Monday, March 23, 2026, 11:30 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on Parks and Recreation
The Committee on Parks and Recreation held a preliminary budget and Preliminary Mayor's Management Report hearing on the Department of Parks and Recreation for Fiscal Year 2027. Commissioner Trisha Shimomura testified that the FY27 preliminary expense budget is $604 million, a $33.7 million decrease from the FY26 adopted budget, which she attributed to the routine expiration of one-shot funding items. Chair Ty Hankerson and multiple council members pressed the administration on the Mayor's campaign pledge to allocate 1% of the city budget to parks, the reliance on one-shot funding for roughly 276 positions including PEP officers and Urban Park Rangers, lifeguard recruitment, capital project delays, tree planting and pruning, and recreation center projects including Shirley Chisholm, Brownsville, and Sunset Park. Members also raised constituent issues including bathroom construction costs, park cleanliness, community gardens, and concession revenue. Public testimony, largely from unions and the Play Fair for Parks and Forest for All NYC coalitions, urged baselining one-shot positions and reaching 1% funding. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with public testimony.
0:15 Soon Chris good morning and
0:15 welcome to today's New York
0:17 City Council hearing for the
0:18 committee on parks and
0:20 recreations at this time
0:21 ladies and gentlemen will be
0:22 pleased to have to do silence
0:24 all electronic devices you
0:25 you'd like to fill out a test
0:26 and when you slipped and
0:28 please please see the sergeant
0:29 at arms on back and at no
0:30 point in Thomas anybody t
0:31 oapproach the dais chair you
0:34 begin thank you uh good
0:35 morning and welcome to the
0:36 parks and recreation
0:37 committees hearing on the
0:39 fiscal 20 27 preliminary
0:41 budget and the preliminary
0:43 mayor's management report for
0:44 the department of parks and
0:46 recreation
0:47 . My name is Ty Hankerson and
0:47 I am the chair of the parks
0:48 and recreation committee I'd
0:50 like to acknowledge my fellow
0:53 Council Member.
0:54 Dr youssef salam who is also
0:56 here present today and I'll
0:58 acknowledge others as they
1:00 come in.
1:01 Today we'll be hearing
1:02 testimony from the department
1:04 of parks and recreation on its
1:06 fiscal 20 20.
1:06 Seven preliminary budget
1:09 which totals $654 million a
1:12 decrease of compared to the
1:15 fiscal 20 26 adopted budget.
1:17 It seem like this amount is
1:19 enough to properly fund our
1:23 parks department.
1:23 But this is still nowhere
1:24 near the 1% goal that the
1:26 Mayor campaigned on we need t
1:29 ostrive to create better park
1:32 systems for all New yorkers
1:33 and that starts with proper
1:37 funding.
1:37 This budget moves in the
1:41 wrong direction
1:41 . No one doubts the dedication
1:42 of our parks workers and no
1:45 one disputes that this agency
1:46 can point to real progress in
1:48 some areas let me make that
1:50 clear.
1:50 But New York our's cannot be
1:52 acts to confuse progress in
1:53 some areas with stability when
1:57 corps services still depend on
2:00 one shot's the message t
2:02 oworkers and is that standard
2:04 care is still negotiable
2:09 public safety still leans on
2:10 temporary funding fully funded
2:12 capital projects are still
2:13 waiting because the staffing
2:15 capacity needed for review is
2:17 not there we are now just
2:18 trying to recover from the
2:20 adams administration's 2 4 1
2:22 hiring reduction
2:24 . To many neighborhoods still
2:25 go through hotter summers with
2:26 less shade and less relief
2:29 because a tree canopy remains
2:31 uneven
2:32 . And as we head into summer
2:33 beaches and pools will again
2:35 depend on lifeguards and other
2:37 seasonal staff to open strong
2:38 and to stay safe routine
2:42 expiration does not make the
2:46 impact routine
2:46 . If these services are
2:48 essential every year then the
2:50 funding should be there every
2:54 year
2:54 . Our workers are parky need
2:56 stable better pay and real
2:59 protections and our
3:01 communities need a park system
3:03 that serves every borough with
3:05 the same standard of care the
3:06 fiscal 20 27 preliminary
3:08 budget includes $50000 in New
3:10 needs for fiscal 20 27
3:12 . Hundred 27000 and other
3:15 adjustments and no savings
3:16 there are only two New needs
3:18 included in the plan with the
3:19 majority of the funding coming
3:21 from mold and a bestest
3:23 removal at the owen dolan
3:25 recreation center there is
3:27 also a state grant of 1.6
3:30 million for lifeguard
3:31 recruitment.
