Strategic Plan
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.
UPDATES
The Department compiled quarterly updates for the plan's first year. Subsequent updates will be published annually or as warranted.
The Department released its Year One, Quarter One updates in May 2024.
- Of the 31 Year One strategies, 13 are complete and 17 are in progress.
- 42 percent progress completed in Quarter One.
View the full Quarter One update.
The Department compiled its Year One, Quarter Two updates in late 2024.
- Of the 31 Year One strategies, 16 are complete and 17 are in progress.
- 52 percent progress completed in Quarter Two.
View the full Quarter Two update.
The Department compiled its Year One, Quarter Three updates in late 2024.
- Of the 31 Year One strategies, 25 are complete and 6 are in progress.
- 81 percent progress completed in Quarter Three.
View the full Quarter Three update.
The Department compiled its Year One, Quarter Four updates in late 2024.
- Of the 31 Year One strategies, 30 are complete and 1 is unmet.
- 98 percent progress completed in Quarter Four.
View the full Quarter Four update.
2025 Goals
- Review the program inventory to ensure programs and events have a direct tie to the mission, vision, values and core program areas.
Action Plan: Add in county strategic plan goals to the program proposal form. - Implement a variety of new offerings of events and programs that meet the needs and desires of the community.
Action Plan: Identify gaps in program inventory as identified by needs assessment. - Focus on inclusivity and efficiencies to ensure access to spaces, programs, events and services are intentional.
Action Plan: Create a mobile recreation program and train all staff in facilitation.
- Create and develop policies for onboarding, training, interviews and evaluations.
Action Plan: Create an Employee Resource Manual to include a picture organizational chart. - Establish and implement a current base of standard operating procedures. (SOPs)
Action Plan: Share and identify public SOPS to be shared. - Develop a knowledge base to host all internal standard operating procedures.
Action Plan: Identify Plan for Knowledge Base: sections, key stakeholders, content.
- Implement a registration software system.
Action Plan: Identify integrated payment method for all registrations. - Identify tools and software available to create efficiencies.
Action Plan: Research and establish an attendance tracking tool to provide data on event and passive park use. - Identify efficiencies for collection and use of data.
Action Plan: Create a data collection timeline and identify key data reporters.
- Establish and implement modern standards and updates to deferred maintenance of older facilities.
Action Plan: Develop an asset replacement matrix and asset replacement plan to be maintained on the knowledge base. - Make equitable decisions in planning capital improvements and acquisitions.
Action Plan: Research county dashboard data to assess individual community needs. - Ensure public input and updates are standard in design and construction process.
Action Plan: Develop a Standard Operating Procedure for community input. - Design and construct all new facilities to a high quality of standard.
Action Plan: Develop a Standard Operating Procedure for implementation and steps for all capital projects.
- Increase training opportunities offered annually.
Action Plan: Create and share an internal monthly training calendar with all staff. - Create a succession plan through staff development.
Action Plan: Create a required and recommended training, education and certification matrix by position. - Establish policies regarding training and development expectations, and guidelines.
Action Plan: For all required trainings or certifications, update all job descriptions to ensure requirements are reflected.
- Establish policies and plans that promote and protect natural resources and sustainability.
Action Plan: Develop a Natural Resource Management plan for four 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: Establish a weed warrior program to target removal of invasive species at all nature sites - Increase environmental education opportunities across all nature sites and in Recreation Activity Center (RAC) curriculums.
Action Plan: Expand zero waste events and zero waste pavilion rentals to two additional sites.
- Establish processes to review, analyze and recognize all positions and duties within the department annually.
Action Plan: Create and conduct evaluation trainings and expectations to ensure alignment and equity in evaluations. - Increase workplace balance and culture through retention rate of 80 percent.
Action Plan: Plan quarterly social outings for staff to attend after or during work hours. - Increase opportunities for staff engagement and communication.
Action Plan: Establish a quarterly internal newsletter for staff to submit highlights and information to.
- Establish and implement communications and marketing policies and plans.
Action Plan: Establish, adopt, train and implement a social media policy to all staff. - Establish tools to assist with external and internal communication.
Action Plan: Create and implement a weekly, monthly, and quarterly social and web calendar. - Increase brand recognition and awareness to internal, external and partnered customers.
Action Plan: Create and boost targeted social media posts monthly on Facebook and Instagram.
- Establish definitions for partnership and agreement pathways.
Action Plan: In consultation with all divisions, research current partnership agreements. - Increase standardization for partnerships and agreements.
Action Plan: Adopt all Recreation and Nature Council MOUs with the Office of Law. - Develop a process for program and for-profit vendors at programs and sites.
Action Plan: Develop a contract for third party vendors to implement programs.
- Establish a mechanism for determining cost recovery at facilities, programs and events.
Action Plan: Train all program staff on cost recovery methods, practices and tool. - Create and establish a revenue structure of measurement and tracking.
Action Plan: Implement a plan to establish a 2- 5% revenue increase at enterprise sites. - Standardize format for increased revenue collection and generation.
Action Plan: Create a grant strategy by working with all divisions to establish funding priorities.