As part of the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Board meeting this week, the three 2022 budgets for the parks were unanimously approved by the Board. The budgets show increases due to four items and will go before the Common Council this summer for approval.
Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer presented his budget proposals, starting with the 204 budget which includes personnel, maintenance, supplies and similar items.
For salaries and wages, he said they were requested to put a 3.5% increase in there for two salaried employees, 17 hourly employees, 28 seasonal employees and overtime. With that increase, salaries and wages totals $1,087,000. A 12% increase was proposed for insurance “just in case insurance goes up,” he said, at a total of $480,000. PERF was proposed at $122,000; FICA at $84,000; and unemployment at $5,000. Other personal services, which is for five Parks employees that have them, was proposed at $2,000. The total of personal services increased by 11%.
There was no increase for office supplies, while operating supplies increased 3% because of the increase in costs for everything. “Just everything went sky high on us,” Plummer said.
For resurfacing of Pike Lake beach parking lot, $100,000 was added to repair and maintenance supplies. Plummer said that was for materials only and the Street Department’s paver would be used. “I don’t know if most of you have driven out there, but it’s getting pretty bad. It’s up and down and cracking and everything else,” he said. Because of that paving work, the repair and maintenance supplies increased by 61% to a total of $190,200.
There was no increase to other supplies for meals for snow removal crew, though Plummer said that money is rarely used.
Council representative to the Parks Board, Diane Quance, asked if the parking lot paving was part of the parks’ five-year plan. Plummer said it was.
Under other services and charges, there was a 20% decrease for a total of $74,300. Plummer said the decrease was because the five-year master plan was figured into the 2021 budget and the plan is being completed this year.
Funding for communication and transportation was decreased 84% because items like internet were moved to the Common Council budget. Printing and advertising had no increase, as did the insurance for facilities and grounds. Utility services was left at $139,400.
A total of $40,000 was added to repairs and maintenance for Central Park East Shelter parking lot to raise the curb and asphalt. In 2020, the Indiana Street parking lot was addressed and this year Phend & Brown will do the West parking lot.
No increase was given to rentals or other services and charges.
Under capital outlays, $100,000 was added. Plummer explained, “Our new park office/maintenance facility, we’re looking to, depending on the price of what that price comes in at, to create some money upfront for that and possibly doing a 10-year mortgage for $100,000 a year. We’re getting close to knowing the guaranteed maximum price on that. It’s kind of scary because materials are skyrocketing right now, so we’re hoping it comes in where we think it is, but you just never know. But they’re getting real close to that so in the next couple of weeks we ought to know where that’s at.”
Machinery and equipment has a 52% increase proposed for 2022 over 2021 because of $50,000 for Rarick Park equipment and $92,000 budgeted for the Mantis Skate Park relocation.
On Rarick Park equipment, Plummer told the Board, “We found out in our surveys there maybe a full-blown playground isn’t what they may want to see over there. They’d like to see a walking trail around there, benches, swingsets, an occasional gazebo or piece on the side of the sidewalks. That’s the feedback we’re getting over there as opposed to just a big playground structure.”
The money for the Mantis Skate Park relocation is part of the $250,000 Indiana Department of Natural Resources grant match. The Parks will know in August or September whether it will get the grant.
The total proposed 204 budget for 2022 is $2,910,700, and Plummer attributed that to the paving of Pike Lake parking lot, payment for new office/garage, relocation of skate park grant match and personal services. The Parks Board unanimously approved recommending the budget to the Council.
The total proposed 2022 budget for the nonreverting recreation budget (211) is $20,350, while the 2022 budget for the nonreverting capital fund (403) was proposed at $30,000.
