<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="RSS_xslt_style.asp" version="1.0" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:WebWizForums="http://syndication.webwiz.co.uk/rss_namespace/">
 <channel>
  <title>Middletown Forum : Park Maintenance</title>
  <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/</link>
  <description>This is an XML content feed of; Middletown Forum : Engineering : Park Maintenance</description>
  <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2026 05:37:24 +0000</pubDate>
  <lastBuildDate>Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:18:30 +0000</lastBuildDate>
  <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
  <generator>Web Wiz Forums 10.12</generator>
  <ttl>360</ttl>
  <WebWizForums:feedURL>www.middletownusa.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=4668</WebWizForums:feedURL>
  <image>
   <title>Middletown Forum</title>
   <url>http://middletownusa.com/images/blog-logo.jpg</url>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/</link>
  </image>
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance : No you are doing good..Good Luck..Landscapeing...</title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34735&amp;title=park-maintenance#34735</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=1184">rowan10</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Sep&nbsp;13&nbsp;2012 at 6:18am<br /><br />No you are doing good..<br>Good Luck..<br><a href="http://www.growlandscapes.net" target="_blank">Landscapeing Virginia</a><br>]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:18:30 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34735&amp;title=park-maintenance#34735</guid>
  </item> 
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance : AcclaroThe SUNSET SINK &amp;amp; SWIM...</title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34289&amp;title=park-maintenance#34289</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=115">Vivian Moon</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Aug&nbsp;03&nbsp;2012 at 9:14am<br /><br /><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Ms&#111;normal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><FONT size=3>Acclaro<BR>The SUNSET SINK &amp; SWIM Fund had about $18,000 left which may be paying for project. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:14:58 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34289&amp;title=park-maintenance#34289</guid>
  </item> 
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance : The $50,000 wasted on the special...</title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34288&amp;title=park-maintenance#34288</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=334">acclaro</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Aug&nbsp;03&nbsp;2012 at 8:32am<br /><br />The $50,000 wasted on the special election in August would have helped repave the courts.]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:32:35 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34288&amp;title=park-maintenance#34288</guid>
  </item> 
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance : City Manager&#226;&#8364;&#8482;s  Weekly Briefing...</title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34286&amp;title=park-maintenance#34286</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=115">Vivian Moon</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Aug&nbsp;03&nbsp;2012 at 8:23am<br /><br /><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Default><FONT size=3><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">City Manager’s </SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Default><FONT size=3><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Weekly Briefing </SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Default><FONT size=3><?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:date Day="31" Year="2012" M&#111;nth="7"><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">July 31, 2012</SPAN></B></st1:date><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Default><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT size=3>&nbsp;</FONT></o:p></SPAN></P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Default><FONT size=3><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Sunset</SPAN></B></st1:PlaceName><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></B><st1:place><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Park</SPAN></B></st1:place></st1:place><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Tennis Courts </SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: text; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" =Ms&#111;normal><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">We are having repair work done on the </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Sunset</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"> </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Park</SPAN></st1:place></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"> tennis courts, while we cannot afford to resurface the courts, we are filling cracks and restriping. The work is being done by a combination of city employees and a private contractor so that we can save funds</SPAN></FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:23:22 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34286&amp;title=park-maintenance#34286</guid>
  </item> 
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance :  </title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34021&amp;title=park-maintenance#34021</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=259">409</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Jul&nbsp;16&nbsp;2012 at 8:03am<br /><br /><img src="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/uploads/259/area_park_stats.jpg" height="247" width="546" border="0" />]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:03:25 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34021&amp;title=park-maintenance#34021</guid>
  </item> 
