5-26-88 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMO TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: MARY SAARION, DIRECTOR PARKS, RECREATION AND FORESTRY ipplk. MAY 16 , 1988 SUBJECT: SURVEY RESULTS It is the delight of the Parks , Recreation and Forestry Department to receive the report of Decision Resources , Inc . regarding the strong evaluation of the Parks , Recreation and Forestry Department as reflected by the City survey. The department has been aware of the unusually high percentage of participants in department sponsored programs . The fact has been made known when comparisons are made with neighboring communities . In the past , and yet today , the City of Mounds View leisure recreation program statistics are similar to the participation numbers of cities twice the size ! The number of programs is also similar to communities which have larger populations and employ more programming staff . Because of these reasons , staff has been aware of high participation of leisure recreational programs offered through the Parks , Recreation and Forestry Department . Statistics and records regarding participation in leisure recreation programs and activities have been kept since 1975. A regular schedule of program evaluations and periodic in-house surveys are continually administered for the purpose of staying " in-tune" with the people ' s wants , interests and leisure needs . 41/1 Approximately 3-1/2 - 4 years ago , staff discussed expanding program offerings as a tool to measure whether or not the total leisure program was adequately meeting the leisure needs of the people . During that one year timespan the department offered an additional number of programs . It was found that as many programs offered were also cancelled due to lack of registrations . It was the concensus of the department staff , at that time , that leisure programming was at its saturation point . It is the goal of the department to maintain that saturation point . A percentage of cancelled activities is deemed "healthy" by the recreational professionals . This allows programmers to offer "trial" activities . However , every activity that is cancelled also provides negative feedback to the prospective participant . Therefore , cancellations are ideally kept to a minimum. It is the job of the department staff to establish a balance of successful activities , along with fad , risk , or trial activities which have high cancellation rates . There is a simply answer for the 12 percent spillage of participants to neighboring or other communities . The answer is lack of facilities in parks in Mounds View. Here are a few activities which residents must participant in outside of the City due to lack of facilities : 410 Boating Indoor Ice Arena Skating Fishing Archery Water Skiing Nature Center Activities Golfing Cross Country Skiing Canoeing Fishing Nature Center Activities Biking on Designated pathways