TL;DR (generated · confidence: high)

Portland Parks & Recreation proposes eliminating a 1.0 FTE Horticulture Trainee position from the Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Initiative, reducing the budget by $111,623. This entry-level workforce development position, created to support nature patch maintenance and diversity in the horticultural field, was the last Land Stewardship hire from the Portland Parks Levy. The elimination will reduce the bureau's capacity to maintain nature patches citywide, particularly in underserved East, North, and Southeast Portland neighborhoods. It also removes a critical employment pathway for diversifying the natural resource workforce and will limit volunteer engagement opportunities.

Key points (each cites a PDF page):

Elimination of 1.0 FTE Horticulture Trainee position costs $111,623 in total recommended reductions (p. 1625)
Position designed as entry-level workforce development with 18-month training period including education and support (p. 1625)
Last Land Stewardship position hired from Portland Parks Levy (p. 1625)
Focused on nature patch maintenance in East, North, and Southeast Portland with lowest community access to nature (p. 1625)
Service impact: reduces PP&R's ability to care for nature patches and maintain volunteer engagement (p. 1625)
Equity impact: eliminates entry-level hiring pathway needed to diversify natural resource workforce (p. 1625)

💰 $109,067 · $2,556 · $111,623 · 👥 1.0 FTE · 📋 Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Initiative · Land Stewardship · 🏛️ Portland Parks & Recreation

23,645

Source: PDF p. 1625 · raw: 1625

Breadcrumb: 7 vs › vc-dps_06-03-2025_16-20 › Package Details › 23,645

23,645 - Eliminate Horticulture Trainee Position Service Area Vibrant Communities DCA Sonia Schmanski Bureau Name Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long Funding Type Name Reduction Status: Recommended Package Desc Expense Recommended Total This proposed budget package would eliminate 1.0 FTE in the Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Internal Materials and Services ($2,556) Initiative program, a Horticulture Trainee position that is the last Land Stewardship position to be Personnel ($109,067) hired from the Portland Parks Levy. This 1.0 FTE position was designed as a workforce development position with multiple goals: to provide critical support for asset establishment and maintenance of ($111,623) nature patches, to provide a true entry level position to help diversify the Horticulturist applicant pool and to support Horticulturist staff caring for nature patches and other vegetation. These natural- Revenue Recommended Total themed gardens provide a unique nature experience in neighborhood parks. However, these large spaces often require more horticultural care than the landscape types they replace. The Horticulture General Fund Discretionary ($111,623) Trainee position was created to support nature patches citywide with an emphasis on the ($111,623) establishment of patches in East, North, and Southeast Portland where staff have less resources for additional maintenance. It was created to support the creation of nature patches in areas with the least access to nature and to bolster volunteer engagement, focusing on increasing the diversity of community participants. This 1 FTE is a true entry-level position, an employment pathway that does not currently exist in the Horticultural series. A workforce development element includes education and support during this 18-month trainee position. Service Impacts This budget cut will reduce PP&R’s ability to care for Nature Patch landscapes and reduce PP&Rs ability to provide meaningful, entry level field-based positions for staff. Productivity in maintenance of developed parks will be reduced as resources are needed to care for Nature Patches. Additionally, opportunities to engage volunteers in this work will be reduced. Equity Impacts This change will decrease PP&R’s ability to serve as an employer who is working to diversify the future of the natural resource field.?There are many examples of City Nature staff who start as Casual status and move on to full-time permanent positions with PP&R, including Utility Worker, Horticulturist, Botanic Specialist and Supervisor.?Eliminating this hiring pathway will decrease PP&R’s ability to hire a diverse workforce in the future.? ? Moreover, PP&R will have fewer resources and ability to do regular maintenance and care of nature patches, issues that will compound over time as reduced regular maintenance now often leads to asset failures in the future.? ? Lastly, PP&R will be less able to reach the Levy goals established by PP&R for the current Levy.?

Parent: Package Details · PDF: p. 1625