Playtime over? LA County parks will close two days a week because of budget cuts

Parks across Los Angeles County will soon be closed two days per week because of budget cuts.

In a video about the county's cost-saving measures, Parks and Recreation Director Norma E. García-González said funding reductions will also trigger lay-offs.

“There will be cuts impacting overtime and a reduction of part-time staff and their benefits,” she said in the video posted on the department's website.

Officials said the $22.2-million budget cut will lead to a series of changes slated to take effect June 30. According to an email sent by the department on Tuesday, the following regional parks will no longer be open on Mondays or Tuesdays:

• Castaic
• Frank G. Bonelli
• Kenneth Hahn
• Peter F. Schabarum
• Santa Fe Dam 
• Whittier Narrows

Lakes at those regional parks will also be closed Mondays and Tuesdays for swimming, boating and fishing.

The department is also reducing the window for summer pool openings from 23 weeks down to 11 weeks. Summer pools will be available between June 2 and Aug.16, officials said.

Job losses and fee increases coming, too

Fees for some park services will also be going up. Vehicle entrance costs at the regional parks listed above are set to increase, as well as entrance fees to the L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

Facility rental fees will also increase.

Programming for children and families will also be reduced. The Parks After Dark program — which puts on free concerts, movie screenings and other events — is being suspended at 34 parks across L.A. County.

LAist called spokespeople for the department to ask for more specifics about the closures and fee increases. They said they did not have answers to our questions.

Why these changes are happening now

Officials said local parks will continue to host youth summer camps, senior programs and free nutritious snack hand-outs for children.

In April, L.A. County leaders unveiled a budget that proposed nearly $89 million in cuts and requirements for most departments to reduce spending by 3%.

Revenue is down, county leaders say, for many reasons. Federal funding that flows through L.A. County is declining. And January’s wildfires are hurting local coffers.

The county also recently agreed to a historic $4 billion settlement with people who say they were sexually abused as children in juvenile halls and other county-run facilities.