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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinal Report    November 2008      Acknowledgements City Council Regenia Bailey, Mayor Connie Champion Amy Correia Matt Hayek Mike O’Donnell Ross Wilburn Mike Wright Michael Lombardo, City Manager Parks and Recreation Commission Matthew Pacha, Chair John Westefeld, Vice Chair David Bourgeois Craig Gustaveson Margaret Loomer Ryan O’Leary Jerry Raaz Philip Reisetter John Watson City of Iowa City Staff Terry Trueblood, Director of Parks and Recreation Mike Moran, Superintendent of Recreation Terry Robinson, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry Tammy Neumann, Administrative Secretary Marcia Klingaman, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Barb Meredith, Senior Engineering Technician Bob Miklo, Senior Planner Consultant Team GreenPlay, LLC Design Concepts Geowest For more information about this document, contact GreenPlay, LLC At: 3050 Industrial Lane, Suite 200, Broomfield, Colorado 80020, Telephone: 303-439-8369 Fax: 303-439-0628 Toll Free: 866-849-9959 Email: info@greenplayllc.com www.greenplayllc.com Table of Contents I. Executive Summary 1 II. Past, Present, and Future- The Planning Context 29 A. Iowa City Parks and Recreation Goal Statement 29 B. Purpose of this Plan 29 C. History of Iowa City’s Parks and Recreation Department 29 D. Parks and Recreation Department Overview 31 E. Related Planning Efforts and Integration 31 F. Methodology of this Planning Process 31 G. Timeline for completing the Master Plan 32 III. What We Want- Our Community and Identified Needs 34 A. Community Profile and Demographic Information 34 B. Current Park and Recreation Trends 40 C. Community and Stakeholder Input 46 D. Statistically-Valid Community Survey Findings 49 IV. What We Have Now- An Analysis of Programs and Spaces 53 A. Community Recreation Programs 53 B. Inventory of facilities 61 C. Alternative Providers 62 D. Iowa City Context 66 E. Facility Inventory and Level of Service Analysis 66 F. Level of Service 69 V. How We Manage- An Analysis of Administrative Findings 78 A. Funding 78 B. Analysis of Benchmarking 87 C. Guiding Themes 90 VI. Great Things to Come- Recommendations and Action Plans 91 A. Recommendations 91 List of Tables Table 1: Race/Ethnicity Comparisons for 2007 ....................................................................................... 36 Table 2: Educational Attainment – 25 Years and Older (2000) ................................................................ 37 Table 3: Housing Units (2007) ................................................................................................................ 38 Table 4: Population projections and percent change- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa ......................... 40 Table 5: Top Ten Sports Ranked by Total Participation 2006 ................................................................. 42 Table 6: Total Participation percent change 2001 to 2006 in Select Activities ........................................ 42 Table 7: Youth Participation in Selected Activities and Percent Change 1997-2006 ............................... 43 Table 8: Attendance by Age Group- Selected Arts Activities 2007 .......................................................... 45 Table 9: Perspective A - Neighborhood Access to All Components, Overall Statistics .............................. 71 Table 10: Perspective B - Walkable Access to All Components, Overall Statistics .................................... 72 Table 11: Perspective C: Neighborhood Access to Indoor facilities, Overall Statistics ............................. 73 Table 12: Perspective D - Walkable Access to Trails, Overall Statistics ................................................... 74 Table 13: Community Components GRASP® Scores and Population Ratios ............................................. 75 Table 14: Capacities Level of Service (LOS) ............................................................................................. 76 Table 15: Benchmarking Comparison – Iowa City, IA .............................................................................. 89 Table 16: Cost Estimates and Funding Sources for 2009-2020 Recommended Priorities ....................... 105 List of Figures Figure 1: Percent change in population 2000 to 2007- the City of Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa ...... 34 Figure 2: 2007 Population Breakdown Percent of Total by Age- Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa .. 35 Figure 3: Households by Income- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa ....................................................... 38 Figure 4: Percent change in population- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa 2000-2007, 2007-2012......... 40 Figure 5: City of Iowa City Location Map ................................................................................................ 66 Appendices I. Survey Executive Summary II. GRASP® History and Methodology III. Sample Sponsorship Policy IV. Pyramid Methodology V. Sample Partnership Policy VI. GRASP® Maps and Perspectives Map A: Regional Context Map B: System Map C: Recommendations Perspective A: Neighborhood Access to All Components Perspective B: Walkable Access to All Components Perspective C: Neighborhood Access to Indoor Recreation Perspective D: Walkable Access to Trails VII. Inventory Spreadsheet 1 I. Executive Summary Iowa City Parks & Recreation Goal Statement Provide a high-quality level of leisure time opportunities, increase the number of people served, improve the quality of program delivery, and advocate the benefits of recreational involvement to the general public. Purpose of this Plan The Iowa City Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan is intended to help meet the needs of current and future residents by positioning Iowa City to build on the community’s unique parks and recreation assets and identify new opportunities. The citizen-driven plan establishes a clear direction to guide city staff, advisory committees, and elected officials in their efforts to enhance the community’s parks system, open space, trails, recreation facilities, programs, and services. History of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department The history of public parks in Iowa City can be traced back to 1839, which shows both College Green Park and North Market Square Park as part of the original city plat. The early history of parks is unclear, but it is known that the original Park Board was established by code around 1905. It would seem that this timing might have had something to do with the acquisition of land in 1906 that became City Park, which remains today as the City’s most popular park, and one of its largest. Organized public recreation began in the early 1930’s. One of few facilities available at the time was a small privately owned and operated swimming pool in City Park known as the “Big Dipper.” Beginning in the latter part of 1932, students from the University of Iowa’s Physical Education Department conducted a part-time recreation program on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings at the American Legion’s gymnasium, located at the corner of College and Gilbert Streets. In June, 1934, a supervised Summer Playground program was introduced at Longfellow School. As community support grew, a Board of Recreation Works was formed, and in 1934 the Board employed the City’s first Recreation Director. Financial support came from the Iowa City Women’s Club and Community Chest funds. In July 1936, there was a fire in the American Legion Building and it was heavily damaged. After being renovated, the building’s name was changed to the Iowa City Community Building. Among other things, it became the local recreation center and included a gymnasium, rifle range, handball court, and a small restaurant. In June, 1944 the citizens of Iowa City voted to establish a Playground and Recreation Commission to be supported by public taxation. The Commission held its initial meeting in September, 1944 with H.S. Ivie serving as President, and noted historian Irving Weber as Vice-President. In 1947 voters approved a $50,000 bond issue, to go with $62,500 already saved, for the construction of a new swimming pool in City Park. The pool opened in June, 1949, and is still operating today. In 1952 a rather unique operation was established in City Park - children’s carnival rides, which included a train, Ferris wheel, carousel, and other rides. This was a privately owned operation of the Drollinger 2 family who continued to operate the rides for 47 years, and covered three generations. They paid a small percentage of their income to the City as rent for the property. When the Drollingers decided to retire from the business in 1999 the City purchased the rides in order to keep this tradition alive. This is believed to be the only city-owned park in the State to offer this type of attraction. In 1955, a second fire destroyed the Community Building, and the recreation offices were moved to the airport building for two years; programs were conducted at various buildings throughout the City. In 1956 a proposed bond issue to construct a new recreation center was defeated. That same year the recreation offices were moved to 130 Lafayette Street. Then in 1962 the citizens of Iowa City overwhelmingly passed a referendum to construct a new recreation center, now known as the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, named in honor of Iowa City’s Superintendent of Recreation from 1951 to 1983. Total cost to construct and equip the new building was $715,000. In September, 1964, as the new Recreation Center neared completion, the City Council voted to abolish both the publicly elected Park Board and the Playground and Recreation Commission, and to merge the functions of these separate units into a single advisory body to be known as the Parks and Recreation Commission, which still exists today. The Park Board, however, did not go quietly, feeling the City Council did not have the authority to abolish a publicly elected board. They eventually took their case all the way to the State Supreme Court which upheld the legality of the City Council’s action. At the time of this merger, there were eight public parks in existence: Black Springs Circle, Brookland, City, College Green, Court Hill, Creekside, Happy Hollow, and North Market Square. The total parkland inventory amounted to 129 acres, 107 of which were in City Park. Today the City manages over 1,600 acres of parkland/open space, which includes 42 developed parks, with 31 playgrounds, 43 athletic fields, 45 park shelters, 75 community garden plots, over six miles of nature trails and miscellaneous other amenities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, bocce courts, horseshoe courts, dog park, disc golf, etc. The City’s trail system has grown to include over 50 miles of trails. Since 1997 three major regional parkland areas have been acquired: Peninsula Park, Waterworks Prairie Park, and Sand Lake Recreation Area. In 1972 the Parks and Recreation Department launched a new Farmers Market program, which initially consisted of 17 stalls and operated Saturday mornings. It now operates Wednesday evenings with 57 stalls and Saturday mornings with 112 stalls. In 2006, two indoor holiday markets were added to the program, which are very popular. Recognizing the need for programs to accommodate people with special needs, the Special Populations Involvement (SPI) program was established in 1974, initially funded with a one-year grant awarded by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped. The SPI program became fully funded by the City, and has grown to a comprehensive recreation program serving over 500 people. This program is nationally recognized, having received the prestigious National Gold Medal Award in 1984 and again in 1992. As the years passed several major recreation facilities were constructed, and others renovated, to add to the City’s recreation offerings. The new facilities include: The Mercer Park Aquatic Center, a cooperative project with the Iowa City Community School District, which opened in 1988; a cooperative arrangement was entered into with the University of Iowa in 1996 for joint use of the Hawkeye Softball Complex; the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Park opened in 1997; the Scanlon Gymnasium was added to the 3 Mercer Park Aquatic Center in 1999; the Riverside Festival Stage, home to Riverside Theatre’s Annual Shakespeare Festival, opened in 2000; the Iowa City Skate Park was completed in 2002; the Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park, in cooperation with Johnson County DogPAC, opened in 2006; the Grant Wood Community Gym, another cooperative project with the School District, also opened in 2006; the Peninsula Park Disc Golf Course was completed in 2007; and the City and University entered into an agreement in 2007 which will allow for a University Boathouse (with community use) to be constructed in Terrell Mill Park, scheduled to open in 2009. The number of recreation programs and activities offered has also grown over the years. From the meager beginnings of pond swimming, a marble tournament, and one playground program, the Department now offers over 1,000 activities annually. To enhance and expand upon the opportunities offered to the community, the Department also partners with a number of organizations. In addition to an arrangement with the School District for joint use of facilities, the Department has long-standing relationships with a number of “affiliates,” the largest of which are: Iowa City Boys Baseball, Iowa City Girls Softball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Iowa City Kickers Soccer Club, and the Iowa City Eels Swim Club. Parks and Recreation Department Overview Department Description Iowa City Parks and Recreation is a department of the City of Iowa City and receives funding authorized by the City Council through budget appropriations. Funding is also provided through fees charged for specific programs and services and through grant funds. Additionally, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Foundation provides funds through donations and bequests that enhance department programs, services, and projects. Through these means, parks and recreation programs and services are provided and maintained for the citizens of Iowa City. Related Planning Efforts and Integration The City of Iowa City has undertaken several planning efforts in recent years that have helped inform the planning process for this Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update. These efforts include:  City of Iowa City Comprehensive Plan  Neighborhood Open Space Plan  Existing Trails Plan  Existing Park Plans  Existing Policy Manuals Methodology of this Planning Process This project has been guided by a project team, made up of city staff and the Park and Recreation Commission. This team provided input to the GreenPlay consulting team throughout the planning process. This collaborative effort creates a plan that fully utilizes the consultant’s expertise and incorporates the local knowledge and institutional history that only community members can provide. The project consisted of the following tasks: 4 Needs Assessment and Public Involvement  Review of previous planning efforts and city historical information, and a recent statistically valid community interest and opinion survey.  Consideration of the profile of the community and demographics, including anticipated population growth.  Extensive community involvement effort including focus groups, meetings with key stakeholders, and community-wide public meetings.  Identification of alternative providers of recreation services to provide insight regarding the market opportunities in the area for potential new facilities and services.  Research of trends and statistics related to American lifestyles to help guide the efforts of programming staff. Level of Service Analysis  Interviews with staff to provide information about parks and recreation facilities and services, along with insight regarding the current practices and experiences of the City in serving its residents and visitors.  Analysis addressing recreation, parks, and related services. Inventory  Inventory of parks and facilities using existing mapping, staff interviews, and on-site visits to verify amenities and assess the condition of the facilities and surrounding areas. Assessment and Analysis  Review and assessment of relevant plans.  Organizational SWOT Analysis.  Measurement of the current delivery of service using the GRASP® Level of Service Analysis and allowing for a target level of service to be determined that is both feasible and aligned with the desires of citizens as expressed through the citizen survey. This analysis is also represented graphically in GRASP® Perspectives.  Exploration of finance and funding mechanisms to support development and sustainability of the system. Recommendations: Goals, Strategies, and Action Plan  Identification and categorization of recommendations into themes with goals, objectives, and an action plan for implementation.  Development of an action plan for capital improvements including cost, funding source potentials, and timeframe to support the implementation of the plan. Timeline for Completing the Master Plan Start-up August 2007 Needs Assessment and Public Involvement September 2007 - February 2008 Inventory and Assessment of Existing Facilities September 2007 - March 2008 Program and Services Inventory and SWOT Analysis September 2007 - March 2008 Findings Compilation Report April 2008 Guidelines, Standards and Recommendations May - June 2008 5 Financial Resources and Expenditure Analysis April - July 2008 Recommendations and Action Plans June - August 2008 Final Plan and Presentation October 2008 Community Profile and Demographic Information Service Area and Population The primary service area for this analysis is the City of Iowa City, Johnson County, and the State of Iowa. All estimated 2007 populations, as well as projected population and demographic breakdowns by population are taken from ESRI. The projected 2007 population for Iowa City is 66,177, for Johnson County is 124,240, and for Iowa is 3,030,140. Population Forecasts Although we can never know the future with certainty, it is helpful to make assumptions about it for economic reasons. 2000 populations are from the 2000 US Census. 2007 and 2012 projections were derived from ESRI Business Information Solutions. All three regions: Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa, are estimated to decrease in rate of growth over the next five years. Iowa City’s growth rate is projected to slow down by 1.5% over the next five years. Johnson County’s growth rate is anticipated to decrease by 3.8% and the State’s by 0.9%. Figure 4 illustrates estimated percent change in population for Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa for 2007-2012 as percent change in population from 2000- 2007. Table 4 contains estimated population increase for Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa. Figure 4: Percent change in population- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa 2000-2007, 2007-2012 Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions Table 4: Population projections and percent change- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa Iowa City % Change Johnson County % Change Iowa % Change 2000 62,220 111,006 2,926,324 2007 66,177 5.9% 124,240 10.6% 3,030,140 3.4% 2012 69,274 4.4% 133,403 6.8% 3,110,913 2.5% 5.9% 4.4% 10.6% 6.8% 3.4% 2.5% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 2000-2007 2007-2012 Iowa City Johnson County Iowa 6 Community and Stakeholder Input A total of seven focus groups were held on September 18, 19, and 20 with a public forum on the 20th as well. Over 90 users of the City of Iowa’s parks and recreation amenities and programs and non-users participated. The following is a summary of key issues identified through the process. Ryerson Woods Trail 7 GENERAL Strengths  Staff- visionary, responsive  Facilities- well maintained, many different park types  Services and programs- lots of diversity, encompasses all ages  Support and Funding- good relationship with City Hall, capital funding is effective Opportunities for Improvement  Lack of certain types of facilities, trail connections, and river access  Public awareness- lack of information and education, need to promote Parks and Recreation as a quality of life issue  Poor maintenance of natural areas  Lack of staff- need more maintenance, programming, Foundation and PIO staff  Funding- lack of capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) funding  Programming- need to use natural resources, need to increase collaboration, need to identify core service  Planning- need to improve strategic planning and increase collaboration, both in neighborhoods and regionally ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS  Need programming for all ages below 26 and over 40  Need additional programming in the following areas: o Wellness and fitness, nature based, outdoor winter activities, outdoor water-based activities, drop-in unstructured activities IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS AND FACILITIES  Need to improve maintenance at parks and facilities  Recreation centers and pools: o Need overall facility upgrades, more space, increase air quality at Mercer Pool, safer entryways, additional leisure aquatic components IMPROVEMENTS TO SUPPORT SYSTEM  Funding-need to redo fee structure, need additional sources, need to involve friend’s groups  Need staffing increases to assist in maintenance, programming, marketing, grant writing  Need to improve/redo policies for alcohol use, safety, Neighborhood Open Space Ordinance, developer land dedication/fees-in-lieu  Need to improve transportation to increase access to programs and facilities  Need to increase collaborations with Senior Center, University, schools, and neighborhood associations 8 RATINGS 5=Excellent Average Rating Quality of current programs 4.1 Quality of existing facilities 3.4 Maintenance of facilities 3.6 Quality of customer service 4.0 Effectiveness of seeking feedback 3.3 UNDERSERVED PORTIONS OF IOWA CITY  Geographic: o SW- parks, SE- pool, NE-playground, far west, north and south future development, central/dense areas-parks  Demographic o Active seniors/baby boomers, people with disabilities, low income, those without transportation, 18-25 year olds NEW PARK AMENTITIES  Pedestrian Bridge at dog park  