On April 23 the Greenbelt City Council heard from the Recreation Department about their Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget and then heard about revisions to the city code.
The Recreation department budget, as presented by department head Greg Varda, is made up of nine sub-budgets: administration, arts, aquatic and fitness, museum, therapeutic recreation, community center, recreation centers, recreation programs and special events. Total expenditures of the department are about $8.5 million and total revenue is almost $2 million. The department sought to “share the pain” of the $4 million budget cut across sub-departments, while maintaining the 2 percent COLA and 3 percent performance increases that allow them to retain and attract staff. Total full-time employees (FTE) for the department will be reduced by .5 FTE as the vacant aquatics coordinator position won’t be hired until January.
Budget Additions
Proposed budget additions in comparison to FY 2025 include a 2 percent COLA for non-classified staff at a proposed cost of $36,000 and developing a special events team staffed by non-classified employees at a proposed cost of $20,000. A memorandum from Varda notes that in FY 2023 council approved a non-classified minimum wage of $15/hour and a 2 percent COLA for non-classified staff in FY 2024 and FY 2025. These are cited by Varda as important steps in staff morale and retention. The new special events team will be staffed by non-classified employees and their tasks will include setup, risk management, AV management and troubleshooting, post-event cleanup and ensuring community events run smoothly. The team is expected to be utilized for approximately 40 events a year.
Proposed Budget Cuts
According to the executive summary of the proposed budget from Varda, there will be a reduction of $9,100 in membership, education and training costs across all budgets, a reduction in the administration budget of $8,000, coming from public notices and uniforms; a reduction of $43,500 from the aquatics budget by hiring an aquatics coordinator after January 1, 2026; and a reduction of $6,000 from the Arts budget through a reduction in special programs/overtime. It also incorporates a reduction of $2,600 in the museum budget noted as special programs/miscellaneous and a reduction of $5,500 from the recreation centers, taken from overtime and departmental equipment.
Arts
Arts Supervisor Nicole DeWald noted the Arts Department provides studio space for eight artists at the Community Center and employs 53 teaching artists. About 2,800 people participated in art classes this year, 350 youth participated in arts camps and approximately 3,000 people attended 21 original musical theater and dance performances.
Aquatic & Fitness
Aquatic & Fitness Center Supervisor Stephen Parks reported that staff are being assigned other duties while indoor pool renovations are underway. Emails totaling 1,018 went out to Aquatic Center members offering a membership pause during the renovations.
Museum
Museum Director Megan Searing Young reminded council that while the Greenbelt Museum is owned and operated by the city, the Friends of the Greenbelt Museum (FOGM) is a separate organization that fundraises for and advises the museum. FOGM so far has raised $330,000 to build the addition planned for the Education and Visitor Center at 10-A Crescent Road. The total cost for the project is estimated to be $550,000, leaving $220,000 yet to be raised.
Therapeutic Recreation
Anne Oudemans reported that Therapeutic Recreation won a Maryland Municipal League award for their inclusion program.
Community Center
Trevin Green, the new Community Center supervisor, told council that the facility is extending Saturday hours and marketing available meeting rooms.
Recreation Centers
Andrew Phelan, Recreation assistant director for recreation centers, said that the Springhill Lake Recreation Center gymnasium floor had been resurfaced and the new playground had been opened. The center now opens at 10 a.m. weekdays to accommodate a popular preschool story time.
Special Events
LaToya Fisher reported on Recreation programs and special events. She noted that summer camps and programs operate at full capacity including the Springhill Lake Recreation Center summer program. She also noted that Recreation staff now provide support for all special events in Greenbelt, whether hosted by city departments or other community groups.
Recodification
In the second half of the worksession, City Clerk Bonita Anderson shared progress on the recodification of the city code. The city contracted Municode to incorporate 25 ordinances from 2013 to May 2023 into the 2012 city code book. The new code book is being reviewed by staff and should be finalized by the end of 2025.
