Brookhaven city leaders decided to create their own park maintenance crew instead of hiring a contractor.
The 17-member team was announced Tuesday, and city leaders said the in-house operation will end up saving the city roughly $300,000 annually, according to a news release.
The team’s startup cost was roughly $300,000, but the city said the new unit will quickly pay for itself, since equipment purchases should be a one-time cost.
The team will be overseen by the Brookhaven Parks & Recreation Department. Its responsibilities include park landscaping, mowing, trimming, repairs, minor construction and trash duties at the city’s parks, recreation facilities, right-of-ways and Federal Emergency Management Agency properties.
“Having a permanent crew rather than contractors not only allows us to save money, it gives the city better control of the quality of work being performed,” Brian Borden, Parks & Recreation director, said in the release.
The city oversees 332 acres of parkland in 14 parks. In 2018, Brookhaven residents voted to raise property taxes to fund $40 million worth of park improvements. More information on those projects is available at brookhavenga.gov/parks-bond-ref.
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