Citywide Sustainable Park
Maintenance Annual Report
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
February 12, 2026
Avi Yotam, Deputy Director
Torie O’Reilly, Division Manager
Claire Cioni, Program Manager
Eddie Moreno, Parks, Recreation & Facilities Supervisor Measuring Our Efforts
Park Condition
Assessment
• Two assessments in
2025: Traditional and
Higher Standard
• 20 Categories
• Pass/Fail
Standards
• Teams of 2-3 Staff
Community
Perception
• Park User Survey
• City Manager’s
Community
Satisfaction Survey
• Statistically Valid
Voter Survey
Bridging
Gaps
• Healthy Places Index
to prioritize equity
• Contractors and
volunteers to stretch
resources
2 • Park Condition Assessments provide a consistent, citywide view of park maintenance performance and resources. • 2025 assessments used two service levels: Traditional and Higher Standards.
• Comparing the two standards highlights the gap between budgeted capacity and community expectations. • Park quality is influenced by multiple factors, including maintenance, capital needs, and community values. • Results inform maintenance priorities, resource allocation, and transparent communication with City leadership and the public.
Annual Park Condition Assessments
3 Example
4 San José’s park
system is facing a
widening gap
between community
expectations and
the resources
available to meet
them.
5 Average PCA Score for Parks
Higher standards reveal conditions not
visible under traditional scoring.
6 Average PCA Score for Civic Grounds
Higher standards reveal conditions not
visible under traditional scoring.
7 Overall PCA Scores for Developed Acres of
Parkland
8 Comparing Traditional and Higher Standards
by Council District and Healthy Places Index
Higher standards will be used in future assessments to ensure that true disparities in park condition are accurately reflected. 9 Community Perception
Annual Park User Survey
Voluntary survey
17 Categories
0-10 ranking
320 survey
responses
10 Community Perception
Citywide Surveys
11 • September 2025 survey of 1,000+ voters shows parks are widely used and highly valued
• YET more than 1 in 10 voters associate parks with the need for better maintenance and care
• Top priorities: clean parks, well-maintained restrooms, and weed removal to reduce wildfire risk (there is low satisfaction with these priorities) • Results reveal gap between expectations and current conditions What Voters Say About Parks
12 Taking Care of More With Less
Note: Contractors now provide the equivalent of 12 FTE for restrooms and maintain 150 acres of pocket parks, but this still leaves a 14% reduction in staffing alongside the increase in acreage. 13 Leveraging Resources
Contractors
• Park restrooms
• 150 acres of
pocket parks
• Forestry
• Weed
abatement for
fire fuel
reduction
Resilience
Corps
• Partnership
with San Jose
Conservation
Corps
• Support park
maintenance
• Careers for
young people
Volunteers
• 47,340 hours =
22.75 FTE
• Focus on lower
HPI areas
• Limited scope
but still helpful
Graffiti
Removal
• Pilot with
BeautifySJ
• Contractor
proactively
removing
graffiti in highly
impacted parks
14 15
Capital data will be integrated into Sustainable Park Maintenance Annual Report • Improve transparency
• Better align resources and investments
• Strengthen planning
Maintenance
Assessments
Capital
Assessments
Full Picture
of Park
Conditions
Integrating Capital Data
Deferred Infrastructure
Maintenance Backlog
• Aging infrastructure drives reactive
repairs over preventative care
• Reduced capacity delays routine
maintenance, increasing long-term costs
• Refining the parks-specific backlog
estimate to improve clarity
• Updated citywide estimate expected at
City Council this spring
$554 million
for parks &
recreation facilities
16 Use Higher Standards for Park Condition Assessments Develop a Parks and Recreation Master Plan to better coordinate maintenance and capital planning. Expand capital infrastructure assessments to better plan long-term investments and present a full picture of park conditions. Build the case for permanent and reliable funding for park maintenance to achieve the park system the community wants and deserves. Align current and future investments with community priorities for cleanliness, safety, and values.
Moving Forward
17 Citywide Sustainable Park
Maintenance Annual Report
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
February 12, 2026
Avi Yotam, Deputy Director
Torie O’Reilly, Division Manager
Claire Cioni, Program Manager
Eddie Moreno, Parks, Recreation & Facilities Supervisor