Officials optimistic on parks-agency rebound

NORTH LITTLE ROCK -- The city Parks and Recreation Department saw revenue fall because of the pandemic last year, but city officials are hopeful for a bounce-back as the weather warms and restrictions loosen.

Revenue for the department is projected to decrease by 1%, from about $8.3 million in 2020 to $8.2 million in 2021. Expenditures dropped by 2%, from about $8.4 million to $8.2 million.

The department has been one of the hardest-hit during the pandemic, and the 2021 budget factored in the revenue losses.

The City Council is set to vote today on an ordinance that would create two new Parks and Recreation Department positions. This will be Parks and Recreation Director Steve Shields' first-ever request to the council.

The ordinance would bring the Parks and Recreation Department to 237 employees; 92 are full-time. The additional staff members would be in the Parks Maintenance Department.

Shields, a former men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was selected as the city's Parks and Recreation director in January.

Shields replaces Mayor Terry Hartwick as Parks and Recreation director. Hartwick had served as director since 2016 and was elected mayor Dec. 1.

Hartwick said the department needs the two additional positions because it's challenging to maintain more than 30 parks without the addition of two park rangers.

Ian Hope is the only city employee with the title of park ranger, according to the city's website.

"It's hard to take care of all the parks the way we want right now," Hartwick said. "We sometimes don't have a park ranger working on the weekends when we have these big events. This will help us be more attentive when it comes to our parks."

Hartwick said the two additional park rangers would also allow the department to create shifts and have a park ranger on duty late at night.

"I think it has been needed for a long time, truthfully," he said.

Shields said he would prefer to go into more detail about the need for the positions once they're approved, but he added that he was excited for the department's future.

The department will start baseball and softball seasons next month in Burns Park. The first baseball tournament is April 3, and 35 teams have signed up, Shields said.

The department also plans to host a "Burns Park Eggstravaganza at Funland" on April 3, which will allow children to meet the Easter Bunny and take part in crafts and games for $5 per child.

Shields said events like these are critical as the department tries to bounce back from a tough 2020 when most things were shut down.

"We are very conscious about masks and social distancing and keeping our employees safe; that is first and foremost," he said. "But you can just feel a sense of everyone wanting to move forward with a sense of normalcy."

Hartwick said he sees 2021 as a bounce-back year for the Parks and Recreation Department and mentioned looking into maybe using some covid-19 funding as assistance.

"My hopes for the Parks and Recreation Department hasn't changed," he said. "I hope to see things get back to normal. I see nothing but good things happening this year."

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