3:31 The committee is excited t
3:33 ohear testimony related to the
3:37 27 preliminary plan
3:38 specifically one shots
3:40 lifeguards and centers
3:42 . Before we begin with
3:43 testimony I would like t
3:44 othank council staff for their
3:45 sorry michael sherman ourm ye
3:52 committee staff Christopher
3:54 satori and patrick mulvihill
3:56 and my own staff chief of
3:58 staff marisela keno uh cleave
4:03 destiny and amara johnson I
4:06 will not I will now ask the
4:07 committee counsel to go over
4:08 some procedural items and
4:10 swear in the representatives
4:11 from the department but before
4:11 they do so let me acknowledge
4:15 Council Member sheik krishna
4:17 and Council Member Sandra
4:19 member Frank Morano I think
4:22 that's all we have so far with
4:23 that I give it to the
4:26 committee counsel thank you
4:28 chair wood commissioner with
4:29 the commissioner and
4:30 representatives of the parks
4:31 . Department please raise your
4:32 right hand if you're able do
4:34 you affirm to tell the truth
4:35 the whole truth and nothing
4:36 but the truth in your
4:37 testimony before this
4:38 committee and to respond
4:39 honestly to Council Member
4:41 questions I do I do thank you
4:42 and you can begin when ready
4:45 thank you all right great good
4:49 morning cheer Hankerson
4:50 members of the parks committee
4:51 and members of the council my
4:54 name is trisha shimomura
4:55 commissioner of New York City
4:56 department of parks and
4:58 recreation I am pleased to be
4:59 here today to testify
5:00 regarding the agency's fiscal
5:02 year 20 27 preliminary budget
5:04 and to be joined by several
5:06 members of our agencies senior
5:08 leadership since this is my
5:10 first opportunity to testify
5:11 at a council budget hearing as
5:14 commissioner and some of you
5:15 be New to the council or t
5:17 othe parks committee before we
5:19 speak to the proposed budget
5:20 I'd like to offer a brief
5:21 overview of our agency
5:24 outlined some recent successes
5:26 we've enjoyed and provide a
5:27 sense of what we want t
5:28 oachieve in the years ahead New
5:29 York City parks is responsible
5:32 for over 30000 acres of land
5:34 14% of New York city's surface
5:37 area including more than 500
5:39 0individual properties spanning
5:41 from rockaway beach to palm
5:42 bay park with an incredible
5:44 array of uses and functions
5:46 ranging from tiny community
5:47 gardens to miles of green
5:48 streets in the properties
5:50 under our jurisdiction you'll
5:52 find over 800 athletic fields
5:54 and nearly a thousan
5:55 dplaygrounds 1800 basketball
5:57 courts 700 public restroom
5:58 buildings 550 tennis courts 6
6:03 5public pools 51 recreational
6:04 facilities 15 nature centers
6:07 14 of beaches 1200 monuments
6:11 23 historic house museums and
6:12 over 5 million trees two
6:14 months ago I was appointed by
6:16 Mayor mom donny to lead this
6:18 incredible agency tasked with
6:20 improving the lives of
6:20 millions of New York er's each
6:21 and every day the Mayor has
6:23 outlined his vision for a more
6:25 affordable City and I am very
6:26 proud to be leading the agency
6:29 of affordability because parks
6:30 are for everyone our park
6:33 spaces are free and open t
6:34 oall New yorkers regardless of
6:36 your zip code your ethnicity
6:37 or your tax bracket to go out
6:39 and enjoy our City parks you
6:40 just need a comfortable pair
6:41 of shoes and the clothing on
