Vision Vancouver park board chair Aaron Jasper says the entire park board structure should be completely reorganized by mid-2011.

Jasper said the move from a district structure to a "functional" model will quickly translate to savings for the board. For years the park board has operated across the city divided into three districts: Stanley, Queen Elizabeth and Vancouver East. Each district has its own manager and in some cases separate staff. The new structure will see all services centralized. Jasper said reorganizing makes sense due to cost savings and greater effectiveness in delivering services.

"This is an opportunity to streamline operations with a potential savings of several hundred thousand dollars," said Jasper. "It's a better model and more effective."

He said the functional model of governance also means everyone working for the park board will be on the same page. "It will allow employees across the entire city to know what the left hand is doing," he said.

Jasper said the park board operated as a functional operation until the mid-1990s when management was divided into the three districts. He noted with so many directors and managers recently retiring, the timing was good for changes to park board operations.

The park board has seen a number of senior managers retire since Vision Vancouver came into power in 2008, including: Susan Mundick, general manager; Eric Meagher, Stanley Park supervisor; Jim Lowden, manager of Stanley District; Mike Mackintosh, park board supervisor of maintenance for Queen Elizabeth District; Lori Mackay, director of parks and recreation for Vancouver East District; Terri Clark, communications manager; Susan Graham, manager of the board's nursery; Al Regan, supervisor of the Children's Farmyard and Railway; Philip Josephs, acting director of Stanley District; Anita Ho, director of corporate services; and Piet Rutgers, director of planning and operations.

CUPE 15 president Paul Faoro is in favour of the proposed restructuring.

"The district system is old and outdated," said Faoro. "I'm very supportive of a change. This is a real opportunity for the new general manager Malcolm Bromley to take a fresh look at how the park board should be run."

Faoro has long insisted the city, including the park board, has been top heavy with too many managers and he wants reorganization to start at the top. He said he's not yet concerned about union workers losing their jobs, due to the managerial positions that haven't been filled. That's a good sign, he said.

"I'm very supportive to see a change in management, and I stress the word management," said Faoro. "It's convenient to do this now when so many managerial positions have opened up."

sthomas@vancourier.com

Twitter: @sthomas10