family visitation or even transportation uh to the island, it seems unfair to me. >> Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. >> Thank you all. All right, we're going to go straight into our next panel. Pardon me if I mispronounce your name. Um, Asinet Gomez, Oed Hzinger, Caitlyn Cruz, Helen Turgos. Good afternoon, Chair Hankerson um and everyone here. My name is Asenet Gomez and I am a senior director of programs for El Puente. Eluente is also a member of the forest for all forest for all and the playf fair coalition. We are a 43 year old community human rights organization that promotes leadership of peace and justice in North Brooklyn and Puerto Rico. We represent a historic environmental justice community where poor air quality driven largely by vehicular pollution remains one of the largest threats to public health. Approximately 6% of our residents report having asthma linked to our community having the eighth highest concentration of fine particles otherwise known as PM2.5 in New York City, one of the most dangerous air pollutants. As a result, respiratory related hospitalizations in our neighborhoods are twice the rate of the entire borrow of Brooklyn and New York City overall. Access to healthy open green space is essential to mitigating the severe public health outcomes. Yet the lack of sufficient parks and green infrastructure in our community only worsens air quality and compounds environmental risk for our community. Parks and public spaces are not optional. They are essential. We need quality parks where residents can gather, heal, and thrive. If the COVID pandemic pandemic taught us anything is how vital parks are. They become lifelines, safe, accessible spaces for the most vulnerable New Yorkers and other public spaces are closed. We urge the council and the administration to work together to deliver on Mayor Mandani's commitment to double the NYC parks budget and to ensure full funding for the staff and programs critical to the maintenance, protection, and tree planting efforts that will help the city reach its 3entry canopy goal. NYC Parks is responsible for half of the city's tree canopy. Yet the staff and programs that sustain this urban forest continue to face cuts. This is unsustainable and not equitable for all New Yorkers. We need sustained, equitable investment in our parks, not just to maintain them, but to ensure environmental justice, public health, and climate resilience for all New Yorkers. Thank you so much for the opportunity. >> So much. >> Good afternoon, chair. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Ad Holzinger and I'm the executive director of the Natural Areas Conservancy. We're a nonprofit that works together with New York City Parks to steward more than 12,000 acres of forest, wetlands, and grasslands. These are the landscapes that really allow um our fellow New Yorkers to have the experience of of being in true wilderness. Um, those landscapes also contain more than 5 million of the city's 7 million trees and are really essential to achieving our 30% canopy goal. We are joined today with our partners from the PlayFare and Forest for all New York City coalitions in urging increased and sustained funding for New York City parks in financial year 2027 budget. Um, I want to also thank you for your earlier question to the commissioner regarding uh the oneshot funding and specifically its impacts on uh the natural resources group. We're very concerned to see that this preliminary budget does not include the renewal of FY26 oneshot funding. uh that funding supported critical forest management staff and without it we risk further reductions in uh the natural resources group which is already underresourced and responsible for these 12,000 more than 12,000 acres um and you know I don't need to repeat it we it's been talked here again and again but actually I should repeat it because it's really critical to understand the impact of this reliance on the oneshot funding and also for us as advocates to be trapped in in you know this need to beg for these oneshot fundings that's just not the proper system. So if I remember the numbers correctly that the commissioner mentioned earlier 37 uh employees were hired through this oneshot funding on top of the 63 that's 30% of the workforce that are sitting there with this um uncertainty. Um, so we're asking today for a baseline of $16 million to provide stable support for this work. And this is based on data. Uh, based on the release of our since the release of our forest management framework in 2018, we see that uh, this inconsistent funding led to staff losses and a sharp decline in acres receiving care. Only 569 acres in uh, financial year 2025 were receiving care. And at the same time, our 2024 ecological assessment found signs of decline in more than 90% of forest plots. Um, and again, this is while we're just releasing the urban forest plan and calling for the expansion up to 30% canopy. So, I want to remind everyone that our natural areas are not a luxury. They're essential green infrastructure for climate resilience, public health, and biodiversity. Thank you. Thank you. >> Hi, I want to offer perspective. I am one of those natural area employees on playfair funding in the natural resources group. Um, I want to reiterate it is not a sufficient solution to budget shortages. >> I'm sorry. Can you just state your name? >> My name is Helen Shurigas. >> Helen. Thank you. >> I'm full-time and indefinitely a seasonal employee. It doesn't make any sense. I don't receive the same benefits as those on permanent lines until 18 months of full-time unbroken seasonal employment. I don't have federally recognized holidays off uh paid holidays off. I can't apply internally to annually posted paid annually paid posted positions at parks that are open to baseline full-time employees. and I haven't bothered to buy into the pension because I assume it's more likely than not that funding will lapse in the four years that I will need to work here to receive those benefits. Um, I'm new to the workforce and with a lot of luck, I actually turned down other job offers to work here. I'm proud. I'm from New York City. I'm now a public servant for the city and I contribute to the city that I'm from. But our salaries as parkies across the board don't compete with the private sector. And I say this my experience to spell out that for these reasons parks is and will lose um skilled staff experience high turnover, lose institutional knowledge and dedicated public servants. Um this also bas harms the baselined workforce by putting more strain on the remaining staff who are already stretched thin. It takes so much time to rehire and retrain instead of build long-term capacity and expertise. It is so inefficient. Um, and it's not a good position to be in as an employee. It's not fair at all. Um, fortunately, it doesn't have to be this way. Um, these play affair staff need to be added to the baseline and the budget. Thanks. >> Thank you. Would you mind providing us with the written version of your testimony? >> Sure. How do I do that? >> Sergeant-at-arms, when you leave, they'll they'll uh get your email or something like that. Sure. Thank you. We like that. Thank you so much. Thanks. Thank you. Okay, we're going to call our next panel. Rosamond. Is Rosemont here? No. Okay. Aliyah Sumu. Benet Chisum, Leslie Gomez, Rivera. Okay. Marissa Lica. >> Uh, Ashima Harris. >> All right, you may begin. >> Good afternoon. My name is Aliyia Sumro and I'm the deputy director