Trails- connector, rail corridor, multiuse  River access  Neighborhood parks  Additional dog parks  Basketball courts NEW FACILITIES  Outdoor leisure pool with lap swim  Recreation/aquatics center on west side of town  Municipal golf course  Splash pad/sprayground  Indoor soccer  Farmer’s Market facility  Multipurpose rental/meeting venue for large gatherings  BMX park/trails FINANCIAL  Issues to be considered o Park and Recreation services should be funded through a combination of taxes and fees o Should serve all citizen regardless of ability to pay o Most respondents are comfortable with current fees structure- could tolerate fee increases in some areas o Concern about tax increase-property or sales  How to support o Parks and Recreation foundation, grants, donations, partnerships, sponsorships, motel/hotel tax SENSITIVITIES  Increase in taxes, University relationship, school district relationship, Senior Center relationship, affordability, ADA accessibility, changing demographics, City Council support 9 Statistically-Valid Community Survey Findings The City of Iowa City conducted a Community Attitude and Interest Survey in January and February 2008 to establish priorities for the future improvement of parks and recreation facilities, programs and services within the community. The survey was designed to obtain statistically valid results from households throughout Iowa City. The survey was administered by a combination of mail and phone. Leisure Vision worked extensively with Iowa City officials in the development of the survey questionnaire. This work allowed the survey to be tailored to issues of strategic importance to effectively plan the future system. In January 2008, surveys were mailed to a random sample of 2,500 households throughout Iowa City. Approximately three days after the surveys were mailed, each household that received a survey also received an electronic voice message encouraging them to complete the survey. In addition, about two weeks after the surveys were mailed, Leisure Vision began contacting households by phone, either to encourage completion of the mailed survey or to administer the survey by phone. The goal was to obtain a total of at least 500 completed surveys. This goal was far exceeded, with a total of 676 surveys having been completed. The results of the random sample of 676 households have a 95% level of confidence with a precision of at least +/-3.8%. The complete executive summary, including graphs and charts, can be found in Appendix I of the Master Plan. KEY PARTNERS/STAKEHOLDERS Corporations/businesses, Chamber of Commerce, ICCCVB and Sports Authority, Service Organizations/Nonprofit Organizations, neighboring communities/governmental entities, other City Departments, University/Kirkwood College, support groups, neighborhood groups, City Council and Commissions, local associations KEY ISSUES/PRIORITIES Funding Long range strategic planning/vision Recognition of Parks and Recreation as quality of life Collaboration Celebrate successes Trails/bicycle transportation Vision and access for Riverfront Development Operational resources Age change in drinking establishments 10 Participation and Visitation  Of the 92% of respondent households who visited Iowa City parks over the past year, 92% rated the physical condition of all the parks as either excellent (26%) or good (66%). Additionally, 8% rated the conditions as fair, and less than 1% of respondents rated the parks as poor. Thirty-percent (30%) of respondent household members participated in recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year.  Of the 30% of respondent household members that have participated in any recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year, 68% have participated in at least 2 different programs. Additionally, 24% have participated in at least 4 different programs.  Of the 30% of respondent household members that have participated in recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year, 90% of respondents rated the overall quality of programs as either excellent (27%) or good (63%). In addition, 8% rated the programs as fair, and only 1% rated them as poor.  Parks/Recreation program guide (65%) had the highest percentage of respondents indicate it as the way that they learn about Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department programs and activities. Other frequently menitoned ways respondents learn about programs and activities include: newspaper articles (50%) and from friends and neighbors (46%).  Iowa City Public Library (64%) is the organization used by the highest percentage of respondents for indoor and outdoor recreation and sports activities during the past year. Other frequently mentioned organizations include: Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department (54%), State of Iowa parks (47%), and County parks (46%). Usage by Age  Based on the sum of their top two choices, the organizations respondent household members ages 17 years and under use the most for sports and recreation programs and services include: Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department (15%), school district facilities (12%), and Iowa City Public library (11%).  Based on the sum of their top two choices, the organizations respondent household members ages 18 years and older use the most for sports and recreation programs and services include: Iowa City Public Library (33%) and Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department (32%).  “I do not know what is being offered” (21%) and “program times are not convenient (21%) have the highest percentage of respondents indicate them as the reasons preventing household members from using parks, recreation trails and sports facilities or programs of the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department more often. Facilities  There are six facilities that over 60% of respondent households have a need for: walking and biking trails (79%), nature center and trails (68%), small neighborhood parks (68%), large community parks (66%), wildlife and natural areas (64%), and riverfront parks (62%).  There are three facilities that completely meet the needs of over 50% of respondent households: youth soccer fields (66%), youth baseball and softball fields (55%), and adult softball fields (51%) 11  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the parks and recreation facilities that are most important to respondent households include: walking and biking trails (53%), small neighborhood parks (30%), wildlife and natural areas (26%), and nature center and trails (25%). It should also be noted that walking and biking trails had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the most important facility Programs  There are three programs that over 45% or more of respondent households have a need for: Farmers’ Market (72%), adult fitness and wellness programs (50%), and special events (48%).  There is only one program that over 50% of respondents indicated completely meet the needs of their household: Farmers’ Market (54%).  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the recreation programs that are most important to respondent households include: Farmers’ Market (58%), adult fitness and wellness programs (29%), and special events (26%). It should also be noted that Farmers’ Market had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the most important program  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the programs that respondents currently participate in most often at Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department facilities include: Farmers’ Market (57%) and special events (24%). It should also be noted that the Farmers’ Market had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the program respondents currently participate in most often Indoor Space  Walking and jogging track (67%) had the highest percentage or respondents indicate it as the potential indoor programming space their household would use if the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department developed new indoor programming spaces. Other frequently mentioned potential indoor programming spaces include: weight room/cardiovascular equipment area (43%), exercise facility for adults 50 years and older (39%), nature center (37%), and aerobics/fitness/dance class space (35%)  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the indoor spaces respondent household members would use most often include: walking and jogging track (59%), weight room/cardiovascular equipment area (29%) and exercise facility for adults 50 years and older (28%). It should also be noted that walking and jogging track had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the indoor space respondent household members would use most often The Benefits of Parks, Trails, and Recreation Facilities  Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with various benefits being provided by parks, trails, and recreation facilities. All 10 of the benefits have over 50% of respondents indicate that they either strongly agree or agree that those benefits are provided by parks, trails, and recreation facilities.  Based on the sum of their top three choices, the benefits most important to respondent households include: improve physical health and fitness (71%), preserve open space and the environment (49%), and make Iowa City a more desirable place to live (49%). It should also be noted that improve physical health and fitness had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the benefit they feel is most important to their household 12 Support and Satisfaction  Respondents were asked to indicate how supportive they would be of various actions Iowa City could take to improve the parks, recreation, trails, and green space system. For all 12 actions, over 40% of respondents indicated being either very supportive or somewhat supportive of actions Iowa City could take to improve the parks, recreation, trails, and green space system. Based on the sum of their top four choices, the actions that respondents would be most willing to fund with their City tax dollars include: develop new walking and biking trails and connect existing trails (55%), use greenways to develop trails and recreational facilities (50%), and purchase land to preserve open space and green space (44%). It should also be noted that purchase land to preserve open space and green space had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the action respondents would be most willing to fund with their City tax dollars  Seventy-six percent (76%) of respondents indicated that they are either very satisfied (28%) or somewhat satisfied (48%) with the overall value their household receives from the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. In addition, only 5% indicated that they were very dissatisfied (1%) or somewhat dissatisfied (4%). Additionally, 5% indicated don’t know and 14% indicated neutral Recommendations and Action Plans Action Steps:  Assign responsibility and time frame, and allocate resources necessary to complete each action identified in annual work plans. Acti Action Steps:  Inform all levels of staff of the direction of the Plan, allow for staff input, encourage buy-in, and encourage input from all staff members.  Provide cross-departmental staff teams/team members, as appropriate, with education development opportunities, necessary equipment, and supplies. Strategy: Incorporate the action items of this plan into the City’s annual work plans to achieve the recommendations of this plan and to enhance effectiveness of staff effort. Strategy: Assure that all levels of staff are informed of and are set up to work together to implement the recommendations and strategies of the plan. 13 Action Steps:  Establish service standards for all community services activities. Suggested criteria for service standards include:  Programs: participation levels, revenue, instructors, customer satisfaction, cost per experience (or per hour, per class), customer retention  Instructors: experience, knowledge, friendliness, recruiting, rewarding, training, standards  Volunteers: experience, knowledge, friendliness, recruiting, rewarding, training, standards  Facilities: cleanliness, aesthetics, comfort  Staff: Experience, knowledge, friendliness, rewards, training, trends Action Steps:  Identify all major maintenance tasks including such things as: o Turf /Mowing o Plantings o Restrooms o Sidewalks and paths o Irrigation o Weed and insect control o Curb appeal o Playground and picnic equipment o Courts and fields o Litter control  Evaluate and develop a scoring system for each task to meet desired and consistent service levels.  Involve staff in the development of the standards and scoring system.  Conduct maintenance standards training for all staff.  Establish and monitor recordkeeping procedures to document the actual hours and materials costs for each maintenance operation.  Apply appropriate maintenance standards and define set up/tear down requirements for all special events, tournaments, or other activities that currently stress resources. Assure adequate staffing and funding to take on the task, prior to making a commitment. The Department has a strong reputation for being responsive to community desires within budget constraints. The citizen survey and public input sessions highlighted areas of additional programming desire including: Strategy: Seek ways to respond to identified programming priorities Strategy: Create standards for all community services activities and services. 14  Opportunities to connect people to the natural environment  Additional learn-to-swim, water fitness and outdoor swimming  Outdoor leisure pool opportunity  Additional special events and family/community gathering opportunities  Expansion of art, dance and performing arts opportunities  Expansion of fitness and wellness programming Action Steps:  Evaluate the development of new programs based on community interests. It is very easy to focus on programs that have worked for a number of years, especially if they are still drawing enough interested participants to justify the program’s continuation. Starting new programs, based on community demand and/or trends, can be risky due to the inability to predict their success. If the program interest seems great, as with those identified in citizen survey, then the programs should be considered for expansion.  Establish criteria for the implementation of new programs (based on research and feedback). The Department should pursue program development around the priorities identified by the survey, using the following criteria:  Need: outgrowth of a current popular program, or enough demonstrated demand to successfully support a minimal start (one class for instance)  Budget: accounting for all costs and anticipated (conservative) revenues should meet cost recovery target established by Department within two seasons  Location: appropriate, available and within budget  Instructor: qualified, available and within budget  Materials and supplies: available and within budget  Marketing effort: adequate and timely opportunity to reach intended market, within budget (either existing marketing budget or as part of new program budget)  Develop program evaluation criteria for existing offerings and implement annually. Using historical participation levels to determine program popularity and participant feedback can be helpful in deciding if programs should be continued. Annually all current programs should be evaluated to determine if they should be continued, changed (market segment focus, time/day offered, etc.) or discontinued. A few simple questions should be asked about each program that include:  Is participation increasing or decreasing? If participation is increasing then it could clearly mean that the program should be continued. If participation is decreasing are there any steps to take to increase interest through marketing efforts, change the time/day the program is offered and change the format or instructor? If not, it may be time to discontinue the program.  Is there information contained in the participant feedback that can be used to improve the program?  Are cost recovery goals being met? If not, can fees be realistically increased?  Is there another provider of the program that is more suitable to offer it? If yes, the Department could provide referrals for its customers for the program it does not or is not willing or able to offer.  Is this program taking up facility space that could be used for expansion of more popular programs or new programs in demand by the community? 15 The City should continue its leadership in this area by developing facilities and programming that are on the cutting edge in parks, recreation, and cultural arts. Continuing to diversify recreational opportunities will enable the department to attract revenues through fees and charges that will support the desires of residents. Action Steps:  Focus on the enhancement of fitness and wellness components at recreation centers. Regularly update fitness equipment to stay current with fitness trends and public demand and seek opportunities to expand the size of the fitness facilities through renovation and new facility development.  Prepare for the fitness and wellness desires of the aging baby boomers. This group is also known as the group entering into the traditional “senior” age group of 55 and over, who do not identify with the term “senior.” This cohort is seeking a continued active lifestyle and is not likely to partake in traditional “senior” offerings.  Provide concurrent youth and adult programming as a way to increase participation. There are many successful youth programs offered by the Department for which adults are bringing and picking up children. The Department should offer more adult programming, such as fitness and wellness, concurrently with youth programming as a way to entice parents and guardians to stay and participate in programs. As a tax supported operation, it is important that efforts are made to reach underserved segments of the population. Action Steps:  Review the existing financial assistance program to maximize use. Seek assistance from other providers of low-income services to help promote the opportunity. Assure that use of the program is available in the most dignified manner possible.  Research transportation accessibility issues and work with other community groups and private entities (such as public transit or the school bus system) to develop options to address needs. Transportation for low-income families was identified in the focus group sessions as a significant barrier to participation. The facilities and programming offered should be thought of as a system. Some of the components in the system, due to their expense, should be available to serve the whole community (such as indoor Strategy: Assure programming opportunities are reasonably available to all geographic sectors of the City. Strategy: Reach out to those with financial need. Strategy: Identify and develop programs related to new trends in parks, recreation, and cultural arts 16 swimming pools), and some should be available to serve local neighborhoods (such as after school programming). Action Steps:  Investigate ways that facilities and programs can be accessible to more people through connectivity of the trail system for pedestrian and bike use, better public transit, parking availability and general awareness of opportunities.  As growth continues in the west part of town, pursue an indoor multi-purpose recreation facility to serve that geographic sector. The Department has an excellent reputation for responsiveness to the community. The opportunity exists to become more pro-active in this regard. Action Steps:  Implement a Standard Practice for Customer Program Feedback, Program Evaluation and Program Development. Customer feedback will help improve programming by being able to respond to customer needs in a timely matter. Information sought from participants should include:  Satisfaction levels and supporting reasoning  Suggestions for improvements to programs  Suggestions for new programs  Solicit youth input through future surveys and other opportunities. Soliciting youth feedback is a challenging proposition for parks and recreation entities. Working with other service providers may also provide important information and opportunities to attract this age group.  Create a “Mystery Shopper” program where secret shoppers evaluate services anonymously and results are tracked. Action Steps:  Seek volunteer effort to support expansion of programming into opportunities to connect people to nature. Many individuals and groups are interested in sharing their expertise and/or sweat equity with a goal of promoting stewardship of our natural resources.  Harness the energy of seniors and the retiring baby boomer generation as instructors and program leaders. Across the country, interest is being expressed in sharing expertise and hobbies.  Consider the addition of a volunteer coordinator in the department, or a shared volunteer coordinator in the City. A successful volunteer program must be well organized and Strategy: Expand Department volunteer opportunities. Strategy: Regularly solicit community input in program and facility planning efforts. 17 advertised, with specific, rewarding, and recognized opportunities that allow individuals and groups to feel they are contributing to a larger goal.  Create a “Park Ambassador” program where residents living adjacent to parks are trained to inspect parks and then file a weekly report in exchange for a nominal fee or pass. In the citizen survey, ‘not being aware of the department program offerings’ was one of the top reasons given for not participating. Action Steps:  Enhance the branding and identity of the Department. Providing a consistent look to department advertising in the brochure, on the web site, on flyers, maps, etc., will help the community become aware of what is available to them and of the breadth of the offerings.  Celebrate the accomplishments of the department in promotional materials. Focus groups and public meetings brought to light that many existing participants in department activities, programs and use of facilities are unaware of the variety and expanse of what is available. Most participants have a relatively narrow view of what is available and outcomes achieved based on their limited use of department offerings and facilities. It is a suggestion of the community that the department “toot its own horn,” in order to gain support for future endeavors.  Coordinate Department of marketing and communication opportunities with citywide efforts.  