Grants - Popular Misconceptions

Some time ago we received a grant to make some improvements at a local park. However, some of the neighbors think the park is great as is and no improvements should be made. I can't blame them for mobilizing their friends, but it is very apparent that most of the concern is centered around not wanting more people at "their" park. So...to dispel some common misconceptions:

• If you moved next to a park, you should expect people to use it. If it can't be used as a park for everyone in the community to use, it might as well be sold for some other purpose such as a detention basin or affordable housing.
• Yes our state is broke, but turning down a grant won't help. The money is dedicated to improving parks and if one community doesn't use it, another will.
• Similarly, the economy is bad, but that doesn't mean everyone should sit on their hands until it gets better. How does park development help? A large part of the reason grants have been given out recently is that construction helps put people to work. It helps the manufacturers of equipment and the laborers who are contracted for installation. In addition, if you are unemployed or underemployed, doesn't it help to have local parks to go and enjoy that are free of cost.
• Public input is truly appreciated and the goal is to try and make as many people as possible happy. Unfortunately, this does not mean everyone.
• Finally, even though a park district is a government, they are subject to more local and county permitting requirements than the typical homeowner. This means that any development must demonstrate that it will not increase flooding, light/noise pollution, and various other requirements. Ultimately, tear downs of single family homes that are replaced by bigger homes are collectively increasing flooding and environmental pollution than larger developments that have to compensate for this.

Governments Open During Disasters

Our area experienced a significant snowfall during the last day. I suppose it was technically classified as a blizzard. We received around 20" and the power went out for a good part of our community. As luck would have it, I had scheduled to take the day off to do some skiing; don't be too envious, because it didn't happen. Regardless of my personal plans, our executive director made the decision to close all non-essential facilities due to the weather which means just about everyone had the day off.

Given everything that happened at home, I wouldn't have been able to get to work anyways. However, by the afternoon the snow was clear and roads were passable. My wife and I took the dogs for a walk around town and discovered both the library and our community's park district facility closed. I have mixed feelings about these facilities being closed. I can appreciate that many employees had their own crisis to deal with and would have had considerable difficulty getting to work. On the other hand, with many people not going to work for similar reasons and a good part of the community without power, should there be a place for people to go?

I might not of thought of this concern if I hadn't participated in the Citizen Emergency Response Training (CERT) that prepares people to help in disasters. It is good training, but I have my doubts about the actual effectiveness of the team in a real disaster. There are certain parallels to the drills we did in grade school where you went in the hall and put your head between your knees for a tornado. In hindsight, this was probably more panic management than effective injury mitigation, but I digress. I just wonder if being a government organization means that we should be available when people most need services, even if it just means a place to go.

Conference

I spent the last couple of days at our state's annual conference for Parks and Recreation. I always look forward to it. Going to the "big city" is not really my cup of tea, but it is good to talk with a lot of other colleagues at the same place. It is especially helpful at this time of year, when the days are short and dreary, to take a step back and look at the big picture.

It is a popular misconception for parks and recreation, that things slow down this time of year. After 12 years, I am still waiting for that to happen. The reality is that just when you get things wrapped up from the previous year, it is time to start working on the upcoming year. In my own department, we currently have a request for proposals out for a bobcat exhibit and a bid to dredge 20,000 cubic yards from a lagoon. With the economy the way that it is, there is a lot of interest in both projects. Unfortunately, it also means that companies who may not be as qualified as you would hope may be stretching their own abilities. More on this later.

The biggest challenge at conference this year was a presentation that I did with a couple of other people. While only three of us presented, there were a lot more people involved. The topic was about our leadership team and charter format. Without getting into too much detail, it was about how our organization has become more collaborative in it's management approach. I suppose this is not too unique since I learned about the shift away from top down management several years ago during MPA classes. While being a part of the session was a worth while experience, having so many people contribute made preparation a lot more involved than I anticipated.

The one thing I do not have a good grasp on is where our "industry" is as a whole. I attended a session where some directors talked about the shift to a business model back in the early 1980's. I may be a little jaded since our area seems to lead the country in parks and recreation. For example, we are one of only a few states that actually have park districts that are separate taxing bodies from municipalities.

During conference you certainly run into people who do not seem "current", but overall there is a sense of professionalism and many of us are focusing on being efficient and effective agencies. It is hard to get a sense of whether this is more the norm or an exception. This is more important than ever when there is so much criticism of government in general.

Getting Started!

After keeping a personal journal for a couple of years, I have decided to leap into the 21st century and start one that I can share. Actually I suppose it is not that much of a leap, my wife has had one for a couple of years now and I expect I will get some encouragement and support from her on this endeavor.

So what can you expect to find here? As you might assume, things I feel are significant in my life. Probably a combination of work and my many hobbies. This should not be too difficult. My job involves creating places for other people to play. When I am not working, I like to play. My old Gary Fisher mountain bike had a neat phrase that endlessly repeats in a circle on the headset, "all work and no play is no fun at all...".

To start, here are a couple of projects that are underway at work:

• Renovation of a 70-acre park that involves wetlands, dredging, bridges, paths, a sled hill, a playground, basketball courts, and resurfacing a road and parking lots
• Improvements to a 20-acre park including two shelters, a water spray feature, artificial ice skating surface, a multi-sport court, and bike parking
• Creation of a bobcat exhibit at our zoo

Some of the more significant things I am doing at home:

• Exercising at various places and focusing on biking and running (for the upcoming triathlon season)
• Training (or being trained by) our two 16-month old shepherd mix dogs
• Looking forward to vacationing in Death Valley (which will be about our 50th national park visit)

Well that is probably enough for a first post. Hope you enjoy!