QUESTION
What budget cuts are impacting staffing levels at the NYC Parks Department?
4:43:32
·
85 sec
The NYC Parks Department is facing agency-wide budget cuts that will result in a reduction of staffing levels through attrition.
- The department anticipates an approximate 9% reduction across most staff positions, except for seasonal workers like rec center staff and lifeguards.
- With a hiring freeze in place, the department cannot replace staff members who leave, leading to potential service impacts.
- Groundskeepers, maintenance staff, bathroom cleaners, and gardeners are among the positions expected to see staffing reductions.
- Rec center staff and lifeguards are seasonal, so they are not included in the staff cut.
- The commissioner clarifies that the 9% cut may not apply equally to all job categories as staff departures determine where vacancies occur.
Lincoln Restler
4:43:32
So that means we would anticipate 9% fewer groundskeepers between now and 2026.
Sue Donoghue
4:43:39
The thank you council member for the question and the impacts are agency wide, the reductions are agency wide.
4:43:47
So it would not necessarily be a specific 9% reduction in groundskeeper.
Lincoln Restler
4:43:52
But approximately, that's the goal across the board.
4:43:54
Right?
4:43:54
So groundskeepers.
4:43:55
Maintenance staff
Justin Green
4:43:56
Mhmm.
Lincoln Restler
4:43:57
Folks who clean the bathrooms, gardeners Mhmm.
4:43:59
Folks in our rec centers Right.
4:44:01
All of them, we would, on average, see a 9% cut across the board.
Shekar Krishnan
4:44:08
Not the rec center.
Mohammad Biswas
4:44:08
Not the
Lincoln Restler
4:44:08
rec center?
Sue Donoghue
4:44:09
Not the rec center.
Lincoln Restler
4:44:10
And not the lifeguards?
Sue Donoghue
4:44:11
Not no.
4:44:12
Not lifeguards.
4:44:12
Oh.
4:44:13
They are those are seasonal and they are funded.
4:44:15
Yes.
Lincoln Restler
4:44:15
But for all the other positions we mentioned, it would be approximately a 9% across the board cut.
4:44:19
But, of course, when you have a blunt instrument like a hiring freeze, you don't actually get to determine.
4:44:24
So if we see a a greater departure from the agency amongst groundskeepers, then we just have to do more with less or try our best to maintain conditions, so the best we can in our parks or clean fewer bathrooms.
4:44:38
That's Is that right?
4:44:39
You don't have any control.
4:44:40
It's whoever leaves leaves, and we have no ability to replace them.
Sue Donoghue
4:44:44
That is correct.
4:44:46
Our are peg that we took in order to meet the necessary.
4:44:52
Fiscal challenges was an attrition peg, so we're not able to hire as people to leave.