Sacramento residents are asking city staffers how they can help maintain services at local parks in the wake of the city council’s major cuts to the Parks and Recreation Department.

The city council’s $8.3 million in cuts to the department last month has spurred residents to offer their help. The department laid off 57 employees last week.

Dave Mitchell, operations manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, said the department is seeing an increase in the number of inquiries it receives about the Adopt-a-Park program. Sacramento residents are learning about the department through recent media coverage, he said. Residents are contacting the department and asking, “How do I become involved?”

Here is the answer to that question: Individuals can volunteer with the Parks and Recreation department’s Adopt-a-Park program. Interested residents should contact Julie Mier, the department’s volunteer program coordinator, at (916) 808-2285 or at jmier@cityofsacramento.org.

Neighborhood associations can contact managers at the department. Parks and Recreation Director Jim Combs can be reached at jcombs@cityofsacramento.org. Mitchell’s e-mail address is dmitchell@cityofsacramento.org.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.