for New York City policy at the New York League of Conservation Voters. Thank you, Chair Hankerson, Commissioner Ishimura, and all the staff here and advocates here today for the opportunity to testify. I have submitted longer written comments. As co-founders of the Playfare for Parks Coalition, we advocate for a city budget that gives New York City parks the fair funding they deserve. NYCV is also a member of the Forest for All New York City Coalition, which is committed to protecting, maintaining, and expanding the city's urban forest to equitably achieve 30% tree canopy coverage by 2035 from the current 23%. If we want to maintain our city's park system, invest in our city's workforce, increase our tree canopy, and prepare our open spaces for climate change, first and foremost, NYCV urges our elected officials to increase funding for our city's park system. Mayor Mom Donnie's FY27 preliminary budget for New York City parks is $33 million less than the FY26 adopted budget and does not provide critical restorations after four years of cuts. However, we think the admin and the city council has the opportunity to rebuild an agency that's been crippled by decades of disinvestment. This includes, but is definitely not limited to safeguarding the 276 parks workers set to lose their jobs at the end of the fiscal year since they are dependent on the annual oneshot city council funding. These positions must be baseline to ensure stability and consistent service. Additionally, we urge the city to increase staffing for second shift workers as well as forestry staff, capital project staff, and pep officers. Now, despite the benefits of parks and tree canopy due to historic disinvestment and structural racism such as residential redlinining, our trees, parks, and green spaces and access to the city's waterfront are not equitably distributed. As a member of the Force for All Coalition, we strongly support allocating $1 million to MOCJ to publicize and begin implementing local law 148 of 2023, which will be the city's first ever urban forest plan to ensure our city's tree canopy is not only properly maintained, but is equitably expanding. Um, and just wrapping up, NYCV also supports the city exploring new re revenue generating ways that our park system can maintain the funding that they deserve. and we look forward to working with you, the admin and other parks advocates to get the funding uh that New York City's parks workers uh deserve. Thank you. >> First time. >> Good afternoon uh chair person and members of the committee of parks and recreation. I thank you for this opportunity to testify today. I'm uh my name is Ben Chisum and I am a community garden coordinator for Blaine Community Gardener on the upper Manhattan for 16 years. I'm here to I'm here to express my support for organizations like Green Gerilla with host hostess councils of gardeners and for programs like Green Thumb that provides critical support to community gardeners across New York City. These resources help gardeners like like me maintain spaces, serve as a HUD for food access, education, and community connection. At the same time, I believe the city can do more to support the community gardens and address challenges that we face on ground. For several years, my garden have been dealing with serious rat infestation caused to a part of an abandoned lot. Uh this lot has become a site for illegal dumping, drug activity, uh rodents nesting and creating ongoing safety concerns that directly impacts our gardens and surrounding our communities. The infestation have become so severe that I have literally had to foot have my foot caught in a rat hole throughout the garden. Because of these conditions, I had to limit the community activity, public access due to the safety and reliability concerns. Okay. Uh this undermines the various purpose of community gardens as safe welcoming space for the neighbors. I strongly encourage the city to increase funding for get stuff clean others and sanitation road and control efforts so that guardians facing these conditions can receive a timely and effective support. Community gardens contribute so much too much health and safety resistance to our neighbors. We strongly support the city and we ensure that we maintain safe access space to all New Yorkers. Thank you for this time and consideration. I am grateful for this opportunity. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Miss Chisum. There's a a couple questions for you. Um do you know by chance the lot that's across uh or adjacent to you actually? Um do you know if it's private land or it's city own lot? Uh the last time I spoke with a a health inspector, uh they informed me that it's went back to foreclosure. It went back to the bank. >> Okay. >> So, do >> you have a location or location of the garden? >> Uh yes, is uh our location is 1651 Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Uh zip code is one29. Uh I believe the address for that abandoned lot was either 1655 or 1651. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Okay. >> Uh, good afternoon, uh, Chairman Hankerson. I know it's been a really long day and you're very tired, but I appreciate your time being here. Uh, my name is Leslie Gomez Rivera. I am the policy associate at Green Gorillas. Uh, we are a nonprofit organization that supports community gardeners like Benet. Um, and we also keep youth engaged in food and environmental justice across New York City. I'm also speaking on behalf of the Green Gillis Council of Gardeners. Uh we are a coalition of over 300 community gardeners. Um and we work across New York City to advance stronger investment and protections for our gardens. New York City hosts over 550 community gardens that have been here for decades. Um and we are an essential asset to every neighborhood. uh community gardens serve their neighborhood um in a multitude of ways like providing food access uh environmental education, climate resilience um and we also provide safe green spaces for our communities. Um today I want to take this opportunity to ask you for these five act uh policy actions. Um green thumb is continuously being uh cut in the budget and so we would like to ask you to previously restore the 2.6 million uh that green had green thumb is is an essential program that aids most of our gardens um with materials, seeds, tools, um things like that. Second, we also call on the council to introduce stronger legislation to permanently protect our community gardens. As you may know, um gardens are located on city- owned land and so they are subject to uh redevelopment and uh resoning. Third, we also count on the council to increase funding uh for the parks equity initiative. Um and in addition, allocate 300,000 to create a pilot program that allows garden groups uh to directly access funding through a simplified application process. Uh fourth, we also ask that you continue to invest in a greener New York City. A greener New York City supports youth uh employment programs, green infrastructure, and environmental education in our gardens. Uh finally, we asked the council to strengthen the get stuff clean initiative as Ben mentioned. Um this addresses rodent inf sorry I missed the last one. >> Yeah. Um the get stuff clean initiative like and Benet mentioned this is a program that would help um address rodent infestations, illegal dumping, and increasingly affects our community gardens. Um by investing in our community gardens today, the city is investing in healthier neighborhoods, stronger communities, and a more resilient New York for generations to come. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Thank you. Would you mind also emailing your your statement as well? I don't think I have >> I have all of our um >> Oh, you do? >> Yes. Thank you. >> Hello and thank you to Chairman Hankerson and the members of the committee and parks recreation for the opportunity to submit this testimony. My name is Marcela Chica. I am the youth program coordinator at Green Gorillas, a nonprofit organization like Leslie said that supports community gardeners and youth engaged in food and environmental justice across New York City. In my role, I oversee two youth programs serving 15 youth interns during the year and 30 in the summer. Through this work, I see firsthand how important it is to create meaningful job opportunities for young people. One of my interns, Fatum Mata, joined the program in 2023. shy but very eager to learn. Over time, I watched her confidence grow through leadership opportunities and public speaking practice. She is now a third-year returning intern and a mentor to our summer youth, supporting the next generation of leaders. Through our programs, youth build leadership skills, develop responsibility, and form strong community connections. That is why I strongly support continued investment in a greener New York City. This funding allows organizations like Green Gorillas to provide green jobs, hands-on learning, and advocacy opportunities in community gardens. It also strengthens intergenerational relationships, and ensures that gardening knowledge continues to be passed down while youth bring these skills back to their own communities. I also urge the council to fund community- based organizations to ensure resources are distributed equitably. For over 50 years, Green Gorillas has been a vital resource for community gardens. Continued investment allows us to expand our opportunities for youth to gain skills and grow into leaders. Another intern, Sophia, joined last year with little knowledge of food justice or community gardening. Today, she is a program leader confidently advocating for her community and local gardens. In closing, I urge the council to continue investing a greener New York City to increase funding for community- based organizations like Green Gorillas. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Good day. Oops. Good day. Uh, thank you, Sheriff Hankerson and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Aishima Harris and I'm the executive director for Green Gorillas. And like my colleague mentioned, it's a nonprofit organization that's been established since 1973, creating a ruckus and therefore caused the formation of Green Thumb. So, we're also here to champion that city agency and to ensure that it funding is being restored. But before I jump into what I'm asking the council for, I just want to share a little bit about my background. When I migrated to the well, when I immigrated to the US at the age of 12 from Jamaica, community gardens were where I found my belonging. In those spaces, I found people who shared my culture, food, and stories. I was once mentored there. I grew up there and ultimately those gardens shaped my career and purpose. My journey at the age of 14 started with Green Girl as a summer util. And to be the executive director right now shows how community garden has strengthened and reinstilled and reinforced the vision of what a community is. For over 16 years, I've witnessed how community gardens serve as critical infrastructure for food access, climate resilience, public health, and cultural connection. And yet, these same spaces remain underfunded and underprotected. Across the city, gardeners are navigating agent infrastructure, rodents infestation, illegal dumping, and consistent threat of land security. These are not isolates isolated issues. They are systematic and they require coordinated city response. If we want gardens to cons continue and survive serving our communities, we must invest in them accordingly. We are asking the city to restore funding to green thumb to ensure baseline support for community gardens. advance legislation to permanently protect community gardens on city- owned land from development and allocate $300,000 through parks equity initiative for direct community garden support. Community gardens have long filled critical gaps in our neighborhoods, but they cannot do it alone. If we're really serious about equity, public health, and climate resilience, then we must be serious about investing in the spaces and people who have been doing this work for decades. I stand here today because community gardeners because of community gardens. I ask that you invest in them so that it preserve our essential lifeline. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. And thank you all for your testimony and uh providing good trouble. If you can provide us with your contact so we can follow up with you about that'll be great. You can vote. Thank you. We're going to call our next panel. Miss Austin, Diana McKenzie, Rosa Chang, Jade Benham, Spike Appel or Apple Appel. Yes. Just out of curiosity, is anyone else signed up to testify in the audience? Okay. All right. All right. >> Go over here. I'm not going anywhere. >> Okay. >> Oh, perfect. Thank you. Okay. So, we will we can start. Yes. >> Thank you, Chairman Hankerson, for this opportunity to speak. I'm going to be very brief because I know that my message is going to be redundant. My name is Eshel Austin. I am a lifelong gardener. I'm from upstate New York and in the city. I'm the group leader of Grant Shade Garden. I'm also a member of Gorillas, the Council of Gardeners, and I'll just mention that we know the city's preliminary budget allocates only6 of the total funding needed to support the Department of Parks and Recreation and continues to fall short. Um, the city has limited ability to provide technical assistance, supplies, and staffing for over 550 community gardens. Um, in my garden in particular, I'm going to have a little different approach to the trees. I actually need eight London plain trees pruned in my garden so that I can grow food because right now we're ornamental. We only can have hostas and ferns and and shade plants growing there. And I would like to extend the ability to grow food to my gardeners who live in Nicha housing. Um, so we call on the city to restore the previously allocated $2.6 million in funding for green thumb and create stronger legislation to protect our gardens from reszoning and redevelopment of city-owned land. Yeah, I just need the London plain trees pruned so that we can reasonably open up the canopy. Even though I know the city has uh tried to increase the canopy, our canopy is very dense. >> What's the location of your garden? >> It's at 550 West 125th Street adjacent to the George Bruce Library. >> Okay. If you uh before you leave, you can provide the Sergeant-at-Arms with your contact information. >> Sure. Thank you so much for your time. Yeah. Uh, thank you for your time, council member, and I'm sorry the commissioner just had to walk out. My name is Spike Appel, uh, Lori Side, born and raised, now resident of Bushwick, raising two children. I'm here to speak about Bushwick City Farm, which is once again under threat of closure, where I volunteered for the past 15 years. Uh the commissioner spoke earlier that we were there were lines of communication which we could use that we didn't need to come to testify at a hearing uh when