6:44 your back in a City where a
6:44 gym membership can cost you
6:47 hundreds of dollars every
6:48 month and a simple family
6:49 night out of the movies can
6:51 break the bank we are
6:53 providing completely free
6:55 recreational educational and
6:56 cultural programming in parks
6:57 throughout the year as well as
6:59 free and low cost access to
7:01 our recreation centers that
7:02 every New yorker can enjoy as
7:04 commissioner I will work t
7:05 oensure that our parks and
7:06 facilities aren't just
7:08 accessible they need to be
7:09 engaging in active spaces that
7:10 New York er's can be proud of
7:12 whether they're looking for a
7:13 chance to exercise get closer
7:14 to nature gather with family
7:16 or neighbors or simply just
7:17 sit and take in a moment of
7:18 peace from our crowded and
7:21 noisy streets New York er's
7:22 rely on our City parks as
7:25 essential City infrastructure
7:26 so our staff needs to care for
7:28 these spaces just like their
7:30 own backyards because for so
7:32 many New yorkers that is
7:33 exactly what they are and they
7:34 need to be clean and welcoming
7:37 public spaces that provide a
7:38 sense of belonging and joy in
7:39 just these few past months
7:41 I've already seen countless
7:42 examples of the hard work and
7:44 dedication that our incredible
7:46 employees who are essential
7:48 workers striving for
7:49 excellence in the public realm
7:50 and delivering for New yorkers
7:52 every single day when New York
7:55 experienced record levels of
7:56 snow and severe weather from
7:58 the recent winter storms
7:59 including a deep freeze that
8:00 felt like it would never end
8:02 parks employees were out on
8:04 the front lines working 1
8:05 2hour shifts cleaning our park
8:07 perimeter sidewalks and
8:09 intersections resolving
8:10 dangerous tree related
8:11 conditions and patrolling the
8:12 lakes and ponds within our
8:13 parks keeping New York er's
8:15 safe this is the level of
8:16 dedication that our employees
8:18 bring to this agency every day g
8:20 up to the example that they
8:23 set last month we were
8:23 thrilled to celebrate the
8:24 opening of Shirley chisholm
8:26 recreation center the first
8:27 New park recreation center in
8:29 over a decade the first ever
8:31 in central brooklyn and the
8:33 largest recreation center in
8:33 the entire borough located
8:34 right in the heart of little
8:37 haiti the residents of east
8:38 flatbush and midwood finally
8:40 have access to a state of the
8:41 art facility with 74000 square
8:44 feet of space offering
8:46 swimming and competition size
8:49 six lane pool team sports
8:52 exercise educational
8:53 programming a teaching kitchen
8:54 and even an audio visual
8:55 production media lab like all
8:57 of our parks recreation
8:59 centers memberships are
9:00 entirely free for kids and
9:01 young adults and incredibly
9:03 affordable for New yorkers of
9:05 all ages we're grateful to our
9:07 partner agencies for their
9:09 collaboration especially the
9:10 department of design and
9:11 construction for delivering
9:12 the project through a design
9:14 build contracting years faster
9:15 than would have otherwise been
9:17 possible and to our elected
9:18 officials and local community
9:19 members for their tireless
9:20 advocacy and support for the
9:22 project Shirley chisholm is an
9:23 american icon and here as well
9:25 as a hero to me and millions
9:27 of others.
