Committee advances substitute bill shifting park maintenance staff funding and adding outreach funds

Summary

A substitute to Bill 35‑25 transfers $602,357 from park maintenance to cover personnel moved into a new Avenue Parks and Arts and Visitor Experience division and moves $200,000 within Community Initiatives for POET outreach; committee recommended the substitute bill with a favorable recommendation.

City Controller Kyle Willis presented Substitute Bill 35‑25, describing budget transfers to reflect organizational and program changes. Willis said $602,357 would transfer from the Park Maintenance budget to cover staff costs for employees who moved into a new Avenue Parks and Arts and Visitor Experience division. The ordinance also transfers $200,000 within Community Initiatives to fund POET outreach program expenses.

Willis and committee members confirmed these were internal budget transfers to align personnel and program funding with the new organizational structure. No members of the public testified for or against the substitute bill during the committee hearing.

Formal action: The committee approved the substitute bill and voted to send it to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; roll call recorded four ayes.

Next steps: The substitute bill will be presented at Committee of the Whole and full council for final approval; departments will implement the internal transfers following council authorization.