Create an annual marketing plan for the Parks and Recreation Department.  Update and expand website marketing efforts. The web site can serve as a one stop shop for everything in which the department is involved, including program offerings, facility information, trail and facility maps, opportunities through volunteerism and the Foundation, financial assistance, etc.  Develop an evaluation process for marketing media such as newspaper, seasonal brochures, website, direct mail, targeted e-mails, radio, and television advertising to continuously determine effectiveness of marketing dollars. Diversity in the department’s funding and revenue portfolio is as important in the public sector as in the private sector. The City has the ability to use these mechanisms to enhance the quality of life in Iowa City and expand recreation, park, open space, trails, programs, and services to the community. Strategy: Research potential traditional funding opportunities. Strategy: Effectively communicate Department offerings to public. 18 Action Steps:  Work with the City, residents and partners to establish additional revenue through a combination of the following sources to implement the recommendations of the Master Plan:  Potential redirection of existing City funds  Alternative Funding options (see Section V)  Strategic partnerships  Fees and charges  Further investigation of support for an education campaign for a ballot initiative to pass a bond referendum for future capital improvements. Many departments within Iowa City have experienced challenging times in the recent past, with limited funding and staffing levels, and the Department should explore the best means of achieving its funding goals. Alternative funding methods may be instrumental to the operations of the City’s recreation programs and facilities on an ongoing basis. Allocating resources (assigning staff time, matching funds, etc.) to pursue alternative funding should be considered an investment in the future, with an outlined and expected positive rate of return. Action Steps:  Identify opportunities to increase community support and revenue opportunities such as grants, partnerships, sponsorships, volunteers and earned income (see Section V for Alternative Funding Resources).  Assign staff resources and/or investigate the possibility of utilizing volunteer efforts to apply for such funding.  Develop a “Wish List” to identify philanthropic opportunities that align with these needs. Once identified, aggressively apply for grant funding and Foundation assistance.  Expand and formalize a volunteer program to include standards, recruiting, training, retaining, and rewarding volunteers in all program areas.  Create new and formalize existing Sponsorships (see Sample Sponsorship Policy in Appendix III) with equity agreements that are reviewed annually.  Create an annual “Sponsorship Manual” listing all the opportunities for the year and distribute within the community in a menu format that creates a sense of urgency within the business community.  Work with Parks and Recreation Foundation to facilitate the receipt of grant funds and other fundraising activities.  Seek collaborations with developers for future development projects to include recommended parks and recreation facilities and standards It is suggested that the City employ a cost recovery policy that provides the foundation for setting fees and charges based on the organizational vision, mission, and values of the City, and who in the Strategy: Review the Department’s cost recovery philosophy and policy and update as necessary. Strategy: Pursue alternative funding to implement the Master Plan 19 community benefits. This will help determine the cost recovery and subsidy level of each program and facility and serve as a tool to monitor these goals over time. Action Steps:  Clarify the Department’s Pricing Policy and Strategy. If a pricing policy exists, even loosely, it should be fine-tuned to provide expanded detail in guiding management decisions. If a written policy is not in existence, one should be created.  Refine Cost Tracking. Review direct and indirect costs assigned to specific programs and facilities in order to assure consistency in balancing costs with revenues. Assure that the accounting system is capable of providing information monthly, quarterly, and annually to inform management decisions.  Identify citywide participant categories. Participant category examples for use of facilities and programs include resident and non-resident, age, partners identified through various inter-governmental agreements, non-profit organizations, and private organizations, as well as many others.  Determine fee schedule and subsidy levels. Based on the Pyramid Methodology for resource allocation and cost recovery (see Appendix IV), for each program/activity and facility, determine the subsidy/cost recovery target level incorporating participant categories.  Partial Cost Fee: recovers something less than full cost. This partial cost fee could be set at a percentage of direct costs, all direct costs, all direct costs plus a percentage of indirect costs, or some combination.  Full Cost Fee: recovers the total cost of a service including all direct and all indirect costs.  Market Rate Fee: based on demand for a service or facility. Determine the market rate by identifying all providers of similar services (e.g., private sector providers, other municipalities, etc.) and setting the fee at the highest level the market will sustain.  Consider policy revisions to increase revenue generation potential.  Use discounted fees as a special promotion such as reduced fee hours during off peak times.  Reconsider the current alcohol policy to allow for limited and appropriate alcohol use to make rental opportunities more attractive. Action Steps:  Investigate partnerships with local medical and health organizations to increase fitness and health programming particularly for the aging population and youth population within the community. Strategy: Build partnerships within the community to take advantage of existing facilities, share new facilities, and provide additional programming and services to the community. 20  Create new and formalize existing partnerships (see Sample Partnership Policy in Appendix V) with equity agreements that are reviewed annually.  Strengthen and expand Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with schools for use of fields, gyms, and multipurpose spaces.  Explore the possibilities of revising and promoting adopt-a-park/trail programs to help with park maintenance, beautification, and civic pride.  Investigate, where appropriate, collaborations with entities suggested by the community during the public input process of this master planning effort  Large businesses and local businesses  Chamber of Commerce, Visitors and Convention Bureau, ICCCBB Sports Authority for the promotion of sporting events  Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD)  University of Iowa and Kirkwood College, public schools  Neighborhood Groups  Support Groups (dog park group, Friends of the Iowa River Scenic Trail (FIRST), sports groups, Project GREEN, Friends of Hickory Hill, Backyard Abundance, I- WATER, Johnson County Heritage Trust, Master Gardeners, Future Perfect  City Council, City Commissions, Public Art Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, other City Departments  I-DOT, Johnson County, neighboring cities  Local associations of service providers: sports, martial arts, private/non-profits, UAY The existing Senior Center serves the traditional “senior population” in a limited facility, by today’s standards. As the baby boomer cohort moves into the 55 and over age group, its members will be looking for non-traditional and highly active physical and social opportunities. Action Steps:  Provide cross marketing between the existing senior and recreation programs in order to assure a comprehensive approach to serving the older adult population.  As new facility development opportunities present themselves seek ways to encourage participation by the older adult population through a comfortable setting with shared access to activity centers such as swimming pools, therapy pools and light weight fitness equipment. At this time, the University has intentions of community access with options of daily admission fees and annual fee for use of the pool, gym, and fitness facilities. The facility will provide the only indoor leisure pool in this part of the state. Fees are anticipated to be high in relation to fees at the existing recreation center, albeit for a higher service level offering. Community use times will be a second priority to all University uses and student needs. Strategy: Explore a community access relationship with the University of Iowa at its new Student Wellness Facility currently under construction. Strategy: Pursue a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship with the Senior Center. 21 Action Steps:  Continue discussions with the University to maximize community use times.  Seek to maximize the use of both pools to the extent possible in a complementary fashion.  Upon opening of the facility, monitor and evaluate community use opportunity. Action Steps:  Strive to replace or renovate all components scoring below community expectations. See list below for specific components that scored below community expectations. Playgrounds should be prioritized for renovation/replacement. Park Component Neighborhood Score Comments City Park Playground 1 Upper playground City Park Playground 1 Upper playground City Park Playground 1 Upper playground Court Hill Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Court Hill Park Natural Area 1 Small and littered Court Hill Park Educational Experience 1 Sign in disrepair Creekside Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Creekside Park Playground 1 Older Creekside Park Water Access, General 1 Creek is hidden Happy Hollow Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Highland Park Playground 1 Older Mercer Park Playground 1 Swings and climber older Mercer Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair North Market Square Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Peninsula Park Water Access, General 1 Visual access only to water Scott Park Open Water 1 Creek is hidden Sturgis Ferry Park Water Access, Developed 1 Access to water is steep unless via boat trailer Terrell Mill Park Shelter 1 Needs repair Terrell Mill Park Volleyball 1 Needs surface repair Tower Court Park Playground, Local 1 Older Strategy: Improve existing parks to meet community standards 22  Add comfort and convenience features to parks where missing, such as benches, drinking fountains, and restrooms. It is recommended that at least 7 out of the 14 listed comfort and convenience features listed in the park inventory data report be provided in each park. (Refer to park inventory data for a list of missing comfort and convenience features by park.)  Consider adding restrooms to more neighborhood parks to increase the length of stay for families at parks. Parks in locations that are not in proximity to other parks with restrooms include: East Iowa City o Pheasant Hill Park o Court Hill Park West Iowa City o Benton Hill Park o Brookland Park or o Harlocke Hill Park  Continue to make the development of Sand Lake Recreation Area a priority.  Either upgrade all basketball courts to a playable level or remove some courts and concentrate efforts on a few that will get the most use overall. System wide, basketball courts are in conditions that are below community standards. The community survey reports that the small need for courts in the community are being largely unmet.  Continue to upgrade playgrounds as funding is available. The list of components in the first strategy of Goal 9 lists the playgrounds that are priorities for replacement.  Continue to work with the City to find construction techniques that increase maintenance efficiencies along the Downtown Pedestrian Mall.  Pursue plans to build out ballfields in Kicker’s Park. This is currently the best location for new ballfields in the City. Although the need for new fields is not eminent the City can expect to see increased demand in the next 5-7 years as the community grows.  Add more shelters to I.C. Kickers Park to increase the comfort of park users  Add loop walks to parks as funding is available and opportunities exist.  Continue to upgrade and improve small neighborhood parks. These facilities ranked highly for need among the community  Improve Creekside Park to address low levels of walkable service in that part of town. Improvements can include: o Upgrade the basketball court or replace with a component selected by residents o Upgrade or replace the playground o Improve security lighting Action Steps:  Work with the School District to provide adequate recreational amenities at schools that are the singular providers of recreation in a neighborhood. Priorities include: o Henry Longfellow Elementary School o Helen Lemme Elementary School o Irving Weber Elementary School Strategy: Fill gaps in walkable service 23 o Shimek Elementary school  Work with other city departments to increase walkability throughout the community by adding sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and bridging barriers.  Improve parks that lie in low service area (as shown in Perspective B, Appendix VI) to increase walkable recreational opportunities. Strategies outlined in Strategy 1.1 should be employed in park improvement. Access to nature and natural areas ranked highly as a need in the community survey. The City has a great base of resources from which to respond to this need. As parks and properties are being developed a priority should be placed on natural areas enhancement and creation Action Steps:  Continue to maintain and enhance natural areas throughout the system.  Enhance natural drainages, waterways, and native areas in developed parks.  Work with friends groups to improve and maintain soft surface trails within parks.  Increase interpretive signage at natural areas throughout the system.  Work to maintain a diversity of natural areas within the system including prairie, woodland, riparian areas, and wetlands.  Ensure that maintenance staff is trained in natural areas management techniques.  Partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create canoe access to the Iowa River.  Conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a nature center. Diversifying recreational opportunities in Iowa City’s existing parks by adding exciting new recreational facilities will ensure the creation of a system that will attract both new and old residents. Such facilities will continue to help make Iowa City unique in the region and will foster a positive image of the City for residents and non-residents alike. Action Steps:  Look for opportunities to add a “destination playground” to an existing park. Destination Playgrounds usually include special features such as a climbing wall, spray feature or adventure play. Often they involve special theming and opportunity to teach children and parent something of the local history, culture, or ecology of an area.  Look for opportunities to add a “boundless playground.” Boundless playgrounds are designed to be fully accessible to children with disabilities and represent a growing trend in parks and recreation. While built to serve the local community, both may potentially attract visitors from the region.  Look for opportunities to build spray grounds in parks. These can be added to existing parks or suggested as features of new park. They provide opportunities for water play without the staffing and maintenance needed for outdoor pools Strategy: Identify and develop facilities for new trends in parks and recreation Strategy: Continue to provide a high level of service of natural areas and environmental education 24  Consider adding a climbing feature to the next playground renovation. Climbing walls would be an addition to the parks that could be a unique draw to Iowa City Parks. Action Steps:  Work with surrounding developments to bring utilities to Future Parks.  Plan and budget for park development based on development trends. Currently new development is concentrated in the western part of the community. Consider developing one of the future parks as the development continues.  Add park maintenance resources as additional park, trails, and facilities are added to the system as needed.  Review land dedication and impact fees for new development to ensure that the department is getting the needed resources to provide parks and recreation to new residents.  Work with interest groups to add new dog parks to serve the southern and central part of Iowa City. The high density of the central core of Iowa City may justify the need to add an additional dog park to aid with the high number of residents without yards or transportation. Strategy: Add parks, trails, and facilities to respond to the growth needs of the community 25 The southern part of Iowa City is another likely location for the addition of a new dog park to serve this area of the community. Action Steps:  Work with the University of Iowa to gain access to new recreation center facilities.  Conduct a feasibility study for the construction of an indoor recreation/aquatic facility on the west side of Iowa City that includes multi-purpose program space, gymnasiums, walking track, fitness, aquatics, cardio and weight rooms  If feasible, design and construct a new indoor recreation/aquatic center on the west side of Iowa City Action Steps:  Increase neighborhood connections to multi-use trails  Add small shelters along trails to provide shelter during extreme weather conditions and sudden weather changes.  Create rest stations along all multi-use trails and wide sidewalks to encourage recreational use  Track trail maintenance tasks, hours, and expenses to determine actual trail maintenance costs  Modify the trial maintenance budget to reflect actual trail maintenance costs. Trail maintenance efforts should be balanced between available budget and user expectations.  Work to improve trails within parks to make them safe and enjoyable  Increase walking opportunities in parks by adding loop trails as allowable Action Steps:  As a priority in park and facility construction, prioritize trail construction in capital improvement spending.  Continue to build proposed trails as funding allows. Priorities for trail construction include: o Connections between existing trails o Connections between trails that create large loops o Connections to parks and greenspace o Connections to schools and other public facilities o Neighborhood connections to the larger network  Pursue projects to add a bridge to cross the Iowa River bridging Peninsula Park and Crandic Park. Strategy: Increase trail connectivity and overall trail network Strategy: Increase the level of service offered by existing trails in parks and throughout community Strategy: Increase the level of service provided for indoor facilities 26  Pursue funding to create a pedestrian underpass across Highway 218 at Hunters Run Park. Recommendation Cost Estimates The following table includes recommended capital projects and additional items that significantly impact the annual operational and maintenance budgets and are above and beyond what is currently funded in the City's FY09-FY12 CIP Budget and the City's operating budget. All cost estimates are in 2008 figures. Funding sources listed are suggested methods of funding and can be enhanced with additional methods of funding. Overall staffing cost projections are included in the annual operational and maintenance cost estimates. Table 16: Cost Estimates and Funding Sources for 2009-2020 Recommended Priorities Recommendation 2009-2012 Priorities Capital Cost Estimate Capital Funding Sources Annual Operational & Maintenance Cost Estimate (incl. staffing) O/M Funding Sources Upgrade or replace playgrounds at Creekside, Highland, Mercer, and Tower court Parks (4 total) $240,000 CIP N/A N/A Add restrooms to one west side park $150,000 CIP $5,000 General Fund Add two small shelters to multi-use trails $30,000 CIP $2,000 General Fund Construct Planned Trail Projects $3,000,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $10,000/mile per year General Fund Create a renovation master plan for Creekside Park $10,000 General Fund N/A N/A Addition of one maintenance worker N/A N/A $38,000 General Fund Kickers Soccer Park improvements $890,500 CIP N/A N/A Butler Bridge Pedestrian Trail $550,000 CIP, Grants $1,000 General Fund City Park Trail lighting $240,000 CIP $2,500 General Fund Frauenholtz-Miller Park development $280,000 CIP, N.O.S. Fees $5,000 General Fund Hickory Hill Bridge $50,000 CIP N/A N/A Napoleon Softball Field renovation $180,000 CIP N/A N/A North Market Square Park redevelopment $280,000 CIP N/A N/A Outdoor ice rink $400,000 CIP $20,000 General Fund 27 Pedestrian bridge- Peninsula/Rocky Shore $1,300,000 CIP $1,000 General Fund Peninsula Park development $300,000 CIP $2,500 General Fund Recreation center improvements $225,000 CIP N/A N/A Sand Lake Recreation Area $5,900,000 CIP, Grants, Donations $50,000 General Fund Waterworks Prairie Park Hospice Memorial $115,000 CIP, Donations $1,000 General Fund Wetherby Park splashpad $200,000 CIP, CDBG, N.O.S., Grants, Donations $5,000 General Fund Total 2009-2012 CIP (in 2008 dollars) $11,340,500 Recommendation 2013-2016 Priorities Capital Cost Estimate Capital Funding Sources Annual Operational & Maintenance Cost Estimate (incl. staffing) O/M Funding Sources Replace upper playgrounds at City Park with a Destination/ Adventure Playground $750,000 CIP, Partnerships, Sponsorships, Grants $10,000 General Fund Construct Planned Trail Projects $8,000,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $10,000/mile per year General Fund Implement Creekside Park Master Plan $300,000 CIP N/A N/A Add restrooms to one east side park $150,000 CIP $5,000 General Fund Add two small shelters to multi-use trails $30,000 CIP, Grants $2,000 General Fund Addition of two maintenance workers N/A N/A $76,000 General Fund Sand Prairie development $260,000 CIP, Grants $5,000 General Fund Scott Park development $450,000 CIP $2,500 General Fund Total 2013-2016 CIP (in 2008 dollars) $9,940,000 28 Recommendation 2017-2020 Priorities Capital Cost Estimate Capital Funding Sources Annual Operational & Maintenance Cost Estimate (incl. staffing) O/M Funding Sources Construct Planned Trail Projects $10,000,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $10,000/mile per year General Fund Acquire and Construct New