TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Jon Cicirelli
SUBJECT: See below DATE: April 7, 2025
Approved
Date:
4/11/2025
SUBJECT: Parks Maintenance and Capital Funding Study Session
PURPOSE
The goal of the Study Session is to educate and engage the City Council on funding for park maintenance, capital projects, and a preliminary work plan for a 2026 parks funding ballot measure.
OUTCOME
City Council will:
• Understand the primary funding sources for the Parks and Capital Divisions within the Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department. • Have a renewed perspective on park maintenance and funding challenges. • Gain insight into how San José’s parks system compares to other cities. • Learn about opportunities to improve park funding in the future, including a potential 2026 parks funding ballot measure.
BACKGROUND
The City of San José officially established its Parks and Recreation Department in 1942.
Now called the Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) Department, the Department’s Core Services include the following:
• Community Facilities Development (Create uniquely San José places that foster relationships with people and nature and offer a civic presence), • Community Services (Empower and support residents, schools, and local organizations to make the City more livable, safe, and clean), • Parks Maintenance and Operations (Ensure the proper maintenance and operation of City parks, trails, and open spaces that provide opportunities for residents to connect to nature and lead active, healthy lifestyles), • Recreation Services (Through recreation, promote play and health, strengthen communities, and enrich lives), and
STUDY SESSION: 4/15/2025
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 7, 2025
Subject: Parks Maintenance and Capital Funding Study Session
• Strategic Support (Budget and Financial Management Services, Contracting Services, Employee Services, Marketing and Public Information, and Emergency Response and Recovery).
The PRNS Department has evolved to address diverse community needs, including park maintenance and construction, community centers, sports, afterschool care, meals for seniors, services for the unhoused community, and engagement with San José’s 190 neighborhood associations. At its core, PRNS is focused on creating healthy communities that inspire belonging. Maintaining safe and thriving parks is critical to this vision.
For years, the PRNS Department has been exploring opportunities to identify ongoing funding for San José parks, including a tax or bond measure. On August 6, 2024, the City Council directed staff to defer consideration of a measure from the 2024 election to the 2026 ballot so staff can educate and engage the community on the topic.
On October 30, 2024, the Rules and Open Government Committee approved a recommendation from Councilmember Ortiz to hold a City Council Study Session on park maintenance and capital funding. The goal of the Study Session is to educate and engage the City Council on funding for park maintenance, capital projects, and a preliminary work plan for a 2026 parks funding ballot measure.
ANALYSIS
The Study Session will cover the following topics:
• Department history;
• How parks are funded;
• How parks are maintained;
• How San José’s parks compare to other cities; and
• Opportunities to improve how parks are funded, including a 2026 parks funding ballot measure.
The attached Overview of Parks Maintenance and Capital Funding provides more in- depth information on the topics listed above.
/s/
JON CICIRELLI
Director of Parks, Recreation, and
Neighborhood Services
For general questions, please contact Andrea Flores Shelton, Assistant Director, at [email protected]. For park maintenance-related questions, please contact Avi Yotam, Deputy Director of Parks, at [email protected]. For capital
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 7, 2025
Subject: Parks Maintenance and Capital Funding Study Session
project-related questions, please contact Raymond Costantino, Deputy Director of Capital Projects, at [email protected].
ATTACHMENT: Overview of Parks Maintenance and Capital Funding