Forest, Parks & Beach Department: Only 3% of City’s Annual Budget

ABSTRACT: Items involving the Forest, Parks and Beach Department are presently, including a recent expenditure for weed abatement in Mission Trail Nature Preserve and budgetary items from the adopted budget. Comments are made with respect to the City’s failure to adequately fund the Forest, Parks and Beach Department. Carmel-by-the-Sea October 2007 Check Register 113984 10/9/07 CARMEL GARDEN & IRRIGATN $ 8,613.00 WEED ABATEMENT-MISSION TRAILS PARK & FLANDERS PROPERTY CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA CALIFORNIA ADOPTED BUDGET FISCAL YEARS 2007/08 THROUGH 2009/10 FOREST, PARKS AND BEACH The Forest, Parks and Beach Department manages and maintains the City's urban forest, parks and beach in order to preserve the windbreak protection, abate soil erosion, enhance the natural beauty, and maintain the outdoor recreational facilities of the community. Revised 07/08: Salaries / Benefits $ 274,909 Materials / Services $ 182,752 Total $ 457,661 NOTE: FY 2007/08 Salaries of $182,376 is $8,364 less than FY 2006/07 Salaries of $190,740, while FY 2007/08 Outside Labor of $129,431 is $25,000 more than FY 2006/07 of $104,431. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FY 2007-2008 PUBLIC SERVICES FPB Forester Tree Care Specialists (2) 66 Full-Time Employees COMMENTS: • With a Forest, Parks and Beach Department mission of managing and maintaining “the City's urban forest, parks and beach in order to preserve the windbreak protection, abate soil erosion, enhance the natural beauty, and maintain the outdoor recreational facilities of the community,” the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea cannot fulfill its mission with only an Acting City Forester, two Tree Care Specialists and a budget of $457,661 for Fiscal year 2007/08. • $457,661 Forest, Parks and Beach FY 2007/08 Budget represents only 3% of the total Revised Budget of $13,094,894 for FY 2007/08. And 3 Full-Time Forest, Parks and Beach employees represent only 5% of the total number of city employees (66) for FY 2007/08. • The October 2007 expenditure of $8,613.00 to Carmel Garden & Irrigation for “Weed Abatement” in Mission Trail Nature Preserve and Flanders Mansion Property would be unnecessary if the City Council staffed the Forest, Parks and Beach Department with an adequate number of employees. Moreover, the advantage of having full-time employees as opposed to outside consultants is their commitment to the City and their institutional memory which allows them to anticipate the needs and requirements of the forest, parks and beach and swiftly act to accomplish those needs and requirements. • In view of the recent reports entitled “Suggested Replacement Trees for Use in the Carmel Forest”, “A View of the Future Forest of the City of Carmel” and “Results of a Review of Trees in a Two Block Transect of Carmel” by Consulting Arborist Barrie Coate, why hasn’t there been a City Council agenda item on drastically increasing the Forest, Parks and Beach budget to reflect the dire need of the City’s urbanized forest alone, especially in the context of the announced $1.9 million surplus?