Park in West part of City unknown Dedication Fees, Bond, CIP unknown General Fund Construct additional large dog park in south- central part of City $75,000- $150,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $8,000 General Fund Feasibility Study for Recreation/Aquatic Center on West side of community $70,000 General Fund N/A N/A Design and Construct a new Recreation / Aquatic Center on West side of City $15,000,000- $20,000,000 Bond $500,000 General Fund Total 2017-2020 CIP (in 2008 dollars) +/- $30,220,000 Total 12 Year CIP (in 2008 dollars) +/- $42,880,000 Benton Hill Park 29 II. Past, Present, and Future- The Planning Context A. Iowa City Parks & Recreation Goal Statement Provide a high-quality level of leisure time opportunities, increase the number of people served, improve the quality of program delivery, and advocate the benefits of recreational involvement to the general public. B. Purpose of this Plan The Iowa City Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan is intended to help meet the needs of current and future residents by positioning Iowa City to build on the community’s unique parks and recreation assets and identify new opportunities. The citizen-driven plan establishes a clear direction to guide city staff, advisory committees, and elected officials in their efforts to enhance the community’s parks system, open space, trails, recreation facilities, programs, and services. C. History of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department The history of public parks in Iowa City can be traced back to 1839, which shows both College Green Park and North Market Square Park as part of the original city plat. The early history of parks is unclear, but it is known that the original Park Board was established by code around 1905. It would seem that this timing might have had something to do with the acquisition of land in 1906 that became City Park, which remains today as the City’s most popular park, and one of its largest. Organized public recreation began in the early 1930’s. One of few facilities available at the time was a small privately owned and operated swimming pool in City Park known as the “Big Dipper.” Beginning in the latter part of 1932, students from the University of Iowa’s Physical Education Department conducted a part-time recreation program on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings at the American Legion’s gymnasium, located at the corner of College and Gilbert Streets. In June, 1934, a supervised Summer Playground program was introduced at Longfellow School. As community support grew, a Board of Recreation Works was formed, and in 1934 the Board employed the City’s first Recreation Director. Financial support came from the Iowa City Women’s Club and Community Chest funds. In July 1936, there was a fire in the American Legion Building and it was heavily damaged. After being renovated, the building’s name was changed to the Iowa City Community Building. Among other things, it became the local recreation center and included a gymnasium, rifle range, handball court, and a small restaurant. In June, 1944 the citizens of Iowa City voted to establish a Playground and Recreation Commission to be supported by public taxation. The Commission held its initial meeting in September, 1944 with H.S. Ivie serving as President, and noted historian Irving Weber as Vice-President. In 1947 voters approved a $50,000 bond issue, to go with $62,500 already saved, for the construction of a new swimming pool in City Park. The pool opened in June, 1949, and is still operating today. In 1952 a rather unique operation was established in City Park - children’s carnival rides, which included a train, Ferris wheel, carousel, and other rides. This was a privately owned operation of the Drollinger 30 family who continued to operate the rides for 47 years, and covered three generations. They paid a small percentage of their income to the City as rent for the property. When the Drollingers decided to retire from the business in 1999 the City purchased the rides in order to keep this tradition alive. This is believed to be the only city-owned park in the State to offer this type of attraction. In 1955, a second fire destroyed the Community Building, and the recreation offices were moved to the airport building for two years; programs were conducted at various buildings throughout the City. In 1956 a proposed bond issue to construct a new recreation center was defeated. That same year the recreation offices were moved to 130 Lafayette Street. Then in 1962 the citizens of Iowa City overwhelmingly passed a referendum to construct a new recreation center, now known as the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, named in honor of Iowa City’s Superintendent of Recreation from 1951 to 1983. Total cost to construct and equip the new building was $715,000. In September, 1964, as the new Recreation Center neared completion, the City Council voted to abolish both the publicly elected Park Board and the Playground and Recreation Commission, and to merge the functions of these separate units into a single advisory body to be known as the Parks and Recreation Commission, which still exists today. The Park Board, however, did not go quietly, feeling the City Council did not have the authority to abolish a publicly elected board. They eventually took their case all the way to the State Supreme Court which upheld the legality of the City Council’s action. At the time of this merger, there were eight public parks in existence: Black Springs Circle, Brookland, City, College Green, Court Hill, Creekside, Happy Hollow, and North Market Square. The total parkland inventory amounted to 129 acres, 107 of which were in City Park. Today the City manages over 1,600 acres of parkland/open space, which includes 42 developed parks, with 31 playgrounds, 43 athletic fields, 45 park shelters, 75 community garden plots, over six miles of nature trails and miscellaneous other amenities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, bocce courts, horseshoe courts, dog park, disc golf, etc. The City’s trail system has grown to include over 50 miles of trails. Since 1997 three major regional parkland areas have been acquired: Peninsula Park, Waterworks Prairie Park, and Sand Lake Recreation Area. In 1972 the Parks and Recreation Department launched a new Farmers Market program, which initially consisted of 17 stalls and operated Saturday mornings. It now operates Wednesday evenings with 57 stalls and Saturday mornings with 112 stalls. In 2006, two indoor holiday markets were added to the program, which are very popular. Recognizing the need for programs to accommodate people with special needs, the Special Populations Involvement (SPI) program was established in 1974, initially funded with a one-year grant awarded by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped. The SPI program became fully funded by the City, and has grown to a comprehensive recreation program serving over 500 people. This program is nationally recognized, having received the prestigious National Gold Medal Award in 1984 and again in 1992. As the years passed several major recreation facilities were constructed, and others renovated, to add to the City’s recreation offerings. The new facilities include: The Mercer Park Aquatic Center, a cooperative project with the Iowa City Community School District, which opened in 1988; a cooperative arrangement was entered into with the University of Iowa in 1996 for joint use of the Hawkeye Softball Complex; the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Park opened in 1997; the Scanlon Gymnasium was added to the 31 Mercer Park Aquatic Center in 1999; the Riverside Festival Stage, home to Riverside Theatre’s Annual Shakespeare Festival, opened in 2000; the Iowa City Skate Park was completed in 2002; the Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park, in cooperation with Johnson County DogPAC, opened in 2006; the Grant Wood Community Gym, another cooperative project with the School District, also opened in 2006; the Peninsula Park Disc Golf Course was completed in 2007; and the City and University entered into an agreement in 2007 which will allow for a University Boathouse (with community use) to be constructed in Terrell Mill Park, scheduled to open in 2009. The number of recreation programs and activities offered has also grown over the years. From the meager beginnings of pond swimming, a marble tournament, and one playground program, the Department now offers over 1,000 activities annually. To enhance and expand upon the opportunities offered to the community, the Department also partners with a number of organizations. In addition to an arrangement with the School District for joint use of facilities, the Department has long-standing relationships with a number of “affiliates,” the largest of which are: Iowa City Boys Baseball, Iowa City Girls Softball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Iowa City Kickers Soccer Club, and the Iowa City Eels Swim Club. D. Parks and Recreation Department Overview Department Description Iowa City Parks and Recreation is a department of the City of Iowa City and receives funding authorized by the City Council through budget appropriations. Funding is also provided through fees charged for specific programs and services and through grant funds. Additionally, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Foundation provides funds through donations and bequests that enhance department programs, services, and projects. Through these means, parks and recreation programs and services are provided and maintained for the citizens of Iowa City. E. Related Planning Efforts and Integration The City of Iowa City has undertaken several planning efforts in recent years that have helped inform the planning process for this Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update. These efforts include:  City of Iowa City Comprehensive Plan  Neighborhood Open Space Plan  Existing Trails Plan  Existing Park Plans  Existing Policy Manuals F. Methodology of this Planning Process This project has been guided by a project team, made up of city staff and the Park and Recreation Commission. This team provided input to the GreenPlay consulting team throughout the planning process. This collaborative effort creates a plan that fully utilizes the consultant’s expertise and incorporates the local knowledge and institutional history that only community members can provide. The project consisted of the following tasks: 32 Needs Assessment and Public Involvement  Review of previous planning efforts and city historical information, and a recent statistically valid community interest and opinion survey.  Consideration of the profile of the community and demographics, including anticipated population growth.  Extensive community involvement effort including focus groups, meetings with key stakeholders, and community-wide public meetings.  Identification of alternative providers of recreation services to provide insight regarding the market opportunities in the area for potential new facilities and services.  Research of trends and statistics related to American lifestyles to help guide the efforts of programming staff. Level of Service Analysis  Interviews with staff to provide information about parks and recreation facilities and services, along with insight regarding the current practices and experiences of the City in serving its residents and visitors.  Analysis addressing recreation, parks, and related services. Inventory  Inventory of parks and facilities using existing mapping, staff interviews, and on-site visits to verify amenities and assess the condition of the facilities and surrounding areas. Assessment and Analysis  Review and assessment of relevant plans.  Organizational SWOT Analysis.  Measurement of the current delivery of service using the GRASP® Level of Service Analysis and allowing for a target level of service to be determined that is both feasible and aligned with the desires of citizens as expressed through the citizen survey. This analysis is also represented graphically in GRASP® Perspectives.  Exploration of finance and funding mechanisms to support development and sustainability of the system. Recommendations: Goals, Strategies, and Action Plan  Identification and categorization of recommendations into themes with goals, objectives, and an action plan for implementation.  Development of an action plan for capital improvements including cost, funding source potentials, and timeframe to support the implementation of the plan. G. Timeline for Completing the Master Plan Start-up August 2007 Needs Assessment and Public Involvement September 2007 - February 2008 Inventory and Assessment of Existing Facilities September 2007 - March 2008 Program and Services Inventory and SWOT Analysis September 2007 - March 2008 Findings Compilation Report April 2008 Guidelines, Standards and Recommendations May - June 2008 33 Financial Resources and Expenditure Analysis April - July 2008 Recommendations and Action Plans June - August 2008 Final Plan and Presentation September 2008 Carousel in City Park 34 III. What We Want- Our Community and Identified Needs A. Community Profile and Demographic Information This analysis uses figures from the 2000 U.S. Census, as well as projections from ESRI Business Information Solutions. ESRI offers a more current look at Census data by calculating current year estimates (2007), as well as five-year projections (2012) for overall population and population breakdowns. Service Area and Population The primary service area for this analysis is the City of Iowa City, Johnson County, and the State of Iowa. All estimated 2007 populations, as well as projected population and demographic breakdowns by population are taken from ESRI. The projected 2007 population for Iowa City is 66,177, for Johnson County is 124,240, and for Iowa is 3,030,140. Population, Age Ranges, and Family Information Population Distribution Population growth percentages from 2000 to 2007 for the City of Iowa City, Johnson County, and the State of Iowa are illustrated in Figure 1. Johnson County is estimated to have experienced a population growth of over 10%, compared to the State at only 3.4%. Iowa City is estimated to have grown less rapidly than the County, at slightly less than a 6% increase in population over the last seven years, but much more rapidly than the State. Figure 1: Percent change in population 2000 to 2007- the City of Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa Age Distribution The following age breakdown is used to separate the population into age sensitive user groups and to retain the ability to adjust to future age sensitive trends. Percent of population distribution by age for Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa is shown in Figure 2. 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% Iowa City Johnson County Iowa Percent change 2000-07 35  Under 5 years: This group represents users of preschool and tot programs and facilities, and as trails and open space users, are often in strollers. These individuals are the future participants in youth activities.  5 to 14 years: This group represents current youth program participants.  15 to 24 years: This group represents teen/young adult program participants moving out of the youth programs and into adult programs. Members of this age group are often seasonal employment seekers.  25 to 34 years: This group represents involvement in adult programming with characteristics of beginning long-term relationships and establishing families.  35 to 54 years: This group represents users of a wide range of adult programming and park facilities. Their characteristics extend from having children using preschool and youth programs to becoming empty nesters.  55 to 64 years: This group represents users of older adult programming exhibiting the characteristics of approaching retirement or already retired and typically enjoying grandchildren.  65 years plus: Nationally, this group will be increasing dramatically. Current population projections suggest that this group will grow almost 70% in the next 13 years. Programming for this group should positively impact the health of older adults through networking, training and technical assistance, and fundraising. Recreation centers, senior centers, and senior programs can be a significant link in the health care system. This group generally ranges from very healthy, active seniors to more physically inactive seniors. Figure 2: 2007 Population Breakdown Percent of Total by Age- Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% Under 5 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Iowa City Johnson County Iowa 36 Population Comparisons Overall, Iowa City has much higher populations in the 15-24 years category, as well as higher populations in the 25-34 years category, when compared to Johnson County and Iowa. Given the large population of Iowa University students in Iowa City, it is expected that the populations in these age groups will be significantly higher. By contrast, the State, when compared to both Iowa City and Johnson County, has a higher percentage of population in the older age categories (35 and older) and in the youngest age categories (14 and younger). Iowa City has lower population percentages in the youngest age categories than both the County and State, as well as lower percentages of population in the oldest age categories, than both the County and State. The median age for Iowa City is 26.7, for Johnson County it is 29.4, and for Iowa it is 37.9. Gender (2007) According to ESRI Business Solutions, the 2007 population estimate for Iowa City is 49.3% males and 50.7% females. For the County the 2007 estimates are 49.9% males and 50.1% females, and for the State are 49.3% males and 50.7% females. Race/Ethnicity (2007) Statistics gathered from ESRI Business Solutions provide the race and ethnicity breakdown for Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa. As shown in Table 1, the race with the largest population is White for all three regions. By comparison, Iowa City has a more racially and ethnically diverse population than the County and a more racially diverse population than the State. Table 1: Race/Ethnicity Comparisons for 2007 Race Iowa City Johnson County Iowa White Alone 83.5% 87.1% 92.4% African American Alone 4.3% 3.3% 2.4% American Indian Alone 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% Asian or Pacific Islander Alone 8.5% 6.3% 2.0% Some Other Race Alone 1.6% 1.3% 1.7% Two or More Races 1.8% 1.6% 1.2% Total 100% 100% 100% Ethnicity Iowa City Johnson County Iowa Hispanic/Latino Origin (Any Race)* 3.7% 3.3% 3.7% Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions *Persons of Hispanic Origin may be of any race. This number reflects the percentage of the total population. Education According to ESRI Business Information Solutions and shown in Table 2, more than half of all residents in Iowa City have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The University of Iowa students and staff make up a large portion of the overall population of Iowa City, thus it is expected that the educational attainment levels of the residents in Iowa City are much higher than those of the County or State. In Johnson County 37 47.5% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher and in the State of Iowa 21.2% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Table 2: Educational Attainment – 25 Years and Older (2000) Level of Education Attained Iowa City Johnson County Iowa Less than 9th Grade 1.9% 2.8% 5.6% 9th-12th Grade, No Diploma 3.3% 3.5% 8.3% High School Graduate 15.4% 19.8% 36.1% Some College, No Diploma 17.7% 18.8% 21.4% Associate Degree 5.8% 7.4% 7.4% Bachelor’s Degree 28.1% 26.1% 14.7% Master’s/Prof/Doctorate 27.8% 21.4% 6.5% Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions The University of Iowa Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa. According to the University of Iowa (http://www.uiowa.edu/facts/index.html) the University has a current enrollment of 30,409 students of which 20,907 are undergraduate, 5,482 are graduate, and 4,020 are professional students. Additionally, the University employs 1,700 tenure or tenure track professors, 456 clinical or clinical track faculty, 7,440 professional and scientific staff, and 5,398 general service staff. It is difficult to assess the exact number of University of Iowa students and staff that are included in the overall Iowa City population. According to the University Registrar’s Office approximately 12% of students live outside of Iowa City and city staff estimate that approximately 5,500 students living in dorms are not counted in the census as well as an undetermined number living off campus. City staff also estimates that approximately 20% of IU staff live outside of Iowa City. Household Income According to ESRI Business Information Solutions, the estimated 2007 median household income for Iowa City is $42,412 and per capita income is $27,210, both are slightly lower than the County ($49,829 and $29,856, respectively). The median household income for the State is $49,331 and per capita income is $25,252. The median household income for Iowa City is lower than both the County and State, likely because of the large student population. Figure 3 shows the percent of households by income. 