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance : Just an observation on the numbers:  In...</title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34020&amp;title=park-maintenance#34020</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=114">VietVet</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Jul&nbsp;16&nbsp;2012 at 6:27am<br /><br />Just an observation on the numbers:<br /><br />In Hamilton, 84 percent of the parks’ $926,503 budget this year goes to maintenance issues, <br /><br />said Richard Engle, Hamilton’s director of public works. The City of Middletown spends 91 <br />percent of its $793,515 parks budget on maintenance according to Ron Phelps, Middletown’s <br />Public Works superintendent.<br /><br />Hamilton has 1,250 acres between 52 parks, although 747 acres of that is what is maintained <br /><br />by the parks department; the rest tends to be wooded areas, Engle said.<br />The next closest is Fairfield with 686 acres. Middletown maintains 328 acres<br /><br /><br />Ok....Hamilton's budget- 84% to maint. of $926,503<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Middletown's budget- 91% to maint. of $793,515<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hamilton acreage- 1250 acres total- 747 maintained<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Middletown acreage- acreage not reported- 328 maintained (less than half)<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hamilton- 52 parks<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Middletown- not reported ( I believe less than Hamilton's by a significant number- not sure)<br /><br />Conclusion:<br /><br />Middletown spends a greater percentage of it's budget maintaining half the acreage that Hamilton does. Middletown's budget is close to 75% of Hamilton's budget. Not proportional in acreage maintained, budget allocation, number of parks to maintain, nor % of the budget. Something is ASKEW as Louis Black would say.  ]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jul 2012 06:27:55 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34020&amp;title=park-maintenance#34020</guid>
  </item> 
  <item>
   <title>Park Maintenance : Maintenance consumes majority...</title>
   <link>http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34018&amp;title=park-maintenance#34018</link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<strong>Author:</strong> <a href="http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=115">Vivian Moon</a><br /><strong>Subject:</strong> 4668<br /><strong>Posted:</strong> Jul&nbsp;16&nbsp;2012 at 5:35am<br /><br /><H1 style="MARGIN: auto 0in 7.5pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Maintenance consumes majority of parks department budgets<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><O:P></O:P></SPAN></H1><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Ms&#111;normal"><SPAN ="credit2"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer </SPAN></SPAN><FONT color=#666666><?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><ST1:TIME Hour="19" Minute="2"><SPAN ="publishdate1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">7:02 PM</SPAN></SPAN></ST1:TIME><SPAN ="publishdate1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></SPAN><ST1:DATE Day="15" Year="2012" M&#111;nth="7"><SPAN ="publishdate1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Sunday, July 15, 2012</SPAN></SPAN></ST1:DATE><SPAN ="publishdate1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>Despite trimming their budgets due to the </FONT><a href="http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/maintenance-c&#111;nsumes-majority-of-parks-department-budgets-1405317.html##" target="_blank"><NOBR><SPAN><FONT color=#0d5e96 size=2 face=Georgia>recession</FONT></SPAN></A><OBR><FONT face=Georgia>, area parks departments are still spending the bulk of the parks’ budgets on maintenance.<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></P><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><FONT face=Georgia><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">In </SPAN><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Hamilton</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, 84 percent of the parks’ $926,503 budget this year goes to maintenance issues, </P><DIV>said Richard Engle, </SPAN><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Hamilton</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">’s director of public works. The City of </SPAN><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Middletown</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> spends 91 <BR>percent of its $793,515 parks budget on maintenance according to Ron Phelps, </SPAN><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Middletown</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">’s <BR>Public Works superintendent.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>And maintenance becomes a trickier issue when storms like the one which came through ton </P><DIV>June 29.<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>“It is the responsibility of the parks department to clear storm damage from streets, parks, </P><DIV>and grounds,” Phelps said. “It impacts the Park budget with some overtime cost if it is a severe<BR> storm such as the (June 29) event. In these type events the Parks Department is the first to <BR>respond to call outs for trees blocking streets.”<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>Many </FONT><a href="http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/maintenance-c&#111;nsumes-majority-of-parks-department-budgets-1405317.html##" target="_blank"><NOBR><SPAN><FONT color=#0d5e96 size=2 face=Georgia>cities</FONT></SPAN></A><OBR><FONT face=Georgia> maintenance has been cut back in such a way that residents may not notice a major difference<BR> — but like every city department, the parks division has had to learn to do more with less, said <BR>Phelps,<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></P><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>“Our budget was reduced $50,000. It affected how much we do and how we’re able to spend</P><DIV>&nbsp;money,” Phelps said. “We had three seasonal workers, and those positions were eliminated. <BR>That had an effect on maintaining the parks, care and watering of the trees.”<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>Although the parks budget in Hamilton increased $76,000 this year, the department as a </P><DIV>whole was folded into the public works department two years ago due to manage costs.<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Georgia>“Obviously that made bigger challenges in my position. We have a large park system with a lot</P><DIV>&nbsp;of acreage to deal with,” said Engle.<O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><FONT face=Georgia><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Hamilton</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> has 1,250 acres between 52 parks, although 747 acres of that is what is maintained </P><DIV>by the parks department; the rest tends to be wooded areas, Engle said.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" ="NormalWeb4"><FONT face=Georgia><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The next closest is </SPAN><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Fairfield</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> with 686 acres. </SPAN><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Middletown</SPAN></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> maintains 328 acres.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P><OBR>]]>
   </description>
   <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jul 2012 05:35:27 +0000</pubDate>
   <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4668&amp;PID=34018&amp;title=park-maintenance#34018</guid>
  </item> 
 </channel>
</rss>