A possible $3.5 million budget gap for the coming years is serving as a backdrop for a series of presentations from Bethlehem town department heads on possible cuts and consolidations.
On Wednesday, June 13, the Parks and Recreation Department presented to the Town Board a list of possible budget eliminations that was created with the help of the Budget Advisory Committee.
“It’s not that we would want to make these cuts, but they are options for the board to consider,” said Parks and Recreation Administrator Nan Lanahan.
After working with Lanahan for several weeks, Joan Gavilik, a member of the Budget Advisory Committee, presented the information to the board.
The Parks and Recreation Department has an annual budget of $1.7 million, of which about 40 percent is supplemented by user fees. In addition, the Office of Children and Family Services provides about $10,000 each year to offset costs of specific programs like Youth Employment Services, a program to help young adults find jobs, and the Middle School Pit, a meeting place for students after school.
“I think we all know as Bethlehem residents we have very strong Parks and Rec programs,” said Gavilik. “That’s why a lot of us move to Bethlehem and a lot of us want to live here.”
The committee looked at areas to decrease costs or increase revenue by comparing operations to what is done in other municipalities.
According to Lanahan, the department spends the most in ball field maintenance, as well as caring for the golf course and pool.
“Changes to those areas would have the most impact to budget,” she said in an interview after the meeting.
There are 26 ball fields under town ownership. Gavilik said the budget committee found the fields are better maintained than those of the school district or other municipalities in the area. By scaling down maintenance and providing less equipment like goals, the department could save about $20,000. Also, an additional $7,000 could be taken in if there was an increase in user fees. Fees have not been raised since 2007.
Suggested options to save money at the Elm Avenue Park pool include raising user fees for children between 2 and 4 years old and for seniors, which could increase revenue by up to $18,000. Another suggestion was to shorten the season by one week at the end of the year. This would save between $6,600 and $9,000.
“Another option, which is a little more controversial, is to allow non-residents access to the pool,” said Gavilik.
Non-residents can only visit the pool if accompanied by a town resident. It was not known how much revenue could be realized by opening up pool access.
“There is an interest there,” said Lanahan. “When the Thatcher Park Pool closed a while ago we had an influx of people call about using our pool, so those people were looking for places to go. Plus people in the RCS community and City of Albany that may not have the facilities we have.”
Concerning the golf course, Lanahan said attendance has been on the decline over the past three years and the course has been operating at a loss. In 2008, the town took over Colonial Acres Golf Course and entered into a five-year agreement with the Open Land Conservancy to keep it open. The lease will expire in August and for the first time the town has the option to close the facility, saving an estimated $20,000.
Lanahan said there is a correlation between decreased attendance at Colonial Acres and the opening of the private Hidden Meadows course several years ago. Both courses offer par three play, but Hidden Meadows has 18 holes and Colonial Acres has nine.
“We probably draw similar clientele,” Lanahan said.
Instead of closing the course, the town could increase rates, but it is unknown how much would be made by doing so and the course needs capital improvements like new sewer lines and a new clubhouse.
Other options outlined include closing the ice rink in Elm Avenue Park, eliminating lighting at night for tennis and basketball courts, eliminating a night ranger position and instituting a carry-in/carry-out policy for trash in parks. Another option includes eliminating the aforementioned Middle School PIT and YES programs.
The committee suggested creating a “Friends of the Bethlehem Parks and Rec” group to help raise funds and provide maintenance of areas, pursuing various grants and possibly entering into a shared services agreement with the Highway Department.
The board will be hearing from the Budget Advisory Committee on other town departments as the fall budget season approaches.
“This is the first in a series, and it raises some interesting standards…” said Supervisor John Clarkson. “There’s no easy answer.”
The next board meeting will include a presentation from the Highway Department and Department of Public Works.
