3/24/83 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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- 2 - The major focus of this memo will be on the short range or operational focus of our department which I envision falling into two major categories . The first direction would be to continue and expand the concept of neighborhood park planning councils similar to that of the Groveland Park Foundation into four other planning quadrants within the City . In addition to the development of the park planning councils , staff would recommend that the Park Commission members be appointed as representatives to each of the respective park planning councils similar to a City Council ward system. The second major focus or direction that staff proposes is that we review the existing long range plan to develop a shorter more realistic five year capital improvement plan which should not exceed $50 ,000 per year for park development. As part of the revised five year capital improvement plan, staff would envision not only prioritizing park projects , but also outlining as to the funding source in one of the following areas : 1. General Fund 2 . Revenue sharing and/or other city funds . 3 . State and Federal grant programs . 4 . Neighborhood involvement through either park planning councils, matching money or through community work efforts. A more in depth look at how the park planning council and short range capital improvement planning process would work is as follows : Volunteerism is not a new idea. Its roots are deep in the American park and recreation movement and our department is no exception . We currently depend upon volunteers in our programs through the youth baseball/softball program and other athletic programs , Advisory Commissions; citywide athletic associations and park maintenance . As staff indicated at our last Park Commission meeting, the key to success in working with volunteers is to have a well planned approach as to what specific tasks might be completed by volunteers as well as how the manpower will be supervised. In addition to the obvious benefits of using volunteers to increase manpower at a minimal cost; there are numberous other benefits to the volunteers such as experiences that they might gain from the job , as well as the benefits the community gains from multiple spin-offs associated with citizen involvement. Staff would propose that we establish five separate park planning councils broken down as follows: Park Planning Council No . 1 - This planning council would include Groveland Park, Ardan Park and the Red Oak School complex with the borders being the city boundaries on the north and west side, Highway 10 on the south side and Greenwood Drive on the east, ( to include Ardan Park) .