Proposed parks dept. cuts seen as too deep

Nassau's proposed cuts to the Parks, Recreation and Museums Department will gut operations at several sites and allow historic buildings and artifacts to deteriorate, parks advocates warn, even as the county insists services won't be affected.

The department faces the second-biggest number of job cuts -- 25 -- in the proposed workforce reductions the County Legislature will consider Tuesday. The Department of Assessment faces the largest reduction, 59 jobs. County Executive Edward Mangano's proposal calls for a total of 128 job cuts in six departments.

The reduction in parks staffing would save an estimated $1.7 million annually in salary and benefits, Mangano said. The Office of Legislative Budget Review calculates the savings at $668,615 when payment of unemployment benefits is taken into account.

The parks jobs on the chopping block include the $98,629 assistant to the commissioner for public information as well as the horticulturist for the three 18-hole and four nine-hole golf courses and a curator at the Garvies Point Museum.

Cutting 21 employees in the museum division will be "effectively eliminating any qualified employee staffing of the museums, historic properties, etc.," Bruce Piel, chairman of advocacy group PARCnassau, said in an email newsletter.

A Mangano spokesman said the job eliminations should have no impact on department services. "We will be able to provide the same level of services," said Brian Nevin. "No park hours are being reduced or impacted." The work done by some employees will be replaced by audio tours, he said.

Piel said he believes the county will not be able to keep all 14 museum sites open unless it drastically reduces the days and hours of operation and relies more on volunteers and "friends" groups.

The museum division was targeted because "it didn't generate enough money," he said. "Ignored was its contribution to the education, history and pride of Nassau."

The biggest impact would be at Old Bethpage Village, which would lose eight of its 15 full-time employees, including two supervisors, the chief historical interpreter, the blacksmith, farmer, and its entire building preservation staff.

"For Old Bethpage, it's going to be a devastating loss to an already thin staff," said Harrison Hunt, who retired in 2008 as senior curator of history for the parks department. "They're removing almost the entire supervisory structure." The only remaining supervisor would be the facility manager, James McKenna.