Parks and Recreation

Karen Ford, National Manager, USTA ServesWednesday, June 22, 2011

Objectives:

Define mission, purpose and basic operation of park and recreation agency.

Identify 3 issues important to park and recreation agencies/departments.

List 5 questions to ask in order to help local advocates work with their community and/or park and recreation agency.

Task #1:

Answer the following questions:

• What is the role, purpose or mission of a park and recreation department/agency in a community, town or city?

• Who do are the decision-makers in the park and recreation department/agency?

• Where does a park and recreation agency get its funding?

• What role does the community play in the direction of a park and recreation department/agency?

Task #2:

Think of your own community:

• What are your current community needs or issues?

• Which issues or needs impact the operation of your local park and recreation agency?

Anytown, USA

Local advocate, high school tennis coach

Looking for grant money to renovate park tennis courts. 3 are in disrepair and would like to add more.

City decided not to repair courts.

Park and Recreation director said if you find funding to renovate they would be happy to accept.

A CTA exists, but has not been engaged.

Refurbished courts will assist high school tennis team and middle school tournaments.

Community is in the middle of revising their Comprehensive Community Plan.

Anytown, USA

What questions do you need to ask? What else do you need to know?

Where can you find additional information to help the local advocate/high school tennis coach?

Tennis in the Parks Initiative

Tennis in the Parks is not a grant program.

A strategic initiative designed to form partnerships with each agency.

Assist any community eager to expand or improve opportunities for the public to play.

Goal: Build long term partneships with each agency or community to foster sustainable programs.

Three Areas of Focus:

Programming

Infrastructure

Advocacy

Tennis in the Parks Initiative

Renew

Recognize Engage

Designate

Activate

Increased Participation

Questions & Comments

The Master Plan: What it is, Why it’s important?

•The Master Plan serves as a guide for the future development of a community. It takes a long view of how a community should look and feel years from now. It defines broad, city-wide goals for a community as well as specific objectives and strategies.

•The Master Plan is a community’s “vision” for land use and development through a specified period of time.

•In most cases, Master Plans must be revisited and updated every 5-10 yrs, with assistance from professional consultants, input from citizens and city staff.

Advocacy: Influencing Facility Development in Public Parks and Recreation Departments

•Tennis advocacy should occur year round through informal communications and relationship building with the Parks and Recreation staff, Advisory Board members, and elected officials.

•There are specific times for additional formal advocacy during the development of capital projects.

•The determination of public recreation facilities to be considered for development should be a very open and public process.

Four Steps of Capital Project Development

1Comprehensive Master Planning

4Project Construction & Completion

2Project Selection & Budgeting

3Project Design & Development

Step 1: Comprehensive Master Planning

•Communities develop long range plans (15-20 years) for parks and facilities to guide future development.

•Update these plans at 5 or 10 year intervals.

•In addition to a statistical basis for the plan, expressed community interests and desires impact the plan.

•Tennis advocates must take the initiative to know the timing for the development of the plan and actively engage by attending all public meetings and providing input into the plan.

•Request a special focus group meeting to occur during needs assessment.

Step 1: Comprehensive Master Planning

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING & RECOMMENDATION DEVELOPMENT

Needs Assessment

Take Inventory Review LOS* Conduct Public Survey

Finalize Needs & Establish Goals

Recommendation Development

SolicitPublic Input

SolicitAdvisory Group Input

Staff Review

Elected Officials Review

Master Plan Development

Renovations New Parks GreenwaysSpecial-Use

FacilitiesAcquisition Projects

* LOS = Levels of Service

Step 2: Project Selection and Budgeting

•Annually, communities adopt a fiscal year budget which includes an annual Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) and a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), typically 5 years.

•This process is also a public process which allows tennis advocates an opportunity to influence the inclusion of funding for tennis facility development.

•Prior to the adoption of the budget, public hearings are held.

•Tennis Advocates should follow the budget schedule closely to advocate for their projects.

Step 2: Project Selection and Budgeting

•This budget process prioritizes project development.

•Prioritized projects that are not funded in the adopted CIB are included in the CIP with the intention of funding in upcoming years.

• While the Comprehensive Master Plan established a “map” for development, the projects are reprioritized annually and other projects might also be inserted.

Proposed FYProject Request

Submission

Step 2: Project Selection and Budgeting

Elected Officials ReviewAnd Adoption of Annual CIB and CIP

Master Plan Recommendations• New Parks• Renovations• Special Use Facilities• Greenways• Open Space Acquisitions

Impacts of OtherCommunity Plans

Boards/CommitteesMaintenance Staff

Parks & RecreationProgram Staff

Elected Officials/CitizenRequests

Staff Recommended CIB and CIP

Step 3: Project Design and Development

•The final determination of facilities to be included in a funded park development project have not, most likely, been absolutely determined. As an individual park project is initiated, a site master plan is developed, again, through a public process.

•If tennis facilities are already being considered, advocates need to be present to assure that these facilities are not replaced by other community recreation needs and to impact the scope and scale of the proposed tennis facilities.

•If tennis facilities have not been considered, advocacy could move them onto the “list” for consideration.

STEP 3: PROJECT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Input Process for Budgeted Projects

Staff(Program, Maintenance,etc).

Staff Assimilation ofProject Design/Development Input

General Public InputAdvisory Board Input

(citizen committee)

Review Alternatives

Staff Recommends Design and Development Solution

Committee Review & Approval

Elected Officials Review& Approval

Development of Design Specifications

Four Steps of Capital Project Development

1Comprehensive Master Planning

4Project Construction & Completion

2Project Selection & Budgeting

3Project Design & Development

Summary

1. Informal advocacy – relationship building - should occur throughout the year.

2. Take the time to understand the way local government operates.

3. Seize the opportunity to provide formal input at key public meetings during every stage of the decision making process.