38 Figure 3: Households by Income- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions The highest percentage of households in Iowa City earn less than $15,000 annually (18.1%). The second highest percentage of households in the City earn over $100,000 annually (17.4%). Again, this seeming discrepancy is likely due to the fact that Iowa City is a college town with a combination of students and more established residents. In Johnson County, the highest earning bracket is over $100,000 (20.3%), followed by the $50,000- $74,999 a year bracket (17.2%). In the State of Iowa, the highest percentage of the population earns between $50,000- $74,999 (22.4%), followed by the $35,000- $49,999 category (17.0%). Overall, only 14.3% of the State’s population earns over $100,000 annually. Household Size and Units The 2007 average household size in Iowa City is 2.15 persons. The average household size in Johnson County is 2.26 persons, and in the State it is 2.41 persons. Table 3 shows that Iowa City has a significantly higher renter occupied housing units than the County and the State. Again, the large number of students in Iowa City explains the high percentage of rentals. The State has a much higher percentage of vacant housing units, a much lower percentage of renter occupied housing units, and a much higher percentage of owner occupied housing units when compared to the County and Iowa City. However, compared to the overall population in the United States, the percentage of vacant housing units in the State is 2% lower, and the percentage of renter occupied housing is 4.9% lower. The percentage of owner occupied housing units in Iowa is 6.9% higher than the U.S. Table 3: Housing Units (2007) Housing Units Iowa City Johnson County Iowa Owner Occupied Housing Units 45.9% 55.9% 68.2% Renter Occupied Housing Units 49.9% 39.2% 23.9% Vacant Housing Units 4.2% 4.9% 7.9% Source: ESRI Business Information Solution 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% < $15,000 $15,000 -$24,999 $25,000 -$34,999 $35,000 -$49,999 $50,000 -$74,999 $75,000 -$99,999 $100,000 or more Iowa City Johnson County Iowa 39 Employment According to 2007 estimates, 96.3% of the 16 and older population in the labor force is civilian employed in Iowa City. In Johnson County 96.9% of the 16 and older population is employed, and 96.0% of the population in the State is civilian employed. According to 2007 estimates of the employed work force in Iowa City, approximately 69.8% are engaged in white-collar professions such as management, business, financial, and sales. The balance of the work force is engaged in service industries (17.9%) and blue-collar (12.3%) professions. Johnson County reflects similar percentages as Iowa City, 68.5% are engaged in white-collar professions, 16.1% in service industries, and 15.4% in blue-collar professions. The State, however, has a much lower percentage of the population engaged in white-collar professions (56.5%), and a much higher percentage engaged in blue-collar professions (27.9%). The remainder of the population of Iowa, 15.6%, is engaged in service industries. Additional Information Health and Obesity The United Health Foundation has ranked Iowa 11th in its 2006 State Health Rankings. It was 10th in 2005. The State’s biggest strengths include:  Low rate of uninsured population  Low incidence of infection disease  Ready access to adequate prenatal care  High rate of high school graduation  Low infant mortality rate Some of the challenges the State faces include:  Low per capita public health spending  High prevalence of obesity Source: http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/ahr2006/states/Iowa.html Population Forecasts Although we can never know the future with certainty, it is helpful to make assumptions about it for economic reasons. 2000 populations are from the 2000 US Census. 2007 and 2012 projections were derived from ESRI Business Information Solutions. All three regions: Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa, are estimated to decrease in rate of growth over the next five years. Iowa City’s growth rate is projected to slow down by 1.5% over the next five years. Johnson County’s growth rate is anticipated to decrease by 3.8% and the State’s by 0.9%. Figure 4 illustrates estimated percent change in population for Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa for 2007-2012 as percent change in population from 2000- 2007. Table 4 contains estimated population increase for Iowa City, Johnson County, and Iowa. 40 Figure 4: Percent change in population- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa 2000-2007, 2007-2012 Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions Table 4: Population projections and percent change- Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa Iowa City % Change Johnson County % Change Iowa % Change 2000 62,220 111,006 2,926,324 2007 66,177 5.9% 124,240 10.6% 3,030,140 3.4% 2012 69,274 4.4% 133,403 6.8% 3,110,913 2.5% B. Current Park and Recreation Trends In this fast-paced modern society, it has become essential to stay on top of current trends impacting parks and recreation. The recreational provider is faced with the challenge of meeting and exceeding user expectations. Part of this task involves understanding what participants want now and projecting future recreation trends. The following information highlights relevant local, regional, and national parks and recreational trends from various sources. Seniors The following are trends related to the aging population in the United States:  America is aging and it is estimated that by 2010, the median age will be 37 years, and by 2030 the median age will be 39 years.  The current life expectancy at birth in the United States is 77.9 years.  There is a growing body of evidence that indicates that aging has more to do with lifestyles and health behaviors than genetics. 5.9% 4.4% 10.6% 6.8% 3.4% 2.5% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 2000-2007 2007-2012 Iowa City Johnson County Iowa 41  Seniors control more than 70% of the disposable income and have more than $1.6 trillion in spending power, according to Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, which publishes market intelligence on several consumer industries.  Seniors also are the fastest growing segment of health club memberships, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).  The top three sports activities for persons 65 years and older in 2004 were: exercise walking, exercising with equipment, and swimming. (NSGA) Baby Boomers Baby Boomers are made up of adults born between 1946 and 1964. This generation makes up approximately 25% of the total population in the United States. The following are trends of this generation:  According to International, Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association data for 2003, 91% of Boomers feel the need to take measures to ensure their future health.  Boomers claim 37.6% of all health club memberships.  Eighty percent of Boomers in a study by American Association of Retired Persons believe they will continue to work either full- or part-time into their retirement years. Young Adults According to the International, Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), 80% of Millennials, and almost 90% of Generation X feel the need to make sure their health will be good when they get older. There is a growing trend in adult populations of a need for more drop-in programming within recreation facilities, and less structured classes. However, according to the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), the average age for participants in team sports ranges from 16 to 29 years. For males, the range is 18.2 to 29.3 years, compared to 16.2 to 25.3 years for females. Aquatics National Trends According to the National Sporting Goods Association, swimming ranked second in terms of participation in 2006. There is an increasing trend towards indoor leisure and therapeutic pools. Respondents ranked indoor competitive pool as the 5th most important indoor recreation facilities to be added, expanded, or improved in the 2008 Citizen Survey. Additionally, they ranked indoor aquatic center 5th and indoor competitive pool 6th when asked to indicate which facilities were the three most important to them. Athletic Recreation Sports Participation The 2006 National Sporting Goods Association Survey on sports participation found the top ten activities ranked by total participation included: exercise walking, swimming, exercising with equipment, and bicycle riding. Additionally, the following active, organized, or skill development activities still remain popular: hiking, running/jogging, soccer, basketball, and football. Table 5 shows the top ten sports ranked by total participation in 2006. 42 Table 5: Top Ten Sports Ranked by Total Participation 2006 Sport Total Percent Change Exercise Walking 87.5 1.7% Swimming 56.5 -2.6% Exercising with Equipment 52.4 -3.4% Camping (vacation/overnight) 48.6 5.7% Bowling 44.8 -1.3% Fishing 40.6 -2.5% Workout at Club 36.9 6.5% Bicycle Riding 35.6 -13.3% Aerobic Exercising 33.7 0.0% Weight Lifting 32.9 -1.9% Source: NSGA 2006 Among team sports tackle football, swimming, and soccer had large increases in participation between 2001 and 2006. Additionally exercise activities including: working out at a club, weight lifting, aerobic exercising, and exercising with equipment, increased significantly. Table 6 shows percent change in total participation for select activities from 2001 to 2006. Table 6: Total Participation percent change 2001 to 2006 in Select Activities Sport 2006 2001 Percent Change Total U.S. 263.1 251.0 4.8% Football (tackle) 11.9 8.2 45.0% Paintball Games 8.0 5.6 44.0% Workout at Club 36.9 26.5 39.2% Weight Lifting 32.9 23.9 37.6% Aerobic Exercising 33.7 26.3 28.1% Mountain Biking (off road) 8.5 6.9 23.8% Exercising with Equipment 52.4 43.9 19.3% Hiking 31.0 26.1 18.7% Running/Jogging 28.8 24.5 17.3% Exercise Walking 87.5 78.3 11.7% Swimming 56.5 54.8 3.1% Skateboarding 9.7 9.6 1.1% Soccer 14.0 13.9 1.0% Source: NSGA 2006 From 2001 to 2006, there was a significant decline in participation in in-line skating and scooter riding. Additionally, softball, tennis, and volleyball experienced decreases in participation. When ranked by state, the top sports activities by participation for Iowa are water skiing, snowboarding, freshwater fishing, skateboarding, and hunting with a bow and arrow. (NSGA 2006) 43 Youth Sports  Specific offerings for kid’s fitness are slowly increasing in health and fitness facilities. (IDEA)  For youth seven to 11 years of age, bicycle riding has the highest number of participants. According to the NSGA, in terms of overall youth participation, snowboarding, skateboarding, tackle football, ice hockey, and mountain biking experienced the largest increase in participation from 1997- 2006. In-line skating experienced the largest decrease in participation. Volleyball, baseball, softball, basketball, and bicycle riding also experienced decreases in participation rates. Table 7: Youth Participation in Selected Activities and Percent Change 1997-2006 Overall % Change 1997-2006 Age 7-11 % Change 1997-2006 Age 12-17 % Change vs 1997 Total U.S. 9.5% 0.0% 9.5% Baseball 3.5% -22.1% 6.3% Basketball -12.8% -20.6% -8.4% Bicycle Riding -21.1% -29.6% -25.3% Bowling 0.0% -11.7% 6.9% Fishing (Fresh water) -6.0% -7.5% -19.1% Football (Tackle) 44.6% 19.5% 39.1% Golf -6.8% -16.1% -4.7% Ice Hockey 32.9% 41.3% -17.5% In-line Skating -60.5% -66.1% -57.4% Mountain Biking (off road) 5.4% -13.5% -16.1% Skateboarding 53.6% 9.6% 84.8% Skiing (alpine) -27.9% -53.8% -33.2% Snowboarding 84.8% 80.5% 54.3% Soccer 2.7% -14.7% -0.3% Softball -23.9% -1.9% -17.7% Tennis -6.8% -23.0% 25.5% Volleyball -38.0% -39.2% -18.0% Source: National Sporting Goods Association 2006 Natural Environments and Open Space Environmental Education In April, 2007 the NRPA sent out a survey to member agencies in order to learn more about the programs and facilities that public park and recreation agencies provide to connect children and their families with nature. A summary of the results follow:  68% of public park and recreation agencies offer nature-based programming and 61 percent have nature-based facilities. More than 30% of public agencies offer no nature programming, and slightly less than 40% have no nature-based facilities.  The most common programs include nature hikes, nature-oriented arts and crafts, fishing- related events, and nature-based education in cooperation with local schools. 44  When asked to describe the elements that directly contribute to their most successful programs, agencies listed staff training as most important followed by program content and number of staff/staff training.  When asked what resources would be needed most to expand programming, additional staff was most important followed by funding.  Of the agencies that do not currently offer nature-based programming, 90% indicated that they want to in the future. Additional staff and funding were again the most important resources these agencies would need going forward.  The most common facilities include: nature parks/preserves, self-guided nature trails, outdoor classrooms, and nature centers.  When asked to describe the elements that directly contribute to their most successful facilities, agencies listed funding as most important followed by presence of wildlife and community support. According to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) report “the Active Outdoor Recreation Economy” released in 2006:  Over three-quarters of Americans participate in active outdoor recreation each year.  Five percent of Americans, almost 6.5 million, depend on the active outdoor recreation economy to make a living.  Americans spend $289 billion each year on gear, trip-related items and services to enjoy active outdoor recreation. Cultural Arts  According to a survey published in the 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States, the highest percentage of persons visiting historic sites was in the 45-54 age group (38.0%), followed by the 35-44 age group (35.8%). The highest percentage of persons visiting art museums and galleries was in the 45-54 age group (32.9%) followed by the 55-64 age group (27.8%).  Attendance at the traditional performing arts events has steadily increased between 2000 and 2004 for all categories except opera and symphony/orchestra. (2007 Statistical Abstract)  Those with incomes less than $29,999 enjoy arts/craft fairs and festivals. Individuals with income levels between $30,000 and $74,999 enjoy art museums, galleries, arts/craft fairs, festivals and historic sites. More than 50% of those with incomes over $75,000 visit historic sites. (2007 Statistical Abstract)  Organized events held in public parks (arts festivals, athletic events, food festivals, musical and theatrical) often bring substantial positive economic impacts to their communities, filling hotel rooms and restaurant, and bringing customers to local stores. (Trust for Public Land) A study released by the Statistical Abstract of the United States in 2007 showed attendance at arts activities by age group for persons 18 years old and over. Table 8 shows results of the study. 45 Table 8: Attendance by Age Group- Selected Arts Activities 2007 Activity Age 18- 24 Age 25- 34 Age 35- 44 Age 45- 54 Age 55- 64 Age 65- 74 Age 75+ Jazz 10.5% 10.8% 13.0% 13.9% 8.8% 7.6% 3.9% Classical Music 7.8% 9.0% 10.7% 15.2% 15.6% 12.5% 9.5% Musicals 14.8% 15.4% 19.1% 19.3% 19.7% 16.6% 10.1% Plays 11.4% 10.7% 13.0% 15.2% 13.8% 13.0% 5.4% Ballet 2.6% 3.5% 4.9% 5.1% 3.3% 3.3% 2.2% Art Museums/Galleries 23.7% 26.7% 27.4% 32.9% 27.8% 23.4% 13.45 Art/Craft Fairs & Festivals 29.2% 33.5% 37.2% 38.8% 35.1% 31.1% 15.7% Historic Sites 28.3% 33.3% 35.8% 38.0% 31.6% 24.2% 12.8% Literature* 42.8% 47.7% 46.6% 51.6% 48.9% 45.3% 36.7% Trails and Specialty Parks  Trails, parks, and playgrounds are among the five most important community amenities considered when selecting a home, according to a 2002 survey of recent homebuyers by the National Association of Home Builders and National Association of Realtors. (Pack & Schunuel)  Two of the emerging specialty parks include skate parks and dog parks. (van der Smissen et al.)  The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association estimates there are about 1,000 skateboard parks in the United States. Facilities The June 2007 “State of the Industry” report surveyed all types of organizations including public, private, and non-profit. The largest percent of respondents were in the Midwest (31.9%), and the highest percent of respondent organizations were public (67.1%).  More than three-quarters of respondents reported that they have plans to build new facilities, add to their existing facilities, or renovate their existing facilities within the next three years.  On average, facilities are planning to spend nearly $3.8 million on new facilities, additions and renovations over the next several years.  Across the board, the most common amenity included in facilities of all kinds were outdoor sport courts for such sports as tennis and basketball, locker rooms, bleachers and seating, natural turf sports fields for sports like baseball, football and soccer, and concession areas.  More than 60% of respondents said their facility included an outdoor sports court. The current national trend is toward a “one-stop” facility to serve all ages. Large, multipurpose regional centers help increase cost recovery, promote retention, and encourage cross-use. Agencies across the U.S. are increasing revenue production and cost recovery. Amenities that are becoming “typical” as opposed to alternative include:  Multipurpose, large regional centers (65,000 to 125,000+ sq. ft.) for all ages/abilities with all amenities in one place. This design saves on staff costs, encourages retention and participation, and saves on operating expenses due to economies of scale.  Leisure and therapeutic pools 46  Interactive game rooms  Nature centers/outdoor recreation and education centers  Regional playground for all ages of youth  Skate parks  Partnerships with private providers or other government agencies  Indoor walking tracks  Themed décor Amenities that are still considered “alternative” but increasing in popularity:  Climbing walls  Cultural art facilities  Green design techniques and certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). A recent BCA survey indicated that 52% of the recreation-industry survey respondents indicated they were willing to pay more for green design knowing that it would significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants. Partnerships In the Parks and Recreation industry it is common to form partnerships with other organizations either to increase funding potential or to improve programming options. According to the June 2007 State of the Industry Report published in Recreation Management Magazine, 96.3% of survey respondents in the Parks and Recreation industry have found one way or another to partner with other organizations to accomplish their missions.  Over 78% of parks and recreation departments reported forming partnerships with local schools.  Local government was the second most common partnership. More than 67% of parks and recreation departments in the survey listed local government as a partner.  Other partners listed in the survey include: IHRSA, the American Camp Association, Professional Golf Association (PGA), Rotary International, Lions and Elks Clubs, faith-based organizations, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scout, the Special Olympics, and local and state tourism boards.  Facilities least likely to form partnerships with external organizations included: resorts and hotels, water parks, amusement parks and theme parks, campgrounds, youth camps, private camps, and RV parks. C. Community and Stakeholder Input A total of seven focus groups were held on September 18, 19, and 20 with a public forum on the 20th as well. Over 90 users of the City of Iowa’s parks and recreation amenities and programs and non-users participated. The following is a summary of key issues identified through the process. 47 GENERAL Strengths  Staff- visionary, responsive  Facilities- well maintained, many different park types  Services and programs- lots of diversity, encompasses all ages  Support and Funding- good relationship with City Hall, capital funding is effective Opportunities for Improvement  Lack of certain types of facilities, trail connections, and river access  Public awareness- lack of information and education, need to promote Parks and Recreation as a quality of life issue  Poor maintenance of natural areas  Lack of staff- need more maintenance, programming, Foundation and PIO staff  Funding- lack of capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) funding  Programming- need to use natural resources, need to increase collaboration, need to identify core service  Planning- need to improve strategic planning and increase collaboration, both in neighborhoods and regionally ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS  Need programming for all ages below 26 and over 40  Need additional programming in the following areas: o Wellness and fitness, nature based, outdoor winter activities, outdoor water-based activities, drop-in unstructured activities IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS AND FACILITIES  Need to improve maintenance at parks and facilities  Recreation centers and pools: o Need overall facility upgrades, more space, increase air quality at Mercer Pool, safer entryways, additional leisure aquatic components IMPROVEMENTS TO SUPPORT SYSTEM  Funding-need to redo fee structure, need additional sources, need to involve friend’s groups  Need staffing increases to assist in maintenance, programming, marketing, grant writing  Need to improve/redo policies for alcohol use, safety, Neighborhood Open Space Ordinance, developer land dedication/fees-in-lieu  Need to improve transportation to increase access to programs and facilities  Need to increase collaborations with Senior Center, University, schools, and neighborhood associations 48 RATINGS Average Rating Quality of current programs 4.1 Quality of existing facilities 3.4 Maintenance of facilities 3.6 Quality of customer service 4.0 Effectiveness of seeking feedback 3.3 UNDERSERVED PORTIONS OF IOWA CITY  Geographic: o SW- parks, SE- pool, NE-playground, far west, north and south future development, central/dense areas-parks  Demographic o Active seniors/baby boomers, people with disabilities, low income, those without transportation, 18-25 year olds NEW PARK AMENTITIES  Pedestrian Bridge at dog park  Trails- connector, rail corridor, multiuse  River access  Neighborhood parks  Additional dog parks  Basketball courts NEW FACILITIES  Outdoor leisure pool with lap swim  Recreation/aquatics center on west side of town  Municipal golf course  Splash pad/sprayground  Indoor soccer  Farmer’s Market facility  Multipurpose rental/meeting venue for large gatherings  BMX park/trails FINANCIAL  Issues to be considered o Park and Recreation services should be funded through a combination of taxes and fees o Should serve all citizen regardless of ability to pay o Most respondents are comfortable with current fees structure- could tolerate fee increases in some areas o Concern about tax increase-property or sales  How to support o Parks and Recreation foundation, grants, donations, partnerships, sponsorships, motel/hotel tax SENSITIVITIES  Increase in taxes, University relationship, school district relationship, Senior Center relationship, affordability, ADA accessibility, changing demographics, City Council support 49 D. Statistically-Valid Community Survey Findings The City of Iowa City conducted a Community Attitude and Interest Survey in January and February 2008 to establish priorities for the future improvement of parks and recreation facilities, programs and services within the community. The survey was designed to obtain statistically valid results from households throughout Iowa City. The survey was administered by a combination of mail and phone. Leisure Vision worked extensively with Iowa City officials in the development of the survey questionnaire. This work allowed the survey to be tailored to issues of strategic importance to effectively plan the future system. In January 2008, surveys were mailed to a random sample of 2,500 households throughout Iowa City. Approximately three days after the surveys were mailed, each household that received a survey also received an electronic voice message encouraging them to complete the survey. In addition, about two weeks after the surveys were mailed, Leisure Vision began contacting households by phone, either to encourage completion of the mailed survey or to administer the survey by phone. The goal was to obtain a total of at least 500 completed surveys. This goal was far exceeded, with a total of 676 surveys having been completed. The results of the random sample of 676 households have a 95% level of confidence with a precision of at least +/-3.8%. The complete executive summary, including graphs and charts, can be found in Appendix I. KEY PARTNERS/STAKEHOLDERS Corporations/businesses, Chamber of Commerce, ICCCVB and Sports Authority, Service Organizations/Nonprofit Organizations, neighboring communities/governmental entities, other City Departments, University/Kirkwood College, support groups, neighborhood groups, City Council and Commissions, local associations KEY ISSUES/PRIORITIES Funding Long-range strategic planning/vision Recognition of Parks and Recreation as quality of life Collaboration Celebrate successes Trails/bicycle transportation Vision and access for Riverfront Development Operational resources Age change in drinking establishments 50 Participation and Visitation  Of the 92% of respondent households who visited Iowa City parks over the past year, 92% rated the physical condition of all the parks as either excellent (26%) or good (66%). Additionally, 8% rated the conditions as fair, and less than 1% of respondents rated the parks as poor. Thirty-percent (30%) of respondent household members participated in recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year.  