Manatee makes over parks department

BRADENTON — Manatee County has consolidated services from three departments into one new unit, the Parks and Natural Resources Department.

The department, according to a county statement, will include outdoor, athletic and land preservation services. County officials say the department will cross-promote some of the county's most popular public amenities: green space and athletic fields with nearly 30,000 acres of conservation lands. Officials also say the consolidation, which includes a merger of two departments that shared responsibilities, will lead to cost savings.

Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee's natural resources director since 2005, will run the new department. Programs, athletic leagues and recreational opportunities will not change, the county says. The county also announced that its property management department will take over all parks maintenance responsibilities.