council member Sandy nurse spoke about the garden. Uh however uh my wife spoke at this committee in 2017 when with our first son when we were asked asking the city to preserve our green space and our sanctuary space which sits on a privately held lot. We provide hundreds of meals weekly free of charge as well as providing primarily neighborhood children a place of respit, learning and community. Um we're sanctuary space that provided support to thousands of migrants during the migrant crisis when the city opened a shelter across the street. My son is nine now and the neighborhood children who helped us build the garden have grown up and some have children of their own who enjoy the garden their parents built. We're still asking the same thing for the city to step in and preserve this critical neighborhood resource. This is a multigenerational project that many depend on. We're currently locked out of our primary entrance as of Wednesday. We ask again as an urgent matter that the council make real and immediate commitments in this budget to preserve the garden and push forward the process that councilman Chio Burough President Reynoso members of parks department green thumb department of finance have all been a part of and have been taking their time. There was a well attended emergency rally this past Saturday of garden volunteers and supporters. If there aren't clear commitments soon, I worry the community will become increasingly agitated. We volunteered 15 years of service to the space in the community. We haven't asked for any support for our day-to-day operations. We independently fundraised for everything and use the space to help build new gardens in Nicha housing. help us enshrine these efforts for the next generation to carry the efforts forward. If we don't get immediate support on this, the community will have to step up and defend the space as we have for a decade. >> Just uh thank you for your testimony. Um is the space within council member Nurse's district or council member O's district? >> Council member Oay's district. >> It's right on the border of Bushwick and Bedstey. So there's a lot of overlap. Thank you. If you can provide your contact as well before you leave. Yes. Uh you're you're next. >> Hi. Uh I'm Diana McKenzie. Um, I'm here because I live on uh Eastern Parkway between Washington and Underh Hill, directly across the street from Mont Mount Mount Prospect Park. Uh, and I've lived there for 30 years since I was five. Um, and I it actually there's a a lot to that plays into what this meeting has been about. uh since the reason there's a skate park has to do with oneshot funding and uh private investors. Um but that doesn't really matter. Uh one of the things I did when the skate park thing started was actually go to other skate parks in the city and talk to people. Uh skaters are really fun to talk to. They mostly talk about skating, but um it was clear they're really passionate about third spaces. Um, which I think that's one thing people in our community who aren't skaters can understand because they are very passionate about Mount Prospect Park. And for years there's been problems with uh grass loss and cover loss that haven't really been addressed, which is understandable. It's not Prospect Park and that doesn't get enough funding in the first place. But I feel that uh the solutions they came up with for that doesn't really take into account how much the park is used. Um and how fond of it people are as it is. Um, and I think it would be worth, it was really hard to have a discussion about anything under the last administration. And I think it would be worth having more discussions about because I don't think I think some of the barriers that are up have more to do with how difficult that was than not being able to come to an accord. Uh, that's all. Thank you. Oh, uh, also please increase the the city parks funding. It is one of the things mo the most New Yorkers use. Um, and it's I mean, we all know it's important. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't important. >> Thank you, Diane. If I may ask, do you know uh whose district the propos? >> If not, no worries. Crystal Hudson. Crystal Hudson. Okay. Thank you. Hello. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today, Chair Hankerson. We are so excited to have you spend some time with our Gotham Park youth ambassadors coming up. And I wanted to say congratulations to you and to uh chair uh sorry, Commissioner Shimmore, but she's left um who I have actually known since her community board one my community board one days. Uh, so I have full confidence that she's going to do her utmost to uplift all of our communities in her role as commissioner. My name is Rosa Chang and I'm co-founder of Gotham Park, a grassroots 501c3 created in 2021 to open, operate, and maintain a new community-led public space in a neighborhood that has historically been underinvested and overlooked right outside of city hall just right behind you. actually um community are the roots of this grassroots endeavor with over 47,000 people living within a half mile radius of the park. We are incredibly diverse. 20% of our families live below the federal poverty level. 20% are seniors, 64% are bipok. We have 12,000 students literally across the street. Parks and public space are where we teach our children how to be good citizens, how to share, how to see, and learn how adults treat each other. hopefully with an open heart and consideration. We need more of it and we need to prioritize the care of what we have so that these spaces are here to build the community and the next generation that we are proud of. Gotham Park advocated for and now manages 4 acres of open space. We worked our butts off to get the space open and we continue to work our butts off to take care of it. We program it, we plant it, we pick up the litter, and we work with our neighbors to collaborate on resiliency and education projects, health initiatives, programming, and the expansion of the space for our community. We are asking for your financial support to uplift community-led public space initiatives like ours. Help us survive and thrive. Show your support with funding for works like ours and for parks department so that we can uplift all parks throughout the city and all the people who benefit from access to our public spaces. Parks are not a luxury. They are a basic civil civil necessity and they are the learning ground where we try and we fail and we pick ourselves up and we learn resiliency. We advocated so hard for Gotham Park and we are making it work but only 1% of our operational funds is public. We please fund pathways to help us and grassroots projects like ours until we are able to stand on our own and bring up the next generation of legacy public space projects. People need parks and parks need people to fund them. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Okay, we're going to call our next panel. Alma Ortiz Reyes. Reyes Ortiz. My apologies. Marilyn B. Downey. Downagata de Jesus Serona Bailey Mlan. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Hackson and members of par coidi. My name is Alma Reyes and I am representing Queens Community House. I am testifying today as a member of the play fair for parks coalition. I'm here to urge you to increase funding to our city parks. We need to restore the 1% of the New York City budget for parks. The preliminary budget for New York City parks maintained the status of cool of underinvestment and is even 33 million less than last year's budget. After four years of cuts to the budget, our parks are suffering from staffing losses, a decrease in maintenance, and delay capital projects. As a resident of Queens since 1992 and longtime user of Flushing Me Corona Park, I hold a deep affection for this space. This park serves hundreds of thousands uh people for countless Queens residents. The park is where children play after school, elders walk to stay healthy, vendors earn a living, and communities gather to celebrate, exercise, and breathe. For many residents, this park is the only free and safe outdoor space available to them. Yet, its condition does not reflect how essential this park is. For over a year, Queens Community House has been hosting monthly park cleanups at Flushing's Me Corona Park. While volunteer st stewardship is essential for well-being of our parks, volunteers will never accomplish as much as park maintenance staff. Through our cleanups, we connect with people members who raise concerns about the maintenance cleanly clean clean liness sorry cleanliness um lighting restroom access and safety of the park. These are not a minor inconvenience. They affect whether people feel welcome, whether uh seniors can walk safely and no sorry and whether families allow their children to play. When a part of this scale is underfunded, the message received by the community is clear. Our needs are not prioritized. Increasing the par budget is not an optional. It is urgent as a matter of public health, equity, and dignity. Thank you. Sorry, I'm Marilyn Vote Downey and I am a retired high school teacher and I've lived on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn for over 50 years. And across the street is a park called Mount Prospect Park and I'm here speaking as a member of the Friends of Mount Prospect Park. We also have a block association. So, we're very conscious of what's going on in our neighborhood. And in January 2024, we learned from Mayor Adams that there had been a plan to put into our park to pour over our park 40,000 square ft of concrete to create a skateboard park. We were never consulted. We did not support it. And we put started to putting up a fight against it pretty quickly. We have petitions that were signed by thousands of people. Now, when we finally got Crystal Hudson to have a hearing on this in our neighborhood, and we've packed a a uh an auditorium, we were told by all the city representatives there, Reoselo, Crystal, the parks commissioner, uh I some I won't name, but who make me angry, but I I'm not going to go through the whole list. But what they said is, "Oh, this is not a residential neighborhood." I want to say that Mount Prospect Park is directly across the street from uh if you go from Plaza Street to Washington Avenue, there are at least 20 high-rise buildings. I mean by I mean apartment buildings from sixth floor to 15 floors and there are thousands of people living there. So there is a residential neighborhood. What they were going to put there is what they told us at our meeting, a destination square uh skateboard skateboard arena for the East Coast to be bringing in thousands of people all the time to make noise over this concrete in our former park. And we I'm here to Does that have my time up already? >> Yeah. I'm here to say we want you to stop the park. It is a park that's a community park for all the purposes a community park serves. Please don't please do not vote for this project. I'm also told to say the city should halt planning and construction of this project until there is an investigation of violations of the city law and policy. They have now reduced it to 20,000 square feet from 40, but it's still going to ruin our park. Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you. Thank you to Chairman Hankerson and members of the committee of park and recreation for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ia de Jesus and I am engagement coordinator of Hardin de la Familia for the past six years located in the Bronx. Our green thumb garden de la Familia has a rich history of community involvement and has been a vital green space because of it addresses our community food insecurity as well environment justice in our neighborhood. I am here today speaking on behalf of Hardin de la Familia and all New York City gardens. The the preliminary fiscal year 27 budget allocates only 0.6% of the total city budget to the department of park and recreation. This has severely impacted the New York City green thumb to that has seen sign significant reductions in it budget since Adam's administration. This is Henry is capacity to provide technical assistant necessary supplies and adequate staffing thus impairing it ability to effectively support community gardeners. Therefore, we call upon the city to invest in restore 2.6 6 million in funding for green thumb. Call on the measure to allocate the 1% of the total city budget to the department of park and recreation. I, it de Jesus, have been a lander since a young age with parents in Puerto Rico. Community gardens provide a little community access to me and other members of my community, which must be safeguarded for future generation. I urge the council to introduce stronger legislation to protect all gardeners located on city owning land from development and resourcing. Thank you very much and to time for consideration. Hello. Great afternoon. My name is Savannah Bailey Mlan and I am the executive director and chief curator of the West Harlem Art Fund. My organization presents public art in West Harlem and across the city of New York and we have been doing that for 28 years. While I am saddened to hear parks operation may be reduced by 33 million, potentially losing 100 jobs, I want to see some reforms in the agency before they get any more money. I'm in a neighborhood of color where we struggle to get good programming which I do provide in the area of art with very little funding. And I've been doing this for a long time. In the last two years going on three years, I've actually presented one of the largest outdoor sculpture park exhibitions in the city of New York. We've actually created a public art district spanning 67 acres. Commissioner Shiman Moa knows me. So what did we discover? We discovered climate change. We discovered that land management, public art goes together, we're dealing with flooding, soil erosion, soil compaction. We have seen conditions that are so severe, we actually had to use a jackhammer to break the surface to install a piece of art. So yes, we need to have more money, but we need more training. We have used a lot of young people to work with us and help us, teaching them about composting, teaching them about gardening, but they can't get a job with the parks department. Because if you look at the parks department, and I did the numbers, 44% are people of color and they stay in maintenance jobs. You talked about tree pruning and tree climbing. There are a lot of ablebodied young men who can do tree climbing and pruning, yet they can't get a job. Now, we tried to supplement that, but we can't. Why? Because Trees New York has an exclusive contract with the city parks department where we can't get them the certification to be citizen tree pruners. That needs to change because that's the first step towards getting a real job. We are also trying to get them with sanitation for composting certification. There are all these roadblocks. When you look at the tree pruners, the tree climbers, the gardeners, they don't look like people of color. When you look at the contractors that everyone's been talking about, I checked the majority of them do not live nor do their business reside in the five burrows of the city of New York. They're in Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey. So, how do we have a livable wage? Now, even though I'm an executive director, guess what? But I struggle every day to make it. Why? Because the resources are not there for art. I was here since 11:30. Look at what time they brought me here to this table. WHICH SHOWS THE DISRESPECT THAT ARTS get in this city and I have reached out to your office. I don't see any other council person here to listen TO US TO HEAR WHAT WE GOT TO SAY. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS BUDGET TO MAKE IT WORK FOR US. IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT GETTING MORE MONEY. How do we make it work? And I'm sick and tired of seeing it not work. So that's what I want to share with you today. And I did it WITHIN MY TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> Enjoy your day. >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Okay. We're going to call our next panel uh Chanti Young, John Sero, Franchesca, I'm sorry, Francesca. Uh I'm sorry. I I I can't read the last name. That's my apologies. Sonia Ferrero. Thank you all for your patience. Two more. Okay. Did you all fill out a uh a testimony slip? >> I know you I have your name. Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay. Uh the remaining folks, you can come on up to the day. We'll just we'll do it that way and we'll have you fill out the slip afterward. Our apologies. Is there anyone else that wishes to testify that has testified as Okay. All right. >> Great. Good afternoon. Uh I'm John Co, the senior fellow for climate opportunity at the center for nurm future, an independent organization focused on creating a stronger and more inclusive economy in New York. Uh I'm also a proud super steward with the parks department. So happy to hear all the trees talk. Um thank you to Chair Henderson, I mean for getting us to five o'clock and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify today. Thriving parks and open spaces are essential to achieving the city's vision of affordable, livable New York. But today, the system is struggling under the weight of four consecutive years of budget cuts and lacks the maintenance funding and staffing needed to sustain the vibrant, equitable park system that New Yorkers and deserve. Case in point, recreation. The city's athletic facilities and recreational programs, its pools, tennis courts, rec centers, fitness classes, sports leagues, and more play an integral role in offering free and lowcost options for New Yorkers to play, move, and connect. That matters today more than ever as over 40% of residents are grappling with chronic disease and loneliness. But decades of underinvestment mean we're only scratching the surface of its potential. Our recent report at CUF found that recreation services once accounted for nearly a third of the park's operating budget. Today it's about 5.3%. Full-time rec staff has fallen from almost 2,000 people in 1964 to 659 today. New York allocates among the lowest amount per capita on recreation of any major United US city. and many core recreation assets need urgent repairs are closed entirely with more than 400 million in known capital needs for major facilities alone. New New York City parks continues to do what it can with limited resources, but the gap between needs and capacity keeps widening. Going forward, the city should restore and expand critical staffing across parks operations, capital projects, forestry maintenance while investing in rec centers and program staff um to get parks clean, safe, and fully functional again. For instance, these investments can help address New York City's affordability challenges by expanding the park system summerday camp, the best deal anywhere in the city, from roughly 500 participants today to 5,000. To achieve this, the city council should reverse the proposed cuts and expand city funding uh and create new dedicated recurring revenue streams um to put the system on stronger, more sustainable footing. And I'll just close by saying in January of 20 2024, the center outlined 20 specific ideas to do exactly that. Um, and we're about to release two more. The first on harnessing real estate revenue to pay for parks and the next on expanding opportunities for public private partnerships. Thanks so much for letting me come today and testify. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Hi, my name is Patricia Carroll. I live in Assembly District 28. Um, I'm here to speak for additional funding for parks, especially for its natural areas. I'm a retired professor of geography who um for the last couple of years has been a steward, a volunteer steward in Forest Park where every week my fellow stewards and I spend many hours mostly removing invasive species that either strangle the trees or uh drape over the trees and deprive them of sunlight and as well as nutrients. Uh many people have spoken about the functional benefits of trees and forests uh and parks. Uh but I would like to specifically address the dollar benefits to our city. Um according to the Arbor Day Foundation, every dollar invested in trees and park street and park trees in New York City returns $5.60. About half of that benefit comes from the reduced need for electricity uh for energy, electricity and gas. Uh almost 15th each from air quality improvement and increased property values and about 16th from storm water management. Storm water management is really important now in the era of increasing climate change. New York City mostly feels that um with altered um precipitation regimes where we have droughts then followed by very heavy downpours. And as you know our um storm water goes into the sewer system and very often um cannot be safely delivered to um water treatment plants and it floods communities. The annual benefit of a single tree varies by species and size. Um but roughly the range is from about $100 per tree to $400 per tree. So the average tree in New York um an average small tree is about $200. A medium-sized tree $250. In any case, as a volunteer steward, I know that um keeping the trees mature, getting them to maturity is an impossible task. Um but more funding is needed to do that and given the current federal um cutting of all environmental regulations. I think it falls more importantly on local areas to pick up that gap. Um and the payoff for New York City will be very great. And that's leaving aside the fact that they create um beauty that is accessible to people of all stripes who even relax and smile when they're there. Thank you for your time. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, Chairperson Hankerson. I'm incredibly impressed by how engaged you've been all day. I know you probably haven't had lunch either, unless you've snuck out and grabbed some food. Um, it's an honor to be here today. Uh, my name is Banna Varga. I'm from Shahana Hanife's district in Brooklyn, District 39. Um, I was super grateful when she stopped by the first volunteer day that um, we had for a pocket park my neighbors and I are creating. Um, I'm here because I believe in the magic of trees and more than 80% of the city's trees are cared for by the parks department. Trees shade our sidewalks. They keep harmful particles out of our lungs. They act as umbrellas during heavy rains and allow the soil to absorb more water to prevent flooding. Um, they've even been shown to improve mental health and reduce crime. The leadership of New York City understands the important role that trees play in creating a climate resilient and livable city, which is why they invested in the Million Trees NYC project, and the parks department has committed to planting 18,000 trees per year going forward. However, not all trees are equally beneficial. A mature trees canopy can shade an entire playground, making its surfaces safe for children in the heat of summer. A newly planted tree simply can't do that. A young tree is a promise. A mature tree is infrastructure. This is why it's imperative that we invest not just in planting trees, but in the people who steward them towards maturity. Uh we are currently in the middle of trees count, the city's dennial tree census. Last summer, over 2500 volunteers, including me, surveyed more than 46,000 trees, and we'll continue that work this spring. In order to be able to act on the tree health data that we are collecting, allow our trees to grow, and keep our urban forest thriving for the benefit of all New Yorkers. The parks department needs to be well staffed and well funded. This is not the time to cut the funding for this invaluable agency. I urge the city council to invest in parks and the future of New York by joining cities across the country and allocating 1% of our budget to parks. Thank you so much for your time and attention. >> Thank you so much. >> Um, congratulations, Chairman Hankerson, and thank you for um Oh my god. Okay. Okay. Thank you, Chairman Hankerson. You are my district councilman and also the district councilman for my community garden. My name is Sonia Ferraro. I've been a community gardener for over 40 years and I'm a green thumb gardener for 12 of those 40 years. I am the founder and leader of Paradise Community Garden located in Jamaica, Queens. Paradise has a h a rich history of community involvement and has been a vital green space in our community. As a member of Green Gorillas Council of Gardeners, I want to express my support for the policy initiatives that have been uplifted today. In addition, I'd like to amplify the needs of the community gardens. In particular, the muchneeded infrastructure upgrades and repairs are vital to ensure that gardens are also safe. So for the seniors who steward them, many community gardens across New York City remain inaccessible to people with disabilities, limiting who can fully participate in and benefit from these vital green spaces. To ensure equity and inclusion, gardens should be equipped with ADA compliant infrastructure, including accessible driveways, cut and street cutouts, as well as a safe navigable pathways throughout the garden. Gardeners like myself need designated handicap parking on the street close to the garden. Therefore, additional funding to agencies like Green Thumb and organizations like Green Gorillas is very important. Community gardeners have felt firsthand the effects of the reduced funding. I urge each council member to visit community gardens in their district to hear our needs and walk alongside each gardener to better understand the needs of community gardens. Thank you once again for the opportunity to share with you my 40 years of experience. >> Thank you, Miss Ferraro, and thank you for the work that you've done in our district and also participating on our participatory budget uh in the last few years as well. Uh I just I do want to say this. Oh, okay. Someone she left. Uh >> we we did we don't choose uh how people uh sit on the days. Uh we don't you know, it's not a set order. Um or else the person from my district would have went first. So, but thank you all so much um for for staying and advocating. Uh we took notes. Um we'll be following up with with with folks. Uh thank you so much. It's been a long day. We truly truly appreciate your >> Thank you. >> have a virtual room. Well, that's not for you. Over. Uh, now we'll hear testimony from Drew Stillman, Drew Stillman, Homeman, um, Fatima Tore, Sophia Zong, Walter Mugdan, and Kasha Pazdor. for the folks on Zoom. We can begin. You may begin on Zoom. >> Hello Can you hear us? >> Yes, we I can hear you. >> Can you see us as well? >> Yes, I can. >> I promise you I look better in person. All right, we can start. >> Um hello everyone. Um my name is Drew Stillman. I'm calling from the north shore of Staten Island. I as well work as one of those um seasonal oneshot employees that work with National Resource Group in New York City parks. I also just wanted to clarify um and reiterate that though we do have 70 people who are in our group that work with us, that is not the number of field technicians and boots that are on the ground. I just want to make that clear that there's only there's less than 30 of us that manage the entire city and all the um over 20,000 acres of natural areas. And not just forested areas, we also manage wetlands, shorelines, beaches, and fresh and saltwater uh marshes. So there is a lot of area that needs to be covered. So and all of our positions are seasonal as you've heard. Um it takes a lot of technical learning and a lot of in uh institutional knowledge to be into these positions and to actually execute them efficiently and effectively within their natural landscape throughout our cities. So it really is important to have staff that can be there consistently for a long term as opposed to just a seasonal basis. We need people who can see winter, spring, summer, fall and all of the seasons and all the intricacies in between so that they can properly manage these landscapes effectively and efficiently. So while we do have our uh executive, our administrative and our other support staff at our energy teams, that also that does not necessarily include that does not reflect appropriately the people who are actually taking care and managing those spaces. So as you can imagine, it's very difficult for about 25 people to manage over 20,000 acres of natural areas and land management. So, increasing the capacity sizes as well as baselining the positions that are going to be here. Um, >> thank you. Your time's expired. >> Ah, damn. Thank you. >> Thank you, Drew. I'm sorry I can't extend the time on on the virtual, but I did hear your testimony. Thank you so much. >> Thank you so much. I appreciate your time. >> Hello. Can you hear me? you begin. >> Okay. Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you to Chairman Hankerson and the members of the committee on parks and recreation for the opportunity to testify. My name is Fatima Trare and today I'm representing Green Gorillas as a youth intern part of the youth empowerment pipeline program. Green Gorillas is a nonprofit organization that specializes in engaging with community gardeners, advocating for them all across NYC to promote food and environmental justice. From my time as an intern, I've learned valuable skills and lessons from community gardens. I have been able to see firsthand how community gardeners support their community, maintain sustainable practices, as well as working with limited resources to transform vacant areas into beautiful green spaces. From my three years of experience, I want to highlight some recommendations and improvements that I've witnessed that should be made to help community gardens gardeners continue their work. First, an increase in funding to gardeners that need access to utility resources, including running water, electricity, and gardening tools. This will ensure that green spaces are receiving the opportunities they need to create a fully functional environment. And second, an increase in funding to youth garden gardening programs like a greener NYC, which provides organizations like gorillas funding to create job opportunities for the youth like me to aid community gardens. Youth programs are vital to community gardens because it exposes the younger generation to building essential green spaces, passing the torch on to the next generation of gardeners. Youth action is the future of community action. So, in conclusion, I urge the city to prioritize youth internships and accessibility to schools for all gardens across NYC to ultimately create thriving community spaces. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. Uh, next we'll have Sophia. Sophia Zong. You may begin Sophia. >> Hello. >> Yes, we can. We >> Okay. Thank you to the chairman, Tyrell Hankerson, and members of the committee on parks and recreation for the opportunity to submit this testimony. My name is Sophia Zongo, and I am a secondyear youth empowerment program intern with Green Gorillas. Through my work, I volunteer in community gardens across all five burrows of New York City supporting gardeners with planting, maintenance, composting, and general upkeep. While I am not based in a single garden, I have worked alongside many community gardeners and have a rich history of community involvement and serve as vital green in their neighborhoods. Through my experience, I have firsthand I have seen firsthand how important community gardens are, not just for growing food, but for building community, providing safe green spaces, and supporting environmental education. However, the recently released preliminary budget allocates less than 1% of the total city budget to the Department of Parks and Recreation. This limit funding this limited funding places programs like Green Thumb at risk. I urge the council to restore the previously allocated 2.6 million in funding for green thumb, which supports hundreds of gardens citywide. Community gardens must be recognized as essential public assets and protected from development. I strongly support introducing legislation to permanently protect all New York City community gardens on city- owned land from reszoning and development. These spaces are critical to the health and resilience of our neighborhoods. Additionally, I asked the council allocate 300,000 through the parks equity initiative for direct funding to gardens and invest in communitybased organizations like green gorillas that distribute resources equitably. Programs like a greener in New York City are also vital. They create green jobs for youth like myself and provide opportunities for environmental education and advocacy. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Next, we'll have Walter McKdan. You may begin. >> Hi. Can you hear me? All right. >> Yes. >> Thank you. I'm Walter Mugdan. I'm president of the UD Doll's Cove Preservation Committee, founded in 1969. Our mission is the conservation and restoration of the last undeveloped natural areas in the UD Doll's Cove wershed in northeastern Queens. And much of the area has already been protected as the UD Doll's Cove Park preserve, a New York City forever wild area with trails winding through woods and along the shoreline. We ask that the FY27 budget provide a significant increase towards the objective stated by Mayor Mandani during his campaign that the park's budget grow to 1% of the overall city budget. And in particular, we urge increased appropriations for the department's natural resources group, which has broad responsibilities for natural areas throughout the city like ours, but is seriously understaffed and challenged by having many employees who are not on permanent budget lines. The parks department manages 14% of the city's land area, but receives only one half of 1% of the city budget. Now, parks are vital to the quality of life of all New Yorkers and in particular those who have the least economic means to enjoy the benefits of nature and outdoors recreation. This includes everything from small vest pocket parks to large public spaces like Central Park, from ball fields and playgrounds to community gardens and nature preserves such as UD Doll's Cove Park. City parks and particularly our natural areas provide critical benefits to combat global warming and climate change and minimize flooding. My organization has raised and spent over $350,000 in the past 20 years to combat invasive species, increase tree canopy, and carry out other park restoration and improvement projects. We're committed to continue our stewardship work, but to do so, we need the department to be adequately funded as well. We need knowledgeable staff from whom to receive guidance on the projects we pursue. We need our permit applications to be timely processed. We need support for our volunteer cleanup events and improvement projects. And we need an adequately funded department to do the many kinds of things that are beyond the capacity of organizations such as ours and the times to spire, sir. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Walter. Um, and finally, we'll have Kasha Par. Can you hear me? Yes. >> Great. Thank you. My name is Kasha Pazdar. I'm a parks worker, a DC37 member, and a resident of city council district 35. Thank you for receiving my testimony today. I asked this council to baseline the Playfair urban park rangers and all parks Playfair workers. I worked as an urban park ranger in the Bronx for about four years. For the first two years, I was in a playfair funded line. I did the same job as a civil service ranger, but I did not have the same benefits or rights. I was not paid for holidays for 18 months, could not sign up for the pension, and faced delays in signing up for health insurance. I also could not apply for full-time parks jobs because I was not considered a full-time parks employee. In my four years with the Rangers, I noticed that each April, workplace morale and productivity would suffer as playfair staff began to apply for other jobs. Massive amounts of institutional knowledge are being lost each year. this way. Many of the best, brightest, and hardest working rangers would leave city service because they could not count on a job to be there in July. It is a stressful experience uh to it is stressful to experience that for one fiscal cycle. And it's demoralizing to experience it for many years. It's not just an injustice to these workers. The public suffers when program managers can't plan for a season because they don't know what their staffing will look like. The instability of playfair funding has had a direct impact on the urban park rangers ability to plan and book educational and recreational programming, resulting in fewer canoeing hiking history fishing bird watching, and camping programs for the public. I know that what I say here today is echoed by many of my colleagues working in stewardship, trail maintenance, forestry, and other areas of parks. If the parks department is going to deliver on its promises, then the mayor and the city council need to deliver on their promise for a well-funded parks department. I ask once again that all of this committee baseline the playfair positions to help achieve these goals. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you, Kasha. Thank you for your service to our city. The FY27 preliminary budget hearing for the Committee on Parks and Recreation is now adjourned at