Of the 30% of respondent household members that have participated in any recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year, 68% have participated in at least 2 different programs. Additionally, 24% have participated in at least different 4 programs.  Of the 30% of respondent household members that have participated in recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year, 90% of respondents rated the overall quality of programs as either excellent (27%) or good (63%). In addition, 8% rated the programs as fair, and only 1% rated them as poor.  Parks/Recreation program guide (65%) had the highest percentage of respondents indicate it as the way that they learn about Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department programs and activities. Other frequently menitoned ways respondents learn about programs and activities include: newspaper articles (50%) and from friends and neighbors (46%).  Iowa City Public Library (64%) is the organization used by the highest percentage of respondents for indoor and outdoor recreation and sports activities during the past year. Other frequently mentioned organizations include: Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department (54%), State of Iowa parks (47%), and County parks (46%). Usage by Age  Based on the sum of their top two choices, the organizations respondent household members ages 17 years and under use the most for sports and recreation programs and services include: Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department (15%), school district facilities (12%), and Iowa City Public library (11%).  Based on the sum of their top two choices, the organizations respondent household members ages 18 years and older use the most for sports and recreation programs and services include: Iowa City Public Library (33%) and Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department (32%).“I do not know what is being offered” (21%) and “program times are not convenient (21%) have the highest percentage of respondents indicate them as the reasons preventing household members from using parks, recreation trails and sports facilities or programs of the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department more often. Facilities  There are six facilities that over 60% of respondent households have a need for: walking and biking trails (79%), nature center and trails (68%), small neighborhood parks (68%), large community parks (66%), wildlife and natural areas (64%), and riverfront parks (62%). 51  There are three facilities that completely meet the needs of over 50% of respondent households: youth soccer fields (66%), youth baseball and softball fields (55%), and adult softball fields (51%)  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the parks and recreation facilities that are most important to respondent households include: walking and biking trails (53%), small neighborhood parks (30%), wildlife and natural areas (26%), and nature center and trails (25%). It should also be noted that walking and biking trails had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the most important facility Programs  There are three programs that over 45% or more of respondent households have a need for: Farmers’ Market (72%), adult fitness and wellness programs (50%), and special events (48%).  There is only one program that over 50% of respondents indicated completely meet the needs of their household: Farmers’ Market (54%).  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the recreation programs that are most important to respondent households include: Farmers’ Market (58%), adult fitness and wellness programs (29%), and special events (26%). It should also be noted that Farmers’ Market had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the most important program  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the programs that respondents currently participate in most often at Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department facilities include: Farmers’ Market (57%) and special events (24%). It should also be noted that the Farmers’ Market had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the program respondents currently participate in most often Indoor Space  Walking and jogging track (67%) had the highest percentage or respondents indicate it as the potential indoor programming space their household would use if the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department developed new indoor programming spaces. Other frequently mentioned potential indoor programming spaces include: weight room/cardiovascular equipment area (43%), exercise facility for adults 50 years and older (39%), nature center (37%), and aerobics/fitness/dance class space (35%)  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the indoor spaces respondent household members would use most often include: walking and jogging track (59%), weight room/cardiovascular equipment area (29%) and exercise facility for adults 50 years and older (28%). It should also be noted that walking and jogging track had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the indoor space respondent household members would use most often The Benefits of Parks, Trails, and Recreation Facilities  Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with various benefits being provided by parks, trails, and recreation facilities. All 10 of the benefits have over 50% of respondents indicate that they either strongly agree or agree that those benefits are provided by parks, trails, and recreation facilities.  Based on the sum of their top three choices, the benefits most important to respondent households include: improve physical health and fitness (71%), preserve open space and the environment (49%), and make Iowa City a more desirable place to live (49%). It should also be 52 noted that improve physical health and fitness had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the benefit they feel is most important to their household Support and Satisfaction  Respondents were asked to indicate how supportive they would be of various actions Iowa City could take to improve the parks, recreation, trails, and green space system. For all 12 actions, over 40% of respondents indicated being either very supportive or somewhat supportive of actions Iowa City could take to improve the parks, recreation, trails, and green space system. Based on the sum of their top four choices, the actions that respondents would be most willing to fund with their City tax dollars include: develop new walking and biking trails and connect existing trails (55%), use greenways to develop trails and recreational facilities (50%), and purchase land to preserve open space and green space (44%). It should also be noted that purchase land to preserve open space and green space had the highest percentage of respondents select it as their first choice as the action respondents would be most willing to fund with their City tax dollars  Seventy-six percent (76%) of respondents indicated that they are either very satisfied (28%) or somewhat satisfied (48%) with the overall value their household receives from the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. In addition, only 5% indicated that they were very dissatisfied (1%) or somewhat dissatisfied (4%). Additionally, 5% indicated don’t know and 14% indicated neutral Photo by Jeff Harper 53 IV. What We Have Now- An Analysis of Programs and Spaces The following is a description and analysis of Iowa City’s current recreation programs. This section explains each branch of the recreation division, program accomplishments, the cost-recovery levels from 2004-2008 (2008 projected) of each branch, and articulates the central issues facing the division. Finally, this section concludes with a description of some of the key area recreation providers and partnerships to help assess how these alternative providers impact Iowa City’s future opportunities for expanded parks and recreation services in this community. A. Community Recreation Programs The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department provides many types of recreation opportunities to the community. Programming includes multiple offerings in the areas of general activities; fitness/wellness; aquatics; cultural arts/social programs; special populations including therapeutic recreation; and sports programs. Major programs for each area are separately examined including cost recovery levels for each category. Issues affecting each program area are identified based on a review of programming related information as well as program staff interviews and focus groups. Overall, division-wide participation information is also provided. Recreation Program Accomplishments The division experienced many accomplishments in the recent past. Most of these successes reflect efforts to stimulate and meet increasing demand for recreation programming. Most of these efforts have resulted in increased participation. Some examples of this progress include:  The Farmer’s Market was expanded by 20 plus vendors in 2006 and again by 30 plus more at Saturday markets. Two holiday markets have also been added in November and December and grilling vendors have added a new flavor to the market.  Market Music is a fine example of local partnership. For many years, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union has co-sponsored 14 Wednesdays of music during Farmer’s Market. For 2008, the Credit Union has agreed to double its funding so that Market Music can expand to Saturday markets as well.  Taste of Market is an opportunity for vendors to advertise their products and the City to showcase the market itself. This highly successful special event usually draws upwards of 500 to 600 participants, partly because of the music made possible through the Credit Union.  Art in the Park is a no charge, drop in activity, for children of all ages, held in conjunction with the Saturday morning Farmer’s Markets, June through July. Although slow in taking off, Art in the Park has grown significantly in popularity, regularly serving 35 to 40 children each Saturday in 2007.  “Neighborhood Family Fun Nights” have been held at eight to ten neighborhood parks on Thursday evenings for the last two summers. Now called “Parties in the Park,” the Department organizes live music, carnival style games, and arts and crafts. Cooperation with the City Planning Department has encouraged many Neighborhood Associations to participate by advertising the event and holding additional activities such as potlucks.  Youth and adult clay programs, although always popular, have experienced a recent increase to the point where it is difficult to keep up with demand. One indicator of this heightening popularity is the number of kiln firings completed per week. In 2006, firings were made only one 54 to two times per week. Beginning in 2007, the number doubled. Currently, at the end of the year in 2007, kilns are being fired at an average rate of six per week.  Special interest classes have gained in popularity over the last several years, currently offering four times the number of babysitting trainings, personal first aid, and self-defense classes than when the Department first began offering these types of activities in 2004.  Improving customer service at City Park Pool by adding greenspace and offering lounge chairs has helped increase participation. For example, the Arthritis Aquatic program has grown and consequently added classes and recruited more volunteer leaders to meet this heightened demand.  Birthday parties, arts and craft parties, and roller-skating parties are booked approximately twice per month on average. Tot and sport parties are even more popular, with 68 such parties in 2007.  Roller skating has seen increasing participation even though the national trends indicate that roller-skating is an activity experiencing decline. Every Saturday night 60 – 80 children and adults roller skate at no charge.  Staff involvement on the steering committee for SAFE KIDS Johnson County has resulted in the coordinated cooperation of nearly 30 agencies to produce the annual SAFE KIDS Day. Hundreds of children and their caregivers attend. Also as a part of SAFE KIDS, and in cooperation with Bell Sports, the Recreation Division sells bike and all sport helmets at a reduced rate. Last summer’s sales exceeded 190 helmets.  Tot Time is weekly morning program, started in 2001, that allows parents to bring their kids (ages 0-6) to an indoor play area for exercise and fun. At the end of first year, 1,446 kids had participated. Through grants and service group donations, Tot Time reached 5,000 participants for 2007.  Iowa City was one of 37 communities chosen throughout the country to participate in the Youth Sports Summit.  The Department also participates in the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) “Take Me Fishing” grant program.  The Special Populations Division led the way in the state in meeting the needs of the disabled, continuing to be one of the only community-based therapeutic recreation programs in Iowa. Evidence of this accomplishment is the continuing development of the Iowa City Special Olympics program, which attracts more athletes each year.  Iowa City was a national gold medal winner in both 1984 and 1992 for excellence in park and recreation administration. Recreation Division Strengths  Longevity and experience. Currently, all full-time staff members are seasoned veterans, who know their jobs well.  Quality, well-maintained facilities. The recreation center is 44 years old, but exceptional maintenance, as well as the variety of programs offered, ensures continued use. Programming is offered for all ages.  A unique market niche. Despite the high number of private providers in close proximity, the Division serves a unique niche providing exposure to a variety of activities, serving all ages, serving those that cannot or do not use private facilities, and also being a participant feeder for the private providers. An example of the City’s role is illustrated in the points below as the 55 University of Iowa plans the construction of a large multipurpose student recreation center five blocks from the Iowa City recreation facility:  The public may use these university facilities by paying a daily walk-in fee, likely to be set at around $7.00. The new amenities of this facility may attract public participation but, for the most part, it will be student dominated which, the University has found, tends to discourage public use. Pursuing a joint-use agreement with the University should be investigated.  Since age groups such as youth, active adults, and senior programs will not be the focus at the college recreation center, Iowa City will continue to focus on these areas of service delivery as well as the 18-25 age cohort not attending the university.  Public involvement. Staff members make efforts to listen to the public and develop activities desired, within budgetary parameters.  Existing partnerships. The City stretches its resources though partnerships with the school district and youth sports organizations.  A joint use agreement exists between the City and the School District regarding the swimming pool at Mercer Park. The City called a special election to finance its share of the facility cost and to renovate City Park Pool.  A joint use agreement exists between the City and the School District regarding the Grant Wood Elementary School Gymnasium.  The City and School District also have a general reciprocal use agreement in place allowing for the use of one another’s facilities, largely at no cost.  The City has recognized partnerships with a variety of local affiliate groups such as Kickers Soccer Club, Girls Softball, Boys Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Eels Swim Club, etc., for the provision of youth sports utilizing City facilities.  A joint use agreement exists between the City and the University regarding City funded lighting on University softball fields allowing community use in the evenings.  A new agreement was recently finalized allowing the University to construct a boathouse in a city-owned park in exchange for community use of the facility. Recreation Division Challenges  Meeting the changing needs of residents. The citizen survey provides in depth information and sub analysis of respondents that will foster understanding to meet resident needs.  Meeting the needs of the young adult age population (18-25). Those of this age bracket and not in college could be a greater focus of the division.  Separated Senior Center. Iowa City has a senior center that operates independently from the Parks and Recreation Department. This facility abides by a different philosophy, where the participants take the lead in organizing their own programming. A sharing of resources could maximize activity spaces and programming opportunities available to provide physical activity to all age groups.  Lack of sufficient multiple use spaces. There are inadequate facilities from which to run programs desired by the community.  Responsibilities needing to be fulfilled. Staff has indicated a need for focus that could be addressed through the addition of the following staff resource: naturalist, marketing and promotions specialist, and fundraiser (perhaps to work through the Foundation). Some of these positions could be shared with other city departments with similar needs. 56 Citizen Input Addressing Programs and Facilities Focus Group input provided suggestions for consideration regarding facilities, programs, and program delivery methods to be explored or expanded.  Additional programs/activities  Intergenerational programming, toddler programs in the evening, daytime toddler swimming or other activities for under-4 year olds, school age programs in the summer, tweeners activities, music or other venues for young adults, non-traditional high school sports such as rowing, family drop-in programming, domestic animal program, unstructured play opportunities, indoor walking, racquetball, and programs for the non-sedentary older adult such as Senior Olympics tournaments  Other programming enhancement including public display gardens, more community gardens, kayaking and other water programs at Sand Lake, arts magnet school, better use of the river (opportunity to partner with the University)  Facility improvements  Better locker rooms and other renovations at the community center; updating pool sites with more green area, heated outdoor water, improved access for individuals with special needs and improving the air quality at Mercer Pool; better drop off access at centers; expansion of the gymnasium at Mercer/Scanlon; and new kilns for the pottery program. Recreation Division Opportunities  Deepened partnerships. Iowa City has relationships with all youth sports. One of the strongest is with Iowa City Kickers, who donated over $400,000 to build a soccer complex. Additionally, the City benefits from a great relationship with the school district with joint-use of gymnasiums, and with the University of Iowa with Iowa City lighting university fields in exchange for nighttime usage for adult softball, and more recently a new boathouse to be constructed in Terrell Mill Park. These partnerships should be expanded and formalized, with a focus on avoiding service duplication.  Enhanced outdoor education. Outdoor leisure opportunities could include programming and opportunities for exploring natural areas.  