The exterior of Saint John City Hall is pictured in this file photo. (Staff photo)
Saint John council is asking community members to step up to the plate this summer.
With a downturn in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, council is having to pull back on its financial commitments and shrink the 2020 budget.
One of the cuts to its services: maintenance for outdoor recreation fields, like baseball diamonds and soccer fields.
Instead, council has approved a motion which allows community groups to volunteer to help take care of the city’s many recreational fields.
“You will have parents, I’m absolutely sure, step up to the plate to get these ball fields open,” said Councillor Blake Armstrong.
City Manager John Collin said the reason for the service rollbacks is twofold.
“The bottom line is, for a lot of these services we simply cannot afford to bring them back this year. It is not business as usual,” he said. “In (other) cases, it is simply not safe for us to bring them back.”
Collin said groups interested in helping the city maintain its outdoor recreation fields are asked to contact the help desk or the city’s parks and recreation department.
Councillor Greg Norton was another vote in favour of allowing community groups to aid in keeping the ball fields open.
“I believe the community is ready to play,” he said. “As a city, it’s time for us to open up the fields to play ball.”
The report on city services provided some insight into the near-term plans as the province’s economy continues to open up.
It was revealed dog parks will re-open “soon”, while the city is also looking for ways to increase ridership on its bus routes. An idea has been sent to the provincial government for approval, which would allow buses to permit more than the current nine passengers, so long as riders are wearing masks.
