- October 30, 2024
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By: Shanna Fortier
Contributing writer
Scott MacDonald is the guy behind the scenes at Palm Coast Parks and Recreation. He’s the guy who cleans park bathrooms and stocks them with toilet paper. He’s the guy who makes sure playground equipment is safe and not broken. And he’s the one who cleans up and reports vandalism.
MacDonald’s long list of responsibilities also includes re-stringing basketball nets and tennis nets, picking up trash on trails, and clearing out insect nests.
Anything that needs to be done to keep Palm Coast’s parks and trails safe and clean, MacDonald does it.
“Scott is probably the most dedicated Palm Coast employee that we have,” said Dennis Redican, who has worked with MacDonald for 13 years. “He is so reliable. He barely takes vacation time or sick time. He does so much and doesn't get credit for it because nobody knows exactly what he does.”
“He makes sure that everything that needs to be done is done and we just don’t think about all the things he does everyday. He’s such a great worker, and never has any complaints. He’s just awesome.”
ALMA ROCK-YANOCHKO, Parks and Rec
MacDonald has been doing maintenance for Palm Coast Parks and Recreation for 13 years. He loves his job because every day is different.
“I look forward to coming to work everyday day,” he said, adding that his love of his job stems from his love for the community. “I don’t want a kid to get hurt. I want to make sure if kids are going on swings, the swing doesn’t break. When people go in the bathrooms, they have toilet paper. I take pride in that.”
MacDonald and his wife, Kitty, moved to Palm Coast in 2006 from Long Island, where MacDonald owned a golf course consultant design and irrigation business.
“He’s a pretty dedicated person,” Kitty MacDonald said of her husband. “He has always cared a lot about his costumers. Now, his customer is our own community. Since we’ve moved to Palm Coast, Scott loves Palm Coast and he wants to always make this a place that others can enjoy.”
MacDonald not only frequents Palm Coast parks during his shift, but he also enjoys taking advantage of the walking trails throughout the city. The walk along the intracoastal from Waterfront Park to European Village is one of his favorites.
Redican said that when MacDonald decides to retire, the city will take a big hit.
“The guy does so much in eight hours a day,” Redican said. “It’s very commendable. It’s going to be very difficult to replace a guy like Scott MacDonald. His willingness to go above his job description is something we are never going to be able to replace.”