Increased awareness. More focus on promoting the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the major role the Department plays in providing such benefits to the community. Additional publicity is needed to make the community more aware of what the Recreation Division has to offer. Recreation Program Participation Levels Total Attendees, Trends, and Program Capacities Year Number of participants % increase/decrease from previous year % program capacity 2007 833,958 -10% 86% 2006 929,808 +3% 91% 2005 899,845 -13% 88% 57 MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS Below is a summary of the major program areas provided by the Recreation Division. Currently, the Division is sub-divided into five program areas including General Recreation, Aquatics, Social and Cultural, Special Populations, and Sports/Wellness. Cost recovery levels, primary issues and key focus areas that emerged from focus groups conducted with the public and staff interviews are included. General Recreation Activities General Recreation activities include all services of the Recreation program that are not called out in the other categories highlighted in this section. The expenses are burdened with the administrative overhead of the division, and therefore this area is expected to have very low cost recovery. General Recreation Cost Recovery  2008: 7% (budgeted)  2007: 8%  2006: 9%  2005: 14%  2004: 7% Aquatics Aquatics is responsible for activities including swimming instruction, water exercise and water sports. Programs are held in the Recreation Center Pool, City Park Pool, and the Mercer Park Aquatic Center. The following cost recovery levels include revenues from the hotel/motel tax increasing from $84,000 to $104,000 over the four-year time frame, as well as other governmental revenues collected from the school district from its joint use agreement. Aquatics Cost Recovery  2008: 50% (budgeted)  2007: 61%  2006: 55%  2005: 57%  2004: 61% Primary Issues/Focus Areas  Rentals limit the amount of time the public can use the pool. However, reducing rentals would decrease the revenue generated and consequently, the cost-recovery level of aquatics.  Pool passes currently cannot be purchased at City Park Pool  Iowa City lacks a water park/leisure pool.  Traditional swimming pools are in adequate condition, but really lack family appeal. Many nearby communities such as Coralville, North Liberty, and Cedar Rapids have, in recent years, built water parks with slides attracting many Iowa City residents. Iowa City could build a new family water park, or pursue a less costly option of adding slides or other features to existing pool areas. 58 Survey Feedback Importance  14% of households indicated youth learn-to-swim as most important programs.  9% selected water fitness programs as most important. Need  25% of households indicated that current youth learn-to-swim programs are meeting their needs 100%.  30% of households indicated a need for water fitness programs.  22% indicated a need for youth learn-to-swim programs.  35% of households indicated that indoor swimming pools/leisure pools were completely meeting their needs.  34% indicated that outdoor swimming pools/leisure pools were completely meeting their needs. Participation  22% of households selected leisure pool (water slides, sprays, etc.) as one of their top four choices of facilities they would use most often.  18% chose lap lanes for swimming.  32% of households chose a leisure pool. Social and Cultural Activities Social and Cultural Activities Cost Recovery  2008 : 53% (budgeted)  2007: 60%  2006: 67%  2005: 59%  2004: 58% Survey Feedback Importance  58% of households indicated Farmer’s Market as one of the top four most important programs.  26% indicated special events as one of the four most important programs.  11% indicated adult art, dance, and performing arts as one of the four most important programs. Need  72% of households indicated that they have a need for Farmer’s Market. It was the only program that over 50% indicated their needs were completely met (54%).  48% indicated a need for special events and only 21% indicated that the current special events offered completely meet their needs.  15% indicated that adult, and 12% indicated that youth art, dance, and performing arts programs completely meet their needs. 59 Participation  57% indicated Farmers Market as one of the programs most often participated in.  24% selected special events as one of the programs most often participated in.  6% selected adult art, dance, and performing arts as one of the programs most often participated in. Sports and Fitness/Wellness Sports and Fitness/Wellness Cost Recovery The following cost recovery levels include revenues from the hotel/motel tax ranging from $70,000 to $86,000 over the four-year time frame. Sports  2008: 70%  2007: 78%  2006: 79%  2005: 76%  2004: 70% Fitness/Wellness  2008: 17% (budgeted)  2007: 9%  2006: 5%  2005: 4%  2004: 6% Survey Feedback Importance  29% indicated adult fitness and wellness programs as one of the most important programs, this was the second most important program after Farmers Market.  4% indicated youth fitness and wellness as most important. Need  50% of households indicated a need for adult fitness and wellness programs.  12% indicated a need for youth fitness and wellness programs.  11% of households indicated that current adult fitness and wellness programs were completely meeting their needs.  15% indicated that youth fitness and wellness programs were completely meeting their needs. Participation  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the program that households currently participate in most often, adult fitness and wellness programs was the third ranking (10%). 60 Special Populations Special Populations Cost Recovery  2008: 7% (budgeted)  2007: 8%  2006: 10%  2005: 9%  2004: 10% Total Recreation Division Total Recreation Division cost recovery includes revenues from the hotel/motel tax, as well as other governmental revenues collected from the school district from its joint use agreement. Total Recreation Division Cost Recovery  2008: 40% (budgeted)  2007: 41%  2006: 41%  2005: 42%  2004: 39% Primary Issues/Focus Areas  The Union creates unique challenges for the Parks and Recreation Department. For example, in a number of positions, part time employees may not exceed 10 hours a week (20 hours for students), limiting the amount of service that can be provided by very talented and dedicated employees.  The amount of rental activity limits the amount of family programming and free events encouraging family involvement.  Coordination between the Recreation and Parks Divisions is a challenge regarding the park shelter and field reservations made though the Recreation Division. Registration procedures should be evaluated to determine a more effective approach. Survey Feedback Importance  Based on the sum of their top four choices, the three recreation programs that are most important to households include: Farmers’ Market (58%), adult fitness and wellness programs (29%), and special events (26%). Need  There are three programs that over 45% or more of households have a need for: Farmers’ Market (72%), adult fitness and wellness programs (50%), and special events (48%). Participation  30% of household members participated in recreation programs offered by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department during the past year.  Households participate most often in Farmers’ Market (57%) and special events (24%). 61  Of the 30% of households that have participated in recreation programs offered by the Department during the past year, 90% rated the overall quality of programs as either excellent (27%), or good (63%).  21% of households indicated “program times are not convenient” as the reason preventing household members from using programs.  21% of households indicated “I don’t know what is being offered” as the reason preventing household members from using programs. B. Inventory of Facilities Parks Iowa City has a number of parks that serve the community at-large in a variety of ways. Among the park properties are extensive natural areas, trails, large parks, smaller parks, sports parks, and indoor recreation facilities. Within these parks are a variety of components that appeal to park users of all types. Generally Iowa City’s parks and facilities are well maintained, diverse, well used, well distributed, and present a high level of design. City Park City Park is Iowa City’s largest developed park and has 107.3 acres of sports fields, river frontage, an outdoor theater, playgrounds, outdoor pool, open play areas, picnic shelters, and public art. The park is centrally located and encompasses part of a hillside which slopes gently to the Iowa River floodplain. This park is one of the most featured parks in the system and is highly valued in the community. Benton Hill Park Recently developed, this park filled the need for recreational amenities in one of Iowa City’s central residential neighborhoods. As a newer park, it represents the direction of design that the City is choosing for new parks: it is thoughtfully designed; incorporates art; and has an excellent mix of active, passive, and educational opportunities. I.C. Kickers Park This large park is devoted entirely to field sports, with soccer being the primary use. In addition to the existing 17 soccer fields and two ballfields, there is room to add an additional three ballfields. This park is well equipped with restrooms, a playground, and concession stands. South Sycamore Greenspace and Trail Although roughly the same size as the I.C. Kickers Park, this property could not be more different. It is a natural area that includes a large stand of native prairie, wetlands, and woodlands. Its developed amenities include public art and a multi-use trail, which allows for walking, running, biking, wildlife observation, and nature study. The high level of maintenance and attention to native species vegetation at this park is typical of all of the natural areas in Iowa City. Pedestrian Mall The only plaza-style space of Iowa City’s several urban parks, the Pedestrian Mall unifies downtown and provides important civic space where shoppers can relax, play with children, and 62 enjoy shade and public art. Like City Park and Hickory Hill (natural area), this property creates the unique identity of Iowa City. Other Parks In addition to the sampling of parks listed above, Iowa City has many other parks that serve the needs of the residents. Many of the parks are smaller parks that are designed and maintained to meet the needs of the immediate neighborhood and generally contain a playground, open turf, and often a picnic shelter. In addition, many of the parks provide mature vegetation and are located with easy access to the neighborhoods. All Iowa City park properties are well maintained and welcoming. In addition to the City’s parks, apartment complexes also provide some recreational opportunities such as tennis, playgrounds, and clubhouses. These facilities, however, are often open only to the residents of the complex and act a supplementary services not considered to provide service to the community as a whole. Trails Iowa City has both paved multi-use trails and unpaved primitive trails. Currently there are three named multi-use trails, the Iowa River Trail (IRT), the Willow Creek Trail, and the Sycamore Trail. More multi-use trails and connections are planned to serve a larger part of the City. In addition, many of the parks have loop walks and walking paths that provide opportunities for fitness walking and experiences in the natural environment. Indoor Facilities Iowa City has two main indoor facilities: the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center and the Mercer Park Aquatic Center. These facilities house a variety of recreational options including: indoor pools, arts and crafts rooms, fitness and weight rooms, game rooms, and multipurpose spaces. The indoor facilities are well maintained and well used by the community. Both buildings are older buildings and have undergone various renovations so that they remain highly functioning buildings. In addition to City-owned buildings, recreation programs are also held at non-city facilities such as schools. The Grant Wood Gymnasium is often used as it is available to the City after school and on weekends C. Alternative Providers Located within or nearby the City are other providers of recreational facilities that have some impact on the services provided by the City. Knowledge of alternative providers helps avoid service duplication, identify a department’s niche within the market, and identify potential partnerships. What follows is a brief description of the main alternative providers in and around Iowa City. Non-Private Service Providers: University of Iowa Recreation Services E216 Field House Iowa City, IA 52242 New center at the intersection of Burlington and Madison streets. http://recserv.usiowa.edu 63 Brief description of provider: “The University of Iowa Division of Recreational Services is here to serve the recreation needs of the University Community. We offer a variety of programs for all ages, serving UI students, UI Faculty and Staff and members of the surrounding community” (University of Iowa website). Housed in seven separate locations, facilities include aquatics, fitness, gyms, indoor courts, indoor track, equipment rental, outdoor fields, and natural areas. The segment of the organization’s mission which describes services offered to the surrounding community is of interest because it impacts the demand for City amenities. This is especially true given the current construction of a new state-of-the-art recreation center in close proximity to the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center. This facility will combine many of the current services and provide new opportunities. The recreation and wellness center will be 215,000 square feet, 4 levels and include a diving tower, a natatorium, a café and lounge space, a 9000 square foot Wellness Center, a classroom, a steam room, a sauna room, a 54 foot high climbing wall with 8 ropes and a separate bouldering wall, a 20,000 square foot fitness area, 3 activity rooms, administrative areas, a 17 foot diving well, a leisure pool, locker rooms, gymnasiums and indoor track, 2 basketball courts, 1 multi-activity court and a 8-lane 50 meter competition pool. This new university recreation center is being built six blocks away from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, less than a 3-minute drive away. North Liberty Recreation Center 520 W. Cherry Street, (319) 626-5716 http://www.northlibertyiowa.org/rec/index.htm Basic description of provider: “The North Liberty Community Center, home to the Recreation Department, Library, community rooms and our local access channel (NLTV), is the cornerstone of our community” (North Liberty Recreation Home Page). In fall 2004, the Phase II expansion was completed, which includes an indoor and outdoor pool, a reception hall/conference area, a second gymnasium and a multipurpose room with expanded before-and-after-school services. This facility is 1.99 miles and a 6- minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Coralville Recreation Center 1506 8th St. (319)248-1750 Coralville, IA 52241 http://www.coralville.org/mod.php?mod=department&op=viewcustom&did=24&cid=3 Basic description of provider: “This 72,000 square foot facility is the heart of recreation programming. Recreation Administration offices are located in the Recreation Center and many classes take place here. The Recreation Center serves over 90,000 visitors per year and 7500+ children participate in youth recreation programs” (Coralville Recreation Center Home Page). Facilities include two gyms, game room with pool tables, foosball, video games, and vending area. The fitness center includes weight machine, treadmills, stair climber, elliptical, recumbent, exercise bikes, racquetball court, two meeting rooms, indoor pool and locker rooms and outdoor tennis courts. This facility is 3.95 miles and a 10-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. 64 Private Service Providers: Body Dimensions Fitness Center 319.339.9494 111 East Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 Brief description of provider: Fully equipped fitness center. This facility is .3 miles and a 1-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Cindy K’s Fitness for the Busy Woman 319.339.7435 1859 Lower Muscatine Road, Iowa City, IA 52240 Brief description of provider: Weight machines, bikes, treadmills, sauna, showers, lockers, and various classes including senior programming and yoga. This facility is 2.57 miles and a 6-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Core Fitness 319.351.2673 1555 South 1st Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52240 http://www.corefitness1.com Brief description of provider: Steam room, sauna, cardio area, weight room, and locker rooms. The membership rate is $49 per month and includes attending any of the ninety classes offered per week in areas such as spinning, yoga, and Pilates. This facility is 2.57 miles and a 6-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Curves 702 South Gilbert Street Suite 106, Iowa City, IA 52240 881 22nd Avenue, Coralville, IA 52241 http://www.curvesinternational.com Brief description of provider: A women-focused, fitness and wellness franchise, Curves Fitness Centers offer women a place to exercise and maintain weight. The Iowa City facility is .4 miles and a 1-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. The Coralville facility is 4.24 miles and a 10- minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Gold’s Gym 319.338.3488 213 E. 10th Street, Coralville, IA 52241 http://goldsgym.com Brief description of provider: Weight room with machines and free weights, elliptical equipment, treadmills, boxing, cycling and classes using this equipment. The monthly membership fee is $47.70 per month with a one-time $75 start-up fee. Corporate memberships and discounts are available. This facility is 3.92 miles and a 9-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Iowa City Fitness 319.339.0348 213 East College Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 http://www.iowacityfitness.com 65 Brief description of provider: Open twenty-four hours with a pool, whirlpool, sauna, fitness/cardio areas including treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, stair-steppers, showers, and locker rooms. Currently, the cost is $19.99 per month with an $80 initiation fee. This facility is .09 miles and a less than 1-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. North Dodge Athletic Club 319.351.5683 2400 North Dodge Street, Iowa City, IA 52245 Brief description of provider: The facility includes private tennis courts, public tennis courts, fitness consultants, pool (indoor with five lanes), free weights, full court basketball, and cardio/fitness equipment, many items with their own television. Classes are included in the membership and include spinning, yoga, and Pilates etc. The monthly membership rate is $59.36. This facility is 3.04 miles and an 8-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. New Life Fitness World - Iowa City 319.351.1000 2220 Mormon Trek Boulevard, Iowa City, IA 52246 Brief description of provider: The center offers day care, personal trainers, racquetball courts, tanning, aerobics, steam and sauna rooms, month-to-month memberships, expanded cardio center, computer treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights, aerobics studio, indoor pool, whirlpool and ice room. This facility is 3.24 miles and a 7-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. The Studio 319.466.9300 700 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 http://www.iowacitystudio.com Brief description of provider: Health club and gym with yoga instruction and therapy massage, personal training and cardio center. This facility is .52 miles and a 2-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. University Athletic Club 1360 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52246 Brief description of provider: Health club and gym. This facility is 1.73 miles and a 6-minute drive from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. Alternative Provider Key Issues  There are eight private providers within three miles of the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. The presence of a multitude of private providers in close proximity is not an unusual circumstance. Although some of the more profitable market for adult fitness, sports, and other amenities geared toward serving adults, is provided for, these facilities often serve no more than 20- 24% of the population and have significant barriers to participation including the membership fee structure and the fees themselves, and are not often well suited to serving youth, older adults and special populations.  The affect of the university facility should be carefully considered in any future planning to understand its target market and availability to the community as a whole, its service philosophy, and its fee structure. 66 D. Iowa City Context Iowa City, Iowa is located in the east central part of the State. It has a population of 62,220 residents and is home to the University of Iowa. The rolling hills of eastern Iowa and the Iowa River provide a beautiful setting for Iowa City. It is the cultural hub of eastern Iowa and is the former state capital. Iowa City has a thriving downtown that is comprised of a pedestrian-oriented shopping district, the old state capital, and the edge of the University of Iowa. The nearby town of Coralville, hugs the northwest border of town and competes for sales tax dollars. The Iowa River bisects the community along its central north-south axis and regional transportation corridors run along its east-west axes – the railroad is in the center and Interstate 80 runs along the north. The development of the City started downtown in 1839, and has grown consistently. Figure 5: City of Iowa City Location Map E. Facility Inventory and Level of Service Analysis One essential part of this project is to establish a complete and accurate database of amenities related to the provision of recreation by Iowa City. A complete inventory was conducted in September of 2007. This was accomplished by visiting each property and facility, talking with appropriate personnel, and recording the quantity and functionality of the each component. For the purposes of this master plan, the inventory focused only on components at sites that are maintained for public use by the City of Iowa City. It is recognized that other providers exist, and that the facilities they provide are part of the overall level of service enjoyed by people in Iowa City. However, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the city-provided services and to create a complete inventory of those things that the City takes responsibility for providing. 