9:27 Opening this facility in her
9:28 honor is an incredible
9:30 testament to her legacy and a
9:31 reminder that our government
9:33 can and must deliver for
9:35 everyone not just the rich and
9:37 powerful this commitment t
9:38 oequity and fairness meant that
9:39 we means that we also believe
9:41 that all New yorkers should
9:42 have access to vibrant high
9:44 quality parks so we were
9:45 excited to recently announce
9:47 the newest phase of our
9:48 community parks initiative
9:48 also known as $50 million in
9:52 New capital investment will
9:54 deliver the transformative
9:55 reconstruction of 10 parks
9:57 serving neighborhoods in all
9:58 five boroughs that have
9:59 historically been neglected
10:00 and underserved through this
10:01 initiative we are using data
10:03 driven methodology and working
10:05 with local communities t
10:07 ocreate and revive a thriving
10:10 over the past decade we have
10:13 wholly reimagined and
10:14 reconstructed 70 projects for
10:17 local neighborhood parks with
10:18 dozens more actively under way
10:21 over half a billion dollars of
10:23 capital funding for rebuilding
10:25 parks and playgrounds that
10:26 haven't seen significant
10:27 investment in decades many of
10:29 those underserved
10:30 neighborhoods are also
10:31 impacted by high higher heat
10:32 vulnerability and some
10:34 communities aren't benefiting
10:35 equally from cities urban tree
10:37 canopy which is vital living
10:40 infrastructure we believe that
10:40 every City every New York City
10:42 neighborhood should get t
10:43 oenjoy the benefits that trees
10:44 provide and we're working t
10:46 oexpand our tree canopy to with
10:48 and equitable fashion thanks
10:53 to the concentrated planting
10:54 strategy adopted through our
10:56 recently launched neighborhood
10:57 tree planting program now New
10:59 streets are planted on a data
11:01 driven basis of fairness and
11:04 efficiency prioritizing the
11:05 most heat vulnerable
11:07 neighborhoods first as a
11:08 matter of environmental
11:10 justice.
11:10 Even in its early stages
11:11 this New efficient approach is
11:13 already delivering results for
11:14 New yorkers
11:14 . In our most recent fall
11:16 winter planting season that
11:18 just concluded we're planted
11:19 over 9500 trees along our
11:22 streets and in our parks the
11:24 highest planting levels in
11:25 over a decade with the support
11:27 of the Mayor and many of your
11:28 offices we engaged in a
11:30 massive publicity campaign t
11:31 oget the word out to New York
11:32 er's willing to rise up to the
11:34 challenge and become part of
11:35 our lifeguard team for the up
11:37 for this coming summer and as
11:39 we offered quail and we
11:41 offered qualifying tests at
11:42 indoor pools around the City
11:44 including our recreation
11:45 centers as well as New York
11:46 City public school sites we
11:47 are working to get these New
11:49 recruits trained certified and
11:50 ready to protect New York er's
11:52 serving alongside our
11:54 returning lifeguards so that
11:55 the upcoming beach and pool
11:56 season can be even more
11:57 successful than the one we
11:58 enjoyed this past summer in
12:00 summer 20 25 over 9 million
12:03 people visited our public
12:04 beaches and pools and we
12:05 expanded the number of free
12:07 summertime learn to swim
12:08 classes and were able to bring
12:11 back senior splash and lap
12:12 swimming programs to our
12:13 outdoor pools for the first
12:14 time since the covid pandemic
12:16 this was all made possible
12:17 through an incredibly focused
12:19 campaign to recruit and
12:20 retrain lifeguards and expands
12:22 training opportunities which
12:23 is an effort that will carry
12:25 on as we seek to build on that
12:26 momentum as seen in the fiscal
12:28 year 20 26 preliminary mayors
12:30 management report released
12:32 earlier this month are mmr
12:34 ratings for overall part
12:35 condition and part cleanliness
12:36 in the first four months of
12:37 this current fiscal year
12:39 increased by one percentage
12:41 point in each category
12:42 compared to the same period of
12:44 25 rising to 86% to 93%
12:48 respectively among other
12:49 factors we believe this
12:50 improvement can be credited t
12:52 othe expansion of our secon
12:53 dshift maintenance staffing
12:55 approach which strategically
12:56 targets 200 heavily used park
12:58 locations during peak use
12:58 evening hours and weekends t