The Department of Recreation and Parks has created a Strategic Plan that will serve as a comprehensive report for sharing the department’s strategic initiatives. This is a five-year plan with regular updates based on yearly goals. Developed in response to the department’s post-pandemic transition and under new leadership, the Strategic Plan reflects a detailed process to reframe goals and strategy to better service the community. Initiatives for developing the plan included:
- Extensive listening sessions with staff and consultants
- Leadership training
- The establishment of new mission and vision statements
- Public engagement sessions
- Collaborative work groups focusing on 10 identified goals
The Strategic Plan provides residents with a glimpse into the future initiatives designed to enhance community well-being and alignment with the County Strategic Enterprise Plan.
2024 Goals
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- Review the program inventory to ensure programs and events have a direct tie to the mission, vision, values and core program areas.
Action Plan: Implement a program proposal form to track and document direct ties. - Implement a variety of new offerings of events and programs that meet the needs and desires of the community.
Action Plan: Engage a consultant to conduct and complete a Countywide needs assessment. - Focus on inclusivity and efficiencies to ensure access to spaces, programs, events and services are intentional.
Action Plan: Create a therapeutic recreation program inventory.
- Review the program inventory to ensure programs and events have a direct tie to the mission, vision, values and core program areas.
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- Create and develop policies for onboarding, training, interviews and evaluations.
Action Plan: Create an onboarding matrix, training documents, procedures for interviews and an evaluation training. - Establish and implement a current base of standard operating procedures. (SOPs)
Action Plan: Transfer department directives to standardized SOP format. - Develop a knowledge base to host all internal standard operating procedures.
Action Plan: Work with the Office of Information Technology to identify a pathway to create an intranet.
- Create and develop policies for onboarding, training, interviews and evaluations.
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- Implement a registration software system.
Action Plan: Secure and finalize a contract with the vendor. - Identify tools and software available to create efficiencies.
Action Plan: Research report function and abilities within Workday. - Identify efficiencies for collection and use of data.
Action Plan: Consolidate all goals and metrics for tracking to create data points.
- Implement a registration software system.
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- Establish and implement modern standards and updates to deferred maintenance of older facilities.
Action Plan: Require site inspection process (SIP) to be launched at all department sites to capture the current site and asset conditions. - Make equitable decisions in planning capital improvements and acquisitions.
Action Plan: Create a departmentwide process to report and implement capital improvement requests and needs. - Ensure public input and updates are standard in design and construction process.
Action Plan: Create a capital update page on the website with updates quarterly, or as needed. - Design and construct all new facilities to a high quality of standard.
Action Plan: Establish protocol, to include sign-off, on projects and modifications by operations.
- Establish and implement modern standards and updates to deferred maintenance of older facilities.
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- Increase training opportunities offered annually.
Action Plan: Survey the staff biannually to determine training, certification and development needs/wants. - Create a succession plan through staff development.
Action Plan: Establish a job shadow or mentorship program. - Establish policies regarding training and development expectations, and guidelines.
Action Plan: Establish who should take which training and what trainings are required.
- Increase training opportunities offered annually.
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- Establish policies and plans that promote and protect natural resources and sustainability.
Action Plan: Develop a natural resource management plan for three of the seven nature centers and parks. - Increase habitats for native species of flora, fauna and bees by 15 percent in five years.
Action Plan: Identify areas to shift from regular to seasonal mow cycles at six new sites and in all new designs. - Increase environmental education opportunities across all nature sites and in Recreation Activity Center (RAC) curriculums.
Action Plan: Ensure all RAC summer camps visit each nature site for trips.
- Establish policies and plans that promote and protect natural resources and sustainability.
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- Establish processes to review, analyze and recognize all positions and duties within the department annually.
Action Plan: Establish a format and conduct annual reviews and edits of each position description with employee. - Increase workplace balance and culture through retention rate of 80 percent.
Action Plan: Establish and create a morale and culture committee. - Increase opportunities for staff engagement and communication.
Action Plan: Establish monthly, open input sessions with the leadership for all levels of employees to attend.
- Establish processes to review, analyze and recognize all positions and duties within the department annually.
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- Establish and implement communications and marketing policies and plans.
Action Plan: Hire a part-time social media content creator and a graphic design artist. - Establish tools to assist with external and internal communication.
Action Plan: Create a request process for employees to submit social and web posts. - Increase brand recognition and awareness to internal, external and partnered customers.
Action Plan: Create and establish a logo use policy.
- Establish and implement communications and marketing policies and plans.
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- Establish definitions for partnership and agreement pathways.
Action Plan: In consultation with the Law Department, define all agreement types. - Increase standardization for partnerships and agreements.
Action Plan: Create and establish MOUs with recreation and nature councils. - Develop a process for program and for-profit vendors at programs and sites.
Action Plan: In coordination with partner agencies, identify requirements for vendors.
- Establish definitions for partnership and agreement pathways.
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- Establish a mechanism for determining cost recovery at facilities, programs and events.
Action Plan: Research and develop a cost recovery tool, whether in house or via a vendor. - Create and establish a revenue structure of measurement and tracking.
Action Plan: Streamline budget appropriation and cost center numbers (consolidate 3901 and 3902). - Standardize format for increased revenue collection and generation.
Action Plan: Develop a standardized permit process for all rental and permit types.
- Establish a mechanism for determining cost recovery at facilities, programs and events.