#parks-department

#parks-department

A $1.9 million green infrastructure project will close part of the Staten Island Zoo's parking lot starting in November, aimed at increasing stormwater resiliency against extreme weather.

"This is a very important community program," said Emily Chase, assistant commissioner for public programs at NYC Parks, at a kickoff event Thursday. "It's a great place to meet people and be part of an amazing, diverse New York City community."

We do everything we can to stretch our resources - grants, partnerships, volunteers and contractors all help us maintain parks. We're also always looking for ways to be more efficient, but the bottom line is that we just don't have enough staff to meet the need. With a $550 million maintenance backlog, it's clear that sustainable funding for park staffing is critical to keeping our parks safe, clean and accessible.

Garcia praised White for handing over a well-run and successful organization that continues to benefit from the systems and staff White had assembled since 2015.