Q&A
Discussion with parks worker about workforce reductions and impact on park conditions
2:27:53
·
4 min
Council Member Restler engages in a Q&A session with Isaac Kirk Davidoff, a parks worker, about his experience and the impact of workforce reductions on park conditions. They discuss the challenges faced by seasonal workers and the effects of budget cuts on park maintenance and ecological stewardship.
- Isaac shares his 5-year work history with parks, including seasonal and conservancy positions
- They discuss the 40% reduction in seasonal workers since Mayor Adams took office
- Isaac highlights the ecological and workforce challenges resulting from budget cuts and seasonal employment uncertainty
Lincoln Restler
2:27:53
Isaac, I I I really appreciated your testimony, your thoughtful insights.
2:28:00
I I missed it, though.
2:28:01
Tell me again, how many years have you been with Parks?
Isaac Kirk Davidoff
2:28:05
So, like, I've been with Parks for is that 5 5 years?
Lincoln Restler
2:28:10
5 years.
Isaac Kirk Davidoff
2:28:11
But that includes so there's, like, you know, some years of seasonal stuff.
2:28:14
There's also time I was at a conservancy where I was doing basically the same thing, but I had, like, you know, like, 3 more bosses.
Lincoln Restler
2:28:21
Right.
Isaac Kirk Davidoff
2:28:21
But, it was, like, the same role, same truck, same office.
2:28:25
And I think that's, like, normal for or it shouldn't be normal, but it is normal for a lot of, like, seasonal workers if you kind of bounce back back and forth, conservancies, parks.
2:28:33
So I think it's all parks.
2:28:35
Like Right.
2:28:35
If I worked for a conservancy, it that's a partner with the parks.
2:28:38
I think that's part of parks.
2:28:39
But Yeah.
2:28:39
That means I I didn't those years aren't in my budget for
Lincoln Restler
2:28:42
4 years.
2:28:43
Civil service, 10 you know, towards your pension, but 5 years working in the parks for sure.
2:28:47
Yeah.
2:28:49
And, you know, in that time period, we've seen just a phenomenal reduction in the seasonal workforce.
2:28:55
You know, even just since mayor Adams came to office, we've seen approximately a 40% reduction in the number of seasonal workers who are working in our parks.
2:29:05
It's really could you just elaborate how are you seeing this, you know, dramatic shrinking of the parks workforce impact the conditions in our parks?
Isaac Kirk Davidoff
2:29:21
Yeah.
2:29:21
So, you know, me and my coworkers do a great job.
2:29:24
Like, we really do, but, you know, if there's less people working in forest restoration, there's less acres you can cover.
2:29:31
And you can't just, like, let a patch of grass or, you know, invasive species.
2:29:37
Right?
2:29:37
They they they grow back.
2:29:38
You can't just let these areas kind of ignore them for a few years and then come back.
2:29:42
So without that kind of, like, sustainable commitment, it's makes it hard ecologically, and it's also hard, like, to wanna work for a place if there's not that sustained commitment.
2:29:52
Like, you know, if you like, if it's January and then it's like, yeah, well, we don't really know if you're going to have a job in July.
2:29:58
And I mean like this, this year, right.
2:30:00
We, it was June 3rd, I think exactly on June 30th that we got message.
2:30:06
Oh, no.
2:30:07
Force restoration lines weren't, extended.
2:30:10
And then there's a, you know, like, literally that day and it was like, okay.
2:30:13
Next week, do we even have a job?
2:30:16
So that's really there's a lot of uncertainty, and then I think it's then it's dangerous ecologically, but it's also dangerous to your workforce.
2:30:22
And, like, my you know, one of my coworkers have left, gone for other things.
2:30:28
It's, and I know like anecdotally, at least, you know, I just work out in the woods, but I know like in the like, more like maintenance side, it's just, there's just so much stuff to do and so much that so little capacity.
2:30:45
We don't have people, like, working in fixed post and parks anymore, and we haven't had that for decades.
2:30:50
So it's definitely gotten worse, but it's like a long term problem when you have a model where you kind of go from park to park to park instead of just being in that same park, and especially for, the kind of more, like, ecological roles like gardeners, people in forestry, that kind of and recreation for rangers.
2:31:11
There just hasn't been that kind of, like, level of commitment that's needed in order to, like, really meet, the, like, huge ecological promise and, like, necessity of caring for, like I mean, it's, like, 20,000 acres.
2:31:24
I mean, we have huge, huge forest in in New York City, and a lot of them are just kind of basically, like, people just don't go in them.
2:31:31
Like, don't do much work in them.
2:31:33
They're kind of neglected for a while, and these are really our jewels.
2:31:37
Like, they're awesome.
2:31:37
I love the woods.
2:31:38
You know?
2:31:39
And, I think we really need that sustained resources in order to, like, you know, really be good ecological stewards for this land.
Lincoln Restler
2:31:47
I think you said that perfectly well.
2:31:50
And I really wanna thank you again just like, Carmen did for being with us on your lunch break.
2:31:55
It means a lot.
2:31:56
And your testimony matters, and we promise to do our best to fight, in the city council to support our parks and to support our park workers.
2:32:03
We know you all have been going above and beyond to try and maintain conditions on our parks, and, we wanna thank you for your service to our city and for your care for our parks.
2:32:12
And, thank you for being with us today.
Isaac Kirk Davidoff
2:32:15
Thank you.
Lincoln Restler
2:32:16
It's now my privilege to recognize former chair of the governmental operations committee, council member Gail Brewer.
