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9.0. SR 10-15-2001RAver 13065 0r0n0 Parkway Elk River, MN 55330 TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Item # MEMORANDUM Mayor and City Council Michele McPherso ~rr;ctor of Planning October 15, 200 I Workshop Discussion Regarding Formation of a Park and Recreation Department Attached please find the report prepared by a subcommittee of the Park and Recreation Commission regarding the formation of a City Park and Recreation Department. This will be the topic of discussion for the joint workshop meeting between the City Coundl and the Park and Recreation Commission at the October 15, 2001 meeting. The report was reviewed and adopted by the Commission as a whole. Phone: 763.441.7420 Fax: 763.441.7425 S:\PLANNING\MICHMC\CCREPRTS\Park&RecDept.doc www. ci.elk-rivenmn.us Table of Contents Introduction Existing Conditions Findings New Department Components and Organization Budget Impacts Implementation Timeline Resulting Changes Recommendation Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 3 Introduction During the February 28, 2000 joint meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission and the Elk River City Council, the concept of a dedicated Park and Recreation Department with its own director was discussed. At that time, there were concerns over the longevity of the Community Recreation JPA with the cities of Hassan, Rogers, and Otsego. By the end of 2000, Hassan had announced its withdrawal from the JPA. At the joint meeting, the Council authorized the Commission to investigate the implications of developing a dedicated Park and Recreation Department for the City of Elk River. Since that time, the City of Otsego has announced its decision to leave the JPA, and beginning in January 2002, the City of Elk River will be responsible for providing recreation programming on its own. Why is the Commission concerned about the current lack of a dedicated Park and Recreation Department? Traditionally, parks and recreation have included three components: park planning/development, park maintenance, and recreational programming. Currently, the these components are provided by what has been described as a "three legged stool" with no single- focused leader or "seat": Director of Planning provides: agenda preparation, subdivision review for park dedication purposes, park design Superintendent of Streets/Parks provides: park maintenance and construction services Program Manager provides: programming services The Commission does not doubt the dedication of these individuals to the development of the City's park and recreation system, however, is this the most efficient or timely provision of service to the citizens of Elk River and those outside the community who may visit and utilize our parks? The Commission believes there is a better way to provide these services. A recent example of the lack of timely service is the length of time that it has taken to develop a master plan for the Youth Athletic Complex. A Director dedicated solely to the maintenance and development of parks would have been able to focus on the task without the conflict of other job duties (i.e. land use planning or street maintenance). In addition, two of the above individuals are not formally trained in the study of parks and recreation and therefore are not current with park and recreation trends. This report was written to answer four related questions. The answers to these questions in turn shape the Commissions recommendations to the City Council regarding the question of should the City centralize these important functions? 1. How does the City of Elk River currently serve the Park and Recreation needs of the community? 2. How might the City structure itself to meet future needs? 3. If the City established a separate Parks and Recreation Department - what would be different and why? 4. What are the financial costs of any recommended changes? The Commission has used information from a variety of sources in the writing of this report including site visits to Community Recreation, the Parks and Streets Department, the Monticello Parks and Recreation Department, interviews with a number of parks and recreation administrators Park Deparu~ent Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 4 of both Metro and out state communities, and information provided by Director of Planning and Finance Director. The goal of this report prepared by the Commission is to provide a recommendation to the Council of a framework for a dedicated Park and Recreation Department, the budget impacts, the justification for the investment, and an implementation timeline. Existing Service Provision As stated earlier, the three components of parks and recreation services are currently provided by staff in three different departments: Park and Street Department The Park and Street Department is located at 19000 Elk Lake Road. The Mission Statement of the Department is: It is the mission of the Park/Street Department to provide prompt and courteous servic~ to area residents in a financially responsible manner. In doing so, we strive to be safety conscious, creative, helpful, ambitious, and understanding as we do whatever tasks are laid before us. In 2000, the department had 32,298 hours, 28% of which were devoted to park projects. Park activities included field maintenance, mowing, skating rinks, and park maintenance/development. Seventeen full-time and four part-time staff work in the department. A full-time Park Foreman has been designated. Planning Department The Planning Department is located in City Hall. The Mission Statement of the Department is: To assist the public, Planning Commission, and City Coundl with the orderly development of the dry. Staff in the Department provide planning and design services for parks. The Director of Planning provides coordination services for the Commission, and averages anywhere from five to 15 hours per week on Park and Recreation issues. The Planner also provides staff assistance to the Commission and is currently working 20-25 hours per week on Park and Recreation issues (YAC, Lions Shelter addition, Trott Brook Barn). Community Recreation (to become City Recreation January. 2002) Community Recreation is currently housed at 50 Main Street, the Emporium (formerly the City Liquor Store). A move to the Lions Park Shelter is anticipated in December 2001. The Mission Statement of the Department is: Community Recreation offers recreation programming~ support, and input to the Park and Recreation Commission, support services to the Youth Associations, as well as other related services. Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 5 Two full-time, one 3A time, and multiple seasonal staff are responsible for recreation programming in the City. In 2001, the City's portion of the Community Recreation budget was $239,500.00 and in 2002, the City expects to budget $296,850.00 for recreation programming. Findings and Observations Finding 1: The Elk River Parks and Recreation system is undergoing rapid expansion that will continue into the foreseeable future. This expansion can be documented through the increase in three areas: (1) the number of park and recreation facilities in the Elk River system, (2) city dollars budgeted for Capital Improvements for park and recreation purposes, and (3) consumer demand for park and recreational activities within the City of Elk River. Increase in the number of City facilities: When the City Council approved the Master Park and Recreation Plan in 1997, the system consisted of 27 parks and athletic complexes totaling ? acres. In 2001, the system has grown to 33 sites totaling 777 acres. At the current rate of development, at least seven neighborhood parks plus at least one additional area-wide park will be added to the system within the next five years. It is not unreasonable to anticipate that these additions will add another 175-250 acres to the system. o City dollars budgeted for Parks and Recreation Capital Improvements: In 1997, the City targeted approximately $40,000 toward the development of city owned park and recreation facilities plus land acquisition. In 2000, the City spent $165,574.97 on Park Capital Improvement projects. In 2001, the City has approved Capital Improvements for the Park System in the amount of $124, 464. Additional expenditures for land acquisition may be recommended to the Council in the near future. Over the 5-year period of 2002 through 2007, the Commission anticipates making Capital Improvement recommendations to the Council totaling $714,500. e Consumer demand for parks and recreation services: The 33 sites and facilities that comprise the current system allow opportunities for recreational outlets that range from quietly passive individual pursuits to highly energetic team competitions to community wide get-togethers such as the Crop Walk. Community demands for city-owned facilities led to the recent restructuring of the facility reservation system. The construction of BMX facilities at the Youth Athletic Complex, Mountain Biking Trails at Hill Side City Park, new or expanded playground equipment at Lions, Country Crossing, Riverplace and Barrington Parks, the remodeling of the Barn at Trott Brook Farms, and the relocation of Community Recreation staff to new facilities at Lions Park, all represent consumer demands on the current system that were not evident just a few years ago. Finding 2: The City of Elk River spent $514,755 for park and recreation maintenance, programming, and capital improvements during the year 2000. This amount does not include city financial support for the Ice Arena. The $426,228 represents the total dollars specifically recommended for park and recreation purposes by the Parks and Recreation Commission ($165,574), the Street and Park Department park and trail Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 6 development maintenance budget ($285,000) and Community Recreation programming budget ($64,181). Finding 3: Recommendations regarding maintenance of existing facilities, programming, planning, and expenditures for capital improvements are currently made by a combination of volunteers and multiple staff representing a variety of City Departments. All recommendations regarding allocation of city resources for parks and recreation purposes ultimately must be ratified by the City Council. Volunteers currently shaping recommendations include the members of the Park and Recreation Commission. The work of the Commission in turn is shaped by hundreds of volunteers that work in various capacities on park and recreation projects. City staff that currently shape recommendations include the Park and Street Superintendent, the Parks Foreman, the City Finance Director, the City Administrator, the Director of Planning, and the Manager of Community Recreation. Finding 4: The current decision making process regarding parks and recreation decisions works adequately in that decisions are eventually made, but the implementation of the decisions is sometimes slowed due to conflicting demands on staff time and related resources. Decisions are also slowed due to the lack of a full-time designated person/or city department that has appropriate training to assume responsibility for coordinating timely responses to park and recreation priorities. Each of the staff listed above has multiple responsibilities and demands on their time, including some responsibility for parks and recreation. Currently all staff make a good faith effort to move park and recreation priorities forward, but any given effort may have to give way to other Departmental priorities. Given the projected growth in the park and recreation system, increased use by residents of City services and facilities, and the increased demands on current staff, the Commission projects that this situation will not improve unless some key staff are added (see New Department Components and Organization). Most park and recreational initiatives by their very composition tend to be muki-jurisdictional in that final projects represent a blend of professional financial, planning, programming, construction, and ongoing maintenance staff expertise. Based on Commission review of other Park and Recreation Departments in Minnesota, eventually many municipalities make the decision to hire additional staff charged with the responsibility of implementing parks and recreation priorities. New Department Components and Organization To meet the anticipated planning, coordination, programming and maintenance needs, it is necessary that the city target additional staff resources to respond to the demands of a growing parks and recreation system. These additional resources could be created by a combination of new hires and internal transfer/reorganization of existing staff. The current staff has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the City's Park and Recreation System and it is hoped that they would be willing to remain in a newly organized Park and Recreation Department. Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Pa~e 7 To understand the relationship of new hires and existing staff in the new Department, a graphic representation is provided: Park and Recreation Department Organizational Chart Ice Arena Existing Position Ice Arena Manager New Position Director I ExistingPosition Secretary t--~ Senior Center t----t Recreation Existing Position Senior Coordinator Existing Position PT Senior Programmer Existing Position Recreation Manager I Existing Position Programming Assistant I New Position Facility Coordinator Existing Postion ~ time Receptionist (2002) Park Maintenance & Construction I Existing Position Park Foreman* New Position Maintenance II Existing Positions Seasonal (7) Existing Positions Seasonal (40) * Transfer from Street Department ** Transfer from Planning Department New Hires would include a Park and Recreation Director, a Facility Coordinator, and a Maintenance II Worker. The Parks and Recreation Director would assume major Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 8 responsibility for coordination of all city support on behalf of the City's parks and recreation programs. The Facility Coordinator would be responsible for the management and scheduling of facilities, including concession stands at the Orono Athletic Complex, the Youth Athletic Complex, and the Ice Arena. The Maintenance would be permanently assigned to the New Department. Internal Transfers would include the Community Recreation Manager and current staff, the current Parks Foreman position, the Ice Arena Manager and current staff, and the Senior Program Coordinator and staff, and the Park Planner from the Planning Department. The Commission acknowledges that with the proposed internal transfers, additional staff would need to be hired in other departments; a planner in the Planning Department, and a person to replace the Park Foreman in the Street Department. A second Maintenance II position would permanently assigned to the Street Department for this replacement. It is highly recommended that this position be filled with someone with experience with irrigation systems (summer work) and snow plowing. Budget Impacts It will be necessary for the City to spend additional funds annually to pay for what in effect will be a new department charged with specific responsibilities associated with meeting the City's parks and recreation priorities. It is anticipated that these increases in 2001 dollars will range between $215,000 and $280,000 annually - based on information provided the Parks and Recreation Commission by the City's Finance Director. In a memo dated August 15, 2001 the Director projected that these personnel costs would be: Positions (new): Start Top Park and Recreation Director: Facility Coordinator Maintenance II Parks Worker Total New Positions $60,468 $80,283 $34,335 $46,411 $38,103 $51,104 $13~906 $177,798 Positions (replacement): Planner: Maintenance II Worker Total Replacement Positions $46,881 $58,204 $38,103 $51,104 $8<984 $10~308 Total New/Replacement $217,890 $287,106 These figures represent full-time positions that would be an on-going annual expense to the City. Additional monies may be spent on increased seasonal workers, and increases in supplies, etc. to respond to increases in requests for service. Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 9 Implementation Timeline The Commission is aware that the request for a Park and Recreation Department and the reorganization of staff and resources will require careful thought and planning for inclusion in the City's budget. It is also a large undertaking to complete in one sweep. This report will be presented to the Council too late in the process for the 2002 budget, however, a timeline for implementation has been developed: October 2001: Meet with City Council to review investigative report and recommendations December 2001: Lions Park Shelter addition completed, City Recreation moves in January2002: Assign irrigation maintenance to other internal staff person; current Park Foreman takes stronger role in park maintenance and development June 2002: Include Director of Parks and Recreation in 2003 budget discussions December 2002: 2003 Budget approved with Director position included January 2003: Advertise for Director position March/April 2003: Select and interview candidates, select new hire May/June 2003: New Director starts, is housed at Lions Park June 2004: Include Maintenance II and Field/Concession Coordinator positions in 2005 budget discussion; consider reorganization of Senior Center and Ice Rink staff during same discussions December 2004: 2005 Budget approved with Maintenance II and Field/Concession Coordinator positions included January2005: Begin hiring process for Maintenance II and Field/Concession Coordinator positions Resulting Changes The Commission believes that a dedicated department of park and recreation professionals would enhance the City of Elk River Park and Recreation system. A Director of Parks and Recreation would be a direct staff link to the Parks and Recreation Commission, City Administrator, and City Council as well as a lead person on all parks and recreation related projects. This would eliminate the need for two departments to switch off responsibility for park projects when their respective workload gets too great. The Director would also work with developers and landowners to implement the Master Park Plan and be responsible for the proper use of park dedication funds for future land purchase and the Park Department Formation Report to the Elk River City Council October 200 I Page 10 development of short and long-term budgets. They would also work with the school district and county, state and federal agencies regarding joint ventures and grant or matching fund opportunities. The Commission also believes that by creating a department to encompass all park and recreation related activities including park maintenance, recreation programming, park planning, senior programming, and arena operations, at least three current departments could concentrate fully on issues related directly to their departments and not have to juggle park and recreation issues. The new department could also be the City's full time advocate on forestry and tree preservation issues as well as coordinating volunteer efforts in the park system. The Commission recognizes that many departments within the City have been doing parts of these elements. As the City continues to grow and citizens demand a more developed park and recreation system, the demand on other departments will also increase. It is time to create a single department with a full time focus on present and future park and recreation needs. Recommendation Based on the Commission's findings, it makes the following recommendations to the Elk River City Council. Recommendation 1: The City Council take action to formally establish a City Parks and Recreation Department that will assume primary responsibility for coordinating all activities connected with the planning, programming, development and ongoing maintenance of the City of Elk River Parks and Recreation sites and facilities. Current and future Community Recreation, Ice Arena, and Senior Program staff will be included as components of the new Department. Recommendation 2: The City Council be guided by the timeline included in Section 6 for the key staffing milestones to be achieved in the creation of the Parks and Recreation Department.