Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed on Friday, May 28, and Tuesday, June 1, for a furlough day. Youth Violence Prevention Initiative sites, also known as Extended Hours Program sites, will furlough on Wednesday, May 26. All facilities will be closed on Monday, May 31, in observance of Memorial Day. 

City of Seattle employees are taking 10 days off without pay in 2010 to help fill the budget gap. Seattle Parks and Recreation has worked hard to schedule furlough days in a way that has the smallest possible impact on customers, and that provides as much coverage as possible.  

Parks will not take furloughs in July and August – the peak season for park users. However, park visitors can expect some impacts from the upcoming furlough. 

In addition to recreation facilities being closed, there will be no trash pick-up on Friday, May 28, nor will the bathrooms be cleaned and maintained that day. Normal park maintenance will occur throughout the remainder of the weekend. On Memorial Day, limited park maintenance staff will be on duty to empty trash cans and clean restrooms. 

“We’ve done everything we can to limit the impacts of the furlough on our patrons, customers and visitors; however, the public will experience parks with diminished maintenance on Friday, May 28,” said Christopher Williams, Acting Superintendent. “If park patrons encounter overflowing trash cans, we encourage them to pack out their own trash. We are asking the community to help us keep our parks clean on the few days this year that we are not able to clean them ourselves.” 

These facilities and services are closed on Friday, May 28

• Grounds maintenance
• Community centers (except child care and late night programs, which will still operate).
• Swimming pools
• Environmental Learning Centers
• Lifelong Recreation (except Food and Fitness programs, which will still operate)
• Business Service Center  

 These facilities and services are closed on Tuesday, June 1:

• Administrative offices (communications, correspondence, Park Board support, web management, public outreach, human resources, finance and administration)
• Planning and Development Division
• Magnuson Park office  

 These facilities will operate normally:

• Golf course
• Special Events Scheduling (closed on Memorial Day)
• Amy Yee Tennis Center (closed on Memorial Day)
• The Seattle Aquarium will assign furloughs individually to ensure that its 24-hour animal care responsibilities are met, and that it stays open to the public.  

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