Budget boost only one-year reprieve for park hours - Department working on long-term solutions

When the San Diego County Board of Supervisors adopted the County of San Diego’s 2010-11 budget June 29, the county supervisors approved a change letter to allocate $360,000 for the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation to maintain operational days and hours at twelve county park facilities. Supervisor Dianne Jacob authored the change letter after noting that the Department of Parks and Recreation was looking into various options such as volunteer and community organizations to maintain park days and hours without the additional funding.

“It bought us time this year to figure out long-term solutions,” said Brian Albright, the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. “It keeps the parks open for this year, but it’s important to note that that was a one-time stopgap measure.”

While none of the parks whose hours would have been cut without the change letter are in Greater Fallbrook, the benefits of a solution could protect other parks from future cutbacks.

“Park staff is working on the finishing touches for a formal adopt-a-park program,” Albright said.

Albright does not expect funding to be restored for the 2011-12 budget.

“The forecast is no better than it was last year,” he said. “It’s important that we work with communities in each of these areas that are slated for park hour reduction.”

To some extent such a program already exists for Live Oak Park in Fallbrook. During the county’s fiscal crisis in the early 1990s, Live Oak Park was slated for closure. Fallbrook citizens formed the Live Oak Park Coalition, which is now responsible for

maintenance of the park.

“That’s a good example,” Albright said of the Live Oak Park Coalition. “Although their role is limited in terms of day-to-day operations, they have been a fantastic partner for County Parks.”

The work of the Live Oak Park Coalition includes major maintenance and capital improvements.

“That’s a great formula, that’s a great example, but what we really need now are groups who are willing to step up in these local communities,” Albright said, noting that day-to-day management is where volunteer and community organizations will most likely be needed.

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