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'editor's Note: This column is intended to be a
<br />i:owcase for clients who have demonstrated a
<br />commitment to cost saving, innovative problem
<br />solving, and improving the efficiency of govern-
<br />ment spending.
<br />Park and Recreation
<br />Dept. delivers wide
<br />variety of services on
<br />limited budget
<br />When it comes to providing the big-
<br />gest bang for the buck, the city of Mounds
<br />View's Park and Recreation Department
<br />could be considered a budgetary stick of
<br />dynamite.
<br />For years, the Park and Recreation
<br />Department has gained valuable experi-
<br />ence in providing a high level of services
<br />to its diverse and changing population,
<br />despite its small budget. Through the use
<br />of volunteers, sharing services and pro-
<br />viding joint programming with othercom-
<br />munities, the department is able to com-
<br />pete with some of the larger metropolitan
<br />'ommunities in services offered. Since
<br />Mounds View has a substantial popula-
<br />tion that is considered transient, Park and
<br />Recreation Director Mary Saarion says
<br />the biggest challenge has been living up to
<br />the expectations that new residents bring
<br />from other communities. "There is a big
<br />competition," Saarion said. "A lot of
<br />people that live in the suburbs move from
<br />one suburb to another. What they get in
<br />one community, as far as recreational
<br />services are concerned, they expect to get
<br />in the next community."
<br />Department staff has met that chal-
<br />lenge head-on largely through volunteer
<br />recruiting efforts. The department re-
<br />cruits volunteer coaches, umpires and ref-
<br />erees, as well as volunteers to work on
<br />special projects. Local Eagle Scout groups
<br />donate their time to perform park im-
<br />provements, and a garden club beautifies
<br />the city by planting flowers. The city also
<br />has a community theater that is mainly a
<br />volunteer endeavor.
<br />Though the department has limited
<br />Funds and a small staff -- three office
<br />workers and two parks workers -- it gets
<br />additional help from student workers,
<br />JPTA (federal youth work.program) par-
<br />The city of Mounds View
<br />Joint programming with .neigh-
<br />boring communities helps bolster
<br />participation in activities that would
<br />normally have a lower number of
<br />participants if done alone. For
<br />instance, the Superball League is
<br />more fun for the participants when
<br />Mounds View's three teams are
<br />combined with New Brighton's
<br />three teams to form a six team
<br />league. The city also participates
<br />in other joint activities with sur-
<br />rounding communities, such as
<br />sightseeing excursions or dances.
<br />The city is in the process of creat-
<br />ing a joint regional senior center
<br />..+ that would include the communi-
<br />ties of Fridley, New Brighton,
<br />Spring Lake Park and Mounds
<br />View. All services, such as social
<br />services, recreation and assistance
<br />programs, that have traditionally
<br />"- been located in different places
<br />will be centralized for the conve-
<br />nience of the participating cities
<br />and their citizens. "When you are
<br />a smaller community like this, you tend to
<br />do more coordination among agencies,"
<br />Saarion said. "Then you can offer the
<br />same opportunities as the large communi-
<br />ties by joining forces with other commu-
<br />nities and agencies."
<br />The Mounds View Lions Club makes
<br />contributions. for numerous events and
<br />activities and has been a major factor in
<br />the department's success. The club do-
<br />nates money for park improvements, pro-
<br />vides a sign -language interpreter for the
<br />community theater, purchases equipment
<br />for the First Aid/CPR programs and pro-
<br />vides funds for the department's senior
<br />exercise program and many other pro-
<br />grams.
<br />Though Saarion has never attempted
<br />to calculate the cost savings the city has
<br />experienced through its budget -stretch-
<br />ing techniques, she says the true value is
<br />in the greater number of services her
<br />department provides to its citizens. "More
<br />than monetary, it's really about increas-
<br />ing the opportunities for people," Saarion
<br />said. "By doing things in coordination
<br />with other communities, we are able to
<br />offer these programs and expand our re-
<br />sources," she said.
<br />Volunteer coaches allow Mounds View Park
<br />and Recreation to continue providing a
<br />basketball program despite a limited budget
<br />ticipants, and citizens sentenced to per-
<br />form community service. Other than the
<br />budget provided by the city, additional
<br />funds come from the various grants that
<br />the department applies for. The grants
<br />provide funds for playground equipment,
<br />materials for park improvements, activity
<br />sponsorship, and other endeavors.
<br />Mounds View shares a forester with
<br />the cities of New Brighton and Roseville.
<br />Mounds View pays for one day of labor a
<br />week for a crew of workers and an addi-
<br />tional day for when the forester does tree
<br />inspections, wood pile inspections, dis-
<br />ease control, paper work for taking down
<br />trees, etc. The forester also applies for a
<br />great deal of grants, which can double the
<br />forest maintenance budget.
<br />The Park and Recreation Department
<br />jointly operates a park with the city of
<br />Spring Lake Park, which lies on the bor-
<br />der of both communities. Mounds View
<br />handles the administrative duties, while
<br />Spring Lake Park does the maintenance
<br />of the park. Recently, the Spring Lake
<br />Park Lions Club funded a new beach
<br />house, pathways, and a ball field for the
<br />park -- improvements that would have
<br />cost both cities more than $250,000.
<br />State Auditor's Report Winter 1994 page seven
<br />
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