Park officials ask for bigger security budget

Denver Parks and Recreation officials Monday asked the city council for an additional $1.6 million in its 2023 budget to enhance security measures at parks, prompting a councilmember to note the gruesome murder of a 14-yearold boy at a recreation center.

“We had our first murder in 30 something years at the Southwest Recreation Center,” District 2 Councilman Kevin Flynn said Monday at the second hearing for Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s proposed budget. “People assumed, ‘Oh, government building, there must be recordings.’ There were not.”

Flynn was referring to the killing of Josiaz “Jojo” Aragon, who died two days before his 15th birthday near a dusty ballfield behind the Southwest Recreation Center in Denver.

The money the parks department seeks would fund new surveillance equipment, new park rangers, six bikes and six vehicles, officials said.

The hiring of 4.5 more permanent park rangers, with six budgeted for an April start, will cost $416,320, including training and equipment. If approved, that amount will come from the general fund.

Another $1.1 million would come from American Rescue Plan funds set up for recovery and revenue loss funds, according to officials.

Flynn supports allocating $900,000 for more surveillance equipment and wants to possibly see more in the future. He said he had no specific figure in mind.

“Let’s see how far $900,000 takes us,” he said. “I’d love to expeditiously install cameras at libraries and recreation centers.”

Citing their constituents, several councilmembers also lamented the lack of bathroom access in Denver’s parks. A focal point of the conversation is access to services and amenities, such as bathrooms, which came up when the council delved into 2023 capital improvement proposals, which will cost $19.9 million, with the largest spending — accounting for $11.8 million — in annual capital maintenance.

Scott Gilmore, the deputy manager of parks, said there are 60 restrooms with running water. Ten of these are open year-round, while 34 are seasonal and have to be closed and drained for winter. Fifteen restrooms are by permit only.

Gilmore pointed to safety concerns and low staffing levels for the lack of bathroom access at parks, some of which require staffers to unlock them.

“There have been numerous fires started in restrooms, lots of vandalism and toilets have been blown up,” he said. “We are hiring staff at McNichols, Skyline, Sunny Lawson (and others) so we can keep those open every day for 8-10 hours.”

As far as portable bathrooms are concerned, Gilmore said there are 29 parks that have them year round. The use of portable bathrooms costs the city $500,000.

While millions are spent on parks and maintenance, Councilman Chris Hinds of District 10 wondered aloud whether Parks and Recreation considered expanding access to and from places like Congress Park.

“Cyclists have admitted they’re illegally using sidewalks,” he said. “But they’re asking for legal options to get across the park.”

Parks Executive Director Allegra Haynes said the department considers sidewalks when looking at parks improvements and added it’s “an ongoing challenge” to keep sidewalks up to date.

Adding sidewalk or bike access to Congress Park would also be a challenge due to a grove of trees and large amounts of utilities nearby, Gilmore said, adding Parks and Recreation would be unable to just build a sidewalk without adversely affecting the corner.

The department also asked for funding for a new position: A diversity, equity and inclusion leader.

The DEI position, which is budgeted to start mid-year, will cost a total of $78,560. The position will help the park’s “extensive efforts” in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, Haynes said.

“It is no one individual’s job to focus on this effort,” Haynes said. “(But) we have found increasing need to make sure someone on our team lives and breathes DEI.”

The next scheduled budget hearings will take place starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The first hearing will cover the budget proposal on housing and stability, followed by climate action, sustainability and resiliency, human services, and Denver Health.