Appendix F 

 Funding Needs as Presented by the Parks Division 



Present Budget: As presented and discussed at the State Park Futures II Committee, state parks are 

 currently spending into cash reserves to operate and maintain the parks system in the condition that 

 it is in today with the services that are provided today. In other words, state parks are spending more 

 than they are taking in and cash reserves are being depleted. If this trend continues without either a 

 reduction in expenditures or an increase in revenues in the main four park financial accounts, the 

 parks system will have cash balances below those required by state law during FY 2006. To keep the 

 cash balances positive, it will take either a budget reduction or a funding increase of $200,000 per 

 year assimiing there is no program growth, no major maintenance, capital construction, program 

 enhancements or land acquisition expenditures. 

 Funding Need: $200,000 per year 



Equipment: The parks program has a fleet of over 400 pieces of specialized equipment ranging 

 from small tools, computers, lawn mowers, dump trucks and backhoes. The division only keeps 

 equipment for tasks that cannot be easily, practically and cost effectively contracted to the private 

 sector. Historically, the parks division has spent approximately $37,500 per year replacing worn out 

 equipment. This replacement amount has not been adequate to replace the $1.5 million equipment 

 inventory. The replacement schedule for equipment varies with the type of equipment being 

 discussed. The numerous small items, like computers and small lawn mowers, generally have a 4-5 

 year useful life. Generally, the latter and more expensive the piece of equipment, the longer the life, 

 such as large mowers and utility tractors may last 12 years and backhoes have a life of 20-25 years. 

 Because of the large range of equipment and their useful lives, we estimate needing to replace the 

 entire fleet of equipment every 10 years. 

 Funding Need: $112,500 per year 



Operating Budgets: The 1991 State Park Futures Committee Report identified and recommended 

 an increase of over 30 FTEs over a 5-year time frame to allow the parks program to operate 

 effectively and to meet the needs of the public and of the park resources. Since that time there have 

 been less than 10 FTEs added to the parks program with most of those used for maintenance. 

 Currently, the parks program, including state parks, fishing access sites and trails, has 110 FTEs. 

 Regional park managers and maintenance supervisors were polled during the Futures Committee II 

 process to assess current budget conditions and needs. A total of 38.40 FTE are needed by the parks 

 system to operate a fully functioning state parks program. The positions needed range from state pay 

 grade 7 caretakers and laborers, to grade 9 tour guides, grade 11 fee coUectors, entry level park 

 managers, volunteer and supervisors. Using a midlevel grade range these 38.4 FTE would cost 

 $1,275,000 per year. Hstorically, personal services budgets make up about 70% of the operating 

 costs of the parks program. An equivalent amount of operations support for these FTEs would be 

 $550,000 for travel, uniforms, supplies and materials and contracted services. 

 Funding Need: 38.40 FTE @ $1,275,000 + $550,000 operations = $1,825,000 per year, or 

 $48,000 per FTE 



24 



State Parks Futures Comrittee, December 3, 2002 



