A Guide to the Chico Park Division
The Chico Park Division is responsible for the management and maintenance
of Bidwell Park. Almost all of the parks and open spaces operating expenditures
($1,946,933 allocated in the 2009-10 budget) are paid from the Chico General
Fund (whose major income sources are sales tax, DMV, property tax and utility
tax), with only $112,430 anticipated in direct income from park use fees and
donations. Most of the capital improvement projects in the park are funded by
grants and state bonds. This Division is also responsible for the maintenance
of 37,000 street trees and street tree sites (with a 2009-10 budget of
$1,217,916) and more than a hundred landscape maintenance districts (which
are self-funded). In addition to Bidwell Park, operations and maintenance
of the facilities listed below are included in the park budget.
Facilities managed by the Park Division as of 1/1/10:
- Baroni Neighborhood Park (transfers to CARD on 7/1/10)
- Bidwell Park—3670 acres; some sites leased to CARD,
Chico Creek Nature Center, Chico Equestrian Association,
Chico Rod & Gun Club, and Bidwell Park Golf Course;
includes Lost Park and Annie's Glen
- Children's Playground (1st St at Esplanade)
- City Plaza
- Creekside Greenways:
- Little Chico Creek
- Mud Creek
- Sycamore Creek
- Comanche Creek
- Depot Park (on Orange St, across from train station)
- Disc Golf Course—40 acres within Bidwell Park
- East 20th St at Notre Dame Park (undeveloped)
- Humboldt Park (Humboldt at Willow)
- Nob Hill/Husa Ranch Park
- Ringel Park (triangular area bounded by 1st St, Main St. and Esplanade)
- Sandy Gulch (Lindo Channel) Greenway-156 acres,
6.5 miles long, 350 adjacent property owners
- Teichert Ponds (stormwater detention ponds east of Hwy 99 & south of Hwy 32)
- Verbena Fields (restored open space on East 1st Ave at Verbena Ave)
- Wildwood Park (transfers to CARD 7/1/20)
Parks and Open Space Personnel Summary
Permanent Positions:
- 1.0 Field Supervisor
- 5.0 Maintenance Workers
- 1.0 Management Analyst/Volunteer Coordinator
- 1.0 Park and Natural Resources Manager
- 1.0 Park Ranger
- 1.5 Seasonal Park Ranger
- 2.0 Senior Maintenance Worker
- 1.0 Senior Park Ranger
13.5 Total Permanent Pistons
In addition, some of the time of the General Services Director, Administrative
Assistant and Urban Forest Manager are spent on Park Division projects.
Hourly Positions:
- 0.21 Assistant Head Lifeguard
- 0.41 Head Lifeguard
- 2.25 Lifeguard
2.87 Total Hourly Positions