67 Each component was located, counted, and assessed for the functionality of its primary intended use. A GRASP® score was assigned to the component as a measure of its functionality as follows: - Below Expectations (BE) – The component does not meet the expectations of its intended primary function. Factors leading to this may include size, age, accessibility, or others. Each such component was given a score of 1 in the inventory. - Meeting Expectations (ME) – The component meets expectations for its intended function. Such components were given scores of 2. - Exceeding Expectations (EE) – The component exceeds expectations, due to size, configuration, or unique qualities. Such components were given scores of 3. - If the feature exists but is not useable because it is unsafe, obsolete, or dysfunctional, it may be listed in the feature description, and assigned a score of zero (0). Components were evaluated according to this scale from two perspectives: first, the value of the component in serving the immediate neighborhood, and second, its value to the entire community. Next, amenities that relate to and enhance the component were evaluated. The setting for a component and the conditions around it affect how well it functions, so in addition to scoring the components, each park site and indoor facility was given a set of scores to rate its comfort and convenience to the user. This includes such things as the availability of restrooms, drinking water, shade, scenery, etc. Lastly, the overall design and ambiance of the facility or park was recorded as a part of the inventory. Characteristics such as, overall layout, attention to design, and functionality inform the design and ambiance score. The assessment findings from each location were entered into a master inventory database/spreadsheet (GRASP Appendix II).The database serves as a record of the inventory and was also used to perform the GRASP® analysis that follows. Inventory Description Existing Infrastructure The parks and recreation system in Iowa City can be thought of as an infrastructure that serves the health and well-being of people. This infrastructure is made up of parts and pieces that are combined in various ways to provide service. This system serves the residents by providing active and passive recreation and incorporating connecting trails wherever possible. Diversity in the park infrastructure is evident in the variety of park sizes, locations, components, and functions. The result is a system of parks, trails, open space, and other facilities. The current inventory includes the following main features: 68 Map B: Inventory This map shows where the existing parks, trails, and open spaces are located. In addition, schools, landmarks, and barriers to pedestrian access are shown for reference. (See Appendix II for a complete list of parks and facilities. A larger park system map can be found in Appendix III: Maps and Perspectives.) Other Providers Located within the City are other providers of recreational facilities that have some impact on the services provided by the City. A majority of these other providers are somehow associated with the University of Iowa or cater to university students. Included in the other providers is the University itself, which currently provides both indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities to students, faculty, and staff at the University. Housed in seven separate locations, facilities include aquatics, fitness, gyms, indoor courts, indoor track, equipment rental, outdoor fields, and natural areas. The University is currently in the process of constructing a new recreational center that will combine many of the current services and provide new opportunities. Currently it is believed that this facility will be open to the general public for a fee. In addition to the university facilities, apartment complexes also provide some recreational opportunities such as tennis, playgrounds, and clubhouses. These facilities, however, are often open only to the residents of the complex and act a supplementary services not considered to provide service to the community as a whole. 69 F. Level of Service As part of the Iowa City Parks, Recreation, Trails Master Plan, one tool that was utilized is the examination of Levels of Service (LOS). This tool allows for analysis of the inventory, quantity, location, distribution, and access to recreation components. Levels of Service (LOS) are typically defined in parks and recreation plans as the capacity of the system’s components to meet the needs of the public. Two methods were used in this analysis. One method uses a traditional capacities approach that compares quantity to population. The other analysis uses the GRASP® Method, which records quantity, quality, and location information about the components and displays it in chart and map form. A more detailed description of the history of GRASP® and its relationship to NRPA standards can be found in Appendix I GRASP® History and Methodology. The GRASP® Analysis GRASP® Methodology is a unique way of looking at LOS because it considers not only the quantity and distribution of parks and facilities but also quality, comfort and convenience, and overall design and ambiance. It is also unique in that it applies to individual recreation components to create a component- based model for evaluating LOS. After scoring each component as outlined in the inventory description, GIS software was used to create graphic representations that allow for easy visual and numerical analysis of the recreation system. Some of the representations show raw data collected through the inventory process or received from other sources. These are referred to as resource maps. Other representations emerge from the processing of data within the GIS using composite values analysis. These analyses can look at both general and specific aspects of the system. Each of these representations is called a GRASP® Perspective. The following maps and Perspectives were prepared for this report, and can be found in Appendix III GRASP Maps and Perspectives. Map A: Regional Context Map B: System Perspective A: Neighborhood Access to All Components Perspective B: Walkable Access to All Components Perspective C: Neighborhood Access to Indoor Recreation Perspective D: Walkable Access to Trails For each GRASP® Perspective, each inventoried component shows its GRASP® score as applied to a service area, (or buffer), based on a radius from the component. Perspective C: Neighborhood Access to Indoor Recreation applies the components’ qualitative score to both one-mile and one-third mile buffers. One-mile buffers represent a distance from which convenient access to the component can be achieved by normal means such as driving or bicycling. The one-third mile buffer shows the distance that a resident can reasonably walk in 10 minutes. Scores are doubled within the one-third mile buffer to reflect the added accessibility of walking, since almost anyone can reach the location on their own by walking, even if they don’t drive or ride a bicycle. When buffers with associated scores are plotted on a map, a picture emerges that represents the cumulative LOS. Where buffers for multiple components overlap, a darker shade results and indicates locations that are “served” by a combination of more components and/or higher quality ones. In other 70 words, where there are darker shades the level of service is higher for that particular Perspective. It is important to note that the shade overlaying any given point on the map represents the cumulative value offered by the surrounding park system to an individual situated in that specific location, rather than the service being provided by components at that location to the areas around it. GRASP® Target Scores Analysis Within the GRASP® Perspectives, the buffers and associated scores are presented in two ways – with infinite tone ranges (orange) and in two tones based on target values (purple and yellow). The larger scale map in each of the Perspectives shows the GRASP® buffers with an infinite tone range that portrays the nuances of service that are being provided to the community. At this scale, it is easier to see the differences in services provided by parks and individual components. The complete Perspective series is set to the same tone scale so the different Perspectives can be compared side-by- side. The inset map shows the GRASP® score ranges grouped into categories that represent either Below Target Minimum Score or Above Target Minimum Score. In the inset, you can see clearly, which areas fall into each of the categories for a summarized look at the service that is being provided. Different score breaks were used on the inset maps so that each set of components is evaluated based on what the target minimum score is for each Perspective. For this reason, these maps cannot be compared but are specific to each Perspective. The section below reviews the Perspectives and highlights where higher and lower levels of service are being provided from a given set of components. Maps and Perspectives for Iowa City Thumbnails of the target scores inset and excerpts from some of the maps and Perspectives are shown here for reference only – the reader should refer to the full maps in Appendix III for complete information and clarity. GRASP® Perspectives Descriptions and Analysis Perspective A: Neighborhood Access to all Components This Perspective utilizes all components (indoor and outdoor) within the dataset to give a picture of how the system is serving the overall parks and recreation needs of Iowa City. This perspective shows how the City is providing service at a neighborhood level. This is defined by having services within one-mile radius from your home with a higher value placed on the services that are available within walking distance, or one-third mile. The Neighborhood Score from the inventory has been used, along with the modifiers identified for each site, to derive GRASP® scores for each of the 71 components as described before. This score is then applied to the buffers. As with many communities, Iowa City provides service that meets or exceeds residential targets in the majority of the community, with gaps appearing only at the edges of the City. Concentrations in service are focused around some of the city’s major parks, including City Park and Kiwanis Park, and in areas that are well served by a variety of parks and schools such as the areas around Court Hill and Wetherby Parks. Lower levels of service appear around the edges of the City are generally a result of lower levels of development and also reflect industrial or commercial areas that are not expected to receive the same amount of service. Table 9 shows the numerical break down of the service by area that is being provided to the residents of Iowa City. The average GRASP® score for the City is 285.6, which represents a high number and quality of recreational components overall. In addition, 85.1% of the city’s area is receiving service that is meeting or exceeding expectations. This shows that not only are parks distributed throughout the community, but that the quality, setting and comfort of the parks is also excellent. This indicates a high dedication on the part of the City to providing high quality park and trail facilities. It also indicates that a significant amount of resources have been, and must continue to be, dedicated to the upkeep and maintenance of these facilities to continue to meet the expectations of the community. Table 9: Perspective A - Neighborhood Access to All Components, Overall Statistics To t a l A c r e s Pe r c e n t o f A r e a Wi t h L O S Av e r a g e L O S P e r Ac r e S e r v e d Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a B e l o w Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o re Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a A b o v e Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Neighborhood LOS for all components 16,332 98.0% 285.6 12.9% 85.1% Perspective B: Walkable Access to all Components This Perspective shows the level of service provided to the community at a walkable level. All components are shown and each has only a one-third mile buffer, which equates to about a 10-minute walk. These buffers have been truncated at the primary barriers. Scores within the buffers are equal to the base score for the components, calculated as described in Appendix I and doubled to reflect the walkable access, as was done on Perspective A. In a sense, this is Perspective A with the one-mile buffers removed. With the one-mile buffers removed, more gaps in service begin to appear. Again, some of these gaps, such as the area between Highway 6 and the railroad, are areas that contain land uses where walkable 72 access to parks and recreation is not a priority. In addition, some residential areas have lower levels of service, which may reflect the presence only of schools within walking distance. Schools, while providing some service, often do not have the access or comfort and convenience features that parks provide. Other residential areas with service below residential targets are found at the edges of the community in developing areas that do not yet have the population that requires services at the same rate as the rest of the community. Although there are some gaps as mentioned above, overall, more than 90% of the community has walkable access to some recreational components. Table 10 shows the levels of service by percentages for the City. Table 10: Perspective B - Walkable Access to All Components, Overall Statistics To t al A c r e s Pe r c e n t o f A r e a Wi t h L O S Av e r a g e L O S P e r Ac r e S e r v e d Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a B e l o w Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a A b o v e Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Walkable LOS for all components 16,332 91.6% 108 37.9% 53.6% Perspective C: Neighborhood Access to Indoor Recreation Facilities This Perspective shows the LOS that is being provided by the indoor components to residents in Iowa City. Because these facilities are more likely to draw from a larger area, three-mile and one-third mile buffers were used. This represents a 10-minute walk or drive within the city. Again, the scores within the one-third mile buffer have been weighted to represent the added value of being close to home. For this Perspective those that have service that is meeting or above targets have access to at least the equivalent of a gym, fitness area, aquatics, and a multipurpose room. In Iowa City, the centrally located Robert A. Lee Center combines with the facilities at Mercer Park to provide consistent service over almost the entire community. Only the very western portion of Iowa City is beyond a 10-minute drive. Table 11 below shows the complete statistics for how the City is serving the residents of Iowa City with indoor recreational components. 73 Table 11: Perspective C: Neighborhood Access to Indoor facilities, Overall Statistics To t a l A c r e s Pe r c e n t o f A r e a Wi t h L O S Av e r a g e L O S P e r Ac r e S e r v e d Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a B e l o w Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a A b o v e Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Access to indoor components 16,332 89.7% 102.8 0.8% 88.8% Perspective D: Walkable Access to Trails For this Perspective, trails that are located on a significant right-of-way, offer recreational value, added comforts such as benches, and interpretive signs are scored at a value equal to that of three park components with normal modifiers and ambience. This is because these types of trails function much like a park with a combination of active and passive components, and because of the high value that was placed on trails in the needs assessment process. Other trails were scored according to the service they provide and how well they met the expectations for their intended purpose. A detailed explanation of scoring can be found in Appendix I. The score for a given length of trail was assigned a one-third mile buffer paralleling the trail along both sides. Aside from greenways, trails exist as components within parks. These are also shown on this map if they meet the following criteria. Trails as components in parks typically provide access to a natural area or are a part of a larger trail network probably geared to multi-modal use. In addition, the distinction can be made that trails in parks are often accompanied by interpretive signage and other features that make them destinations within the park. Sidewalks that exist purely to provide access to park components or are a circuit (counted elsewhere as loop walks) are not included in this map. Trails that are shown as a component of parks receive both one-third and one-mile buffers, just as components do in the other maps. This Perspective shows that Iowa City has a strong and growing trail network. The Iowa River Trail corridor is one of the featured trails in the community and provides both recreation and transportation service to the core of the community. Aside from this trail, a majority of the trails in the community exist within larger parks and provide primarily recreational opportunities for users. Many areas of the City show service that is not meeting residential targets although is showing some service. In many cases, the service that is being provided is lacking both comfort and convenience features and is not appealing for passive uses such as bird watching or wildflower identification. This includes both the wide sidewalks and on-street connections in the trail systems, which are geared more as transportation connections. Please refer to Table 12 for information on how the community as a whole is being served by Iowa City’s trail system. 74 Table 12: Perspective D - Walkable Access to Trails, Overall Statistics To t a l A c r e s Pe r c e n t o f A r e a Wi t h L O S Av e r a g e L O S P e r Ac r e S e r v e d Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a B e l o w Ta r g e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Pe r c e n t T o t a l Ar e a A b o v e Ta rg e t M i n i m u m Sc o r e Walkable access to trails 16,332 93.5% 42.1 36.3% 57.2% Communitywide LOS Other Tools for Measuring Level of Service (LOS) Besides the GRASP® perspectives and associated LOS numbers, this plan also uses capacities based analysis tools. One tool determines capacity by comparing GRASP® scoring to population, and the other tool models traditional methods of determining LOS by using straight quantity as compared to population. Communitywide LOS The Community Components GRASP® Scores and Population Ratios in Table 13 show numerical indices for LOS that account for both quantity and quality of components in Iowa City. The table shows the community GRASP® Index for each component, as well as the number of GRASP® points needed to maintain the current indices as the population grows. Kiwanis Bike Trail 75 Table 13: Community Components GRASP® Scores and Population Ratios Current Population 66,177 Projected Population 69,274 Total GRASP® Community Score per component type GRASP® score per 1000 population (GRASP© Index) Total GRASP® score needed at projected population Additional GRASP® score needed Aquatic feature, spraypad 0.0 0.00 0 0.0 Aquatic feature, Outdoor pool 11.7 0.18 12 0.5 Ballfield 195.5 2.95 205 9.1 Dog Park 7.2 0.11 8 0.3 Multi-Purpose Field 141.6 2.14 148 6.6 Playground 178.6 2.70 187 8.4 Shelter - large (group) 206.8 3.12 216 9.7 Shelter - small (individual) 67.0 1.01 70 3.1 Skate Park 7.2 0.11 8 0.3 Tennis 99.0 1.50 104 4.6 Recreational Trails (Mi.), Paved and Primitive 26.0 0.39 27 1.2 TOTAL 940.60 14.21 984.62 44.02 When looked at from this perspective, ballfields and shelter facilities have the greatest need to be improved or added to continue to provide a high level of service to keep up with the projected population growth. This is due to the already high LOS that the City is providing to the community and may be expected to continue to provide. While requiring some improvements, other components will require less work in the future because the expectation or need is lower for these items. This information can be used to plan for future improvements to the parks and recreation infrastructure to accommodate growth. GRASP® scores are a blend of quantity and quality, making it possible to increase them by adding components or improving the quality of existing ones. In most case, a combination of the two will be recommended. Used in conjunction with the Capacities LOS Table, the best combination of quantity and quality can be determined for planning purposes. The GRASP® Indices also allow the community to benchmark its combined LOS for quality and quantity of service over time and measure its progress. 76 Capacities Level of Service For some components, the quantity needed is proportional to the population that will be served by that component. This is a fairly easy calculation when components are programmed for use. The programming determines how many people will be using the facilities over a period of time. Sports fields and courts fall into this category. For other components, the ratio of components to the population may vary, depending upon the size or capacity of the component and the participation levels within the community for the activity served by the component. Skate parks and group picnic facilities fall into this category. Table 14 represents the current level of service and projected needs for community components for Iowa City. This table closely resembles a traditional LOS analysis and shows how the quantities of certain park and recreation components compare to population. For each component, the table shows the current quantity of that component on a “per-1000 persons” basis (referred to as the Capacity LOS) and the pro-rata number of persons in the community represented by each component. This kind of analysis can be used to show the capacity of the current inventory – in other words, how many people are potentially being served by park components. When looked at from this purely quantitative perspective, based on its current LOS, Iowa City will need to provide two each of multipurpose fields, playgrounds, and shelters to keep up with the demand of the growing population. It is important to note that this table is simply one tool that is used to make final recommendations and establish budgets. The numbers of facilities shown on this table may differ from the final recommendations due to availability of land, ability to upgrade existing facilities, and the possibility of partnerships. Brookland Park Neighborhood Celebration 77 Table 14: Capacities Level of Service (LOS) Aq u a t i c f e a t u r e , sp r a y p a d Aq u a t i c f e a t u r e , Ou t d o o r p o o l Ba l l f i e l d Do g P a r k Mu l t i - P u r p o s e Fi e l d Pl a y g r o u n d Sh e l t e r - l a r g e (g r o u p ) Sh e l t e r - s m a l l (i n d i v i d u a l ) Sk a t e P a r k Te n n i s Re c r e a t i o n a l Tr a i l s ( M i . ) , Pa v e d a n d Pr i m i t i v e INVENