Several City Council members rejected a plan to cut more than 3,000 hours at recreation centers from next year’s city budget.
Parks and Recreation officials presented the plan Thursday, saying research has shown that the hours targeted for reduction are hardly used by the public.
But at least four City Council members asked the city to think again.
“These are unacceptable,” said Councilwoman Judy Montero. “What doesn’t make sense about this is that they are all in poor neighborhoods.”
The moves particularly drew the attention of council representatives from west Denver, where several of the affected rec centers are located.
Councilman Rick Garcia said he was “a little distressed as to the geography,” and Councilman Paul Lopez said he was “very uncomfortable” with the moves.
The comments came as the Parks and Recreation Department presented its plan in the first of a series of briefings on Mayor John Hickenlooper’s proposed budget.
But questions on a proposal to reduce recreation center access by a total of 3,281 hours next year at 12 facilities took most of the attention.
Parks and Recreation director Kim Bailey and her deputy, Daniel Betts, repeatedly explained to council members that the move was based on exhaustive studies. Many of the hours that would be cut, they said, are times when facilities are not used.
“We looked at hours where we were open, where we had staff in the building but no activities taking place,” Betts said.
The move would save between $150,000 and $200,000.
But at-large Councilman Doug Linkhart said the budget reflects only part of the study.
“What we have here are the reductions from that study,” he said.
Linkhart said the city “heard loudly” through a study that the public wants more hours.
Linkhart said after the meeting he wants the number of hours restored before the 2008 budget is approved.
Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, Kelly Brough, suggested the city may want to look at how recreation services are distributed.
“Our model was built in the ’60s and ’70s,” Brough said, though she noted that would be “a huge process.”
The city’s budget briefings continue today and into next week.
