ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220108
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Council members also said the $52,000 budgeted for next year for cleaning up parks isn't nearly enough for all the needs.
Members of Roanoke City Council on Monday praised Sheriff Alvin Hudson for using jail inmates to clean up deteriorating city parks. But in nearly the same breath, they publicly questioned the city administration on why the parks were allowed to get that way.
"I would really like to know how we ended up with our public facilities in such sad shape," Councilman William White said at the end of Monday afternoon's meeting.
White requested, with council support, that City Manager Bob Herbert report to members at a later date on why park maintenance has been deferred for years.
Herbert included an additional $52,000 in his recommended 1998 budget for materials and temporary help to clean up city parks and alleys.
But after the public session, White called that amount "peanuts," and Councilman Carroll Swain agreed.
"It's not enough money - let's face it, there's more that needs to be done," Swain said.
Herbert later said that during budget preparations he'd received no signals that council members wanted significantly higher funding for park maintenance.
A March 9 report in The Roanoke Times detailed deteriorating conditions in many city parks, particularly on the north side of town. The report also noted that per capita, the city spends less annually on parks and recreation than almost every other city in Virginia.
"From what I read in the paper and talking to citizens, it seems that our parks are in pretty bad shape," White said. "Either we're not providing enough money, or our staff is not doing its job. I'm trying to figure out which one it is, and why did we not take care of this until we got into a crisis?"
Herbert said he was unsure how long it would take him to report back to council with the answers. Also in the works is a $100,000 contract for a consultant to come up with a city parks master plan.
Herbert's recommended Parks and Grounds budget this year totaled $3.66 million, of which a portion is spent on parks. Besides parks, the department handles tree trimming, leaf collection, street and alley cleaning, and reforestation throughout the city.
The department's total recommended budget is $16,000 less than the current year's, not including the additional $52,000 that Herbert has recommended for cleanup.
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