Budget Cuts: Parks and Recreation Trims Maintenance, Program Funding

When the city implements its proposed budget cuts, residents may see less of a Glendora trademark.

City maintenance crews will still trim Glendora’s iconic gumdrop trees – but not in as many places as they used to. Aside from the downtown Village Center, the trees could also be seen along Gladstone Street and Arrow Highway.

To help bridge a , the city’s Parks and Recreation department will scale back on its tree trimming of the famed ficus trees, limiting them to the downtown area.

Previously, the city spent roughly $100,000 year to trim the trees into their signature gumdrop shape. But with the latest round of city budget reductions, the department has had to scale back wherever it could, said Director La Shawn Butler.

“You can tell you’re in Glendora just by the ficus trees,” said Butler. “They’re included in pictures and postcards of Glendora. We wanted to keep that sense of history, but to do all the trees would be an expense we can’t afford.”

Altogether, the total reductions including all revenue the Community Services Department, which encompasses eight divisions including parks and recreation, is proposing will be $305,000.

The majority of the cuts will be made to Parks and Recreation.  Aside from less gumdrop trees, the city will also eliminate free tree removal, planting and inspection.

Previously, residents could call the city to request a free tree service on their property.

“Residents are used to a different quality and we are going to be forced to say no to that request,” said Butler. “As the city manager has said before, we are at that point where we can no longer offer freebies."

will now only be open on weekdays, closing on Saturdays.

“During after school hours, the Teen Center is packed. So it was a matter of cutting out the least busiest day,” said Butler.

Funding for equipment and capital improvement projects for youth leagues such as National Little League, American Little League, Pony, football and soccer will be eliminated, as will the Parks and Playground Program -- a free summer daycare program at Finkbiner Park.

When the summer classes brochure comes out, residents will also notice an uptick in fees.

“We have to really start matching our fees for programs closer to what it costs to actually put on those programs,” said Butler.

Other programs seeing reductions include the La Fetra Center’s, which serves 80 stroke survivors.

Department staff will also be reduced to 17 full-time employees.

“We’ll have to see if the quality of work will be maintained,” said Butler. “Time will tell.”