After more than a decade without one, Cleveland City Council on Wednesday voted to establish a new city department of Parks and Recreation.
The newly-created department will streamline city services related to the city's parks and recreation centers — which are currently separate divisions under the Department of Public Works.
"To ensure that we have a good quality of life; it's having good quality parks, having good quality programs in our parks and also having good rec centers and good programing in our rec centers," said the city's Chief Operating Officer Bonnie Teeuwen.
Former Mayor Frank Jackson eliminated the Parks and Recreation department in 2010. But over the years, Teeuwen said the Department of Public Works became "too big to manage efficiently."
Though the split, which will go into effect after Mayor Justin Bibb signs off on the legislation, is not expected to immediately change how operations are run, Teeuwen said it will allow the city to assess individual budget needs ahead of 2025. She said the transition will be cost-neutral with no change in staffing numbers.
The new department will be instrumental as the city works to complete a study that will inform a sweeping master plan for the city’s recreation facilities and parks, Teeuwen said.
City establishes Division of Forestry
An amendment introduced Wednesday afternoon by council members successfully created a Division of Forestry within the new department to specifically focus on Cleveland's treescape.
"As we all know, Cleveland has some very, very lofty tree canopy goals... but for years it's been all too easy for the urban forestry section to get lost in the conversation," said Council Member Jenny Spencer, who introduced the amendment alongside Charles Slife, at a Wednesday committee meeting.
The city plans to have 30% tree canopy cover by 2040.
The legislation will eliminate what is now the Division of Recreation and Parks Maintenance and Properties and the Office of Special Events and Marketing from the Department of Public Works.
The Office of Special Events and Marketing will now be housed under the Department of Parks and Recreation and will oversee planning and permitting for special events, including the filming of movies or television shows in the city.
The city is currently seeking to hire a director of the department with a salary estimated between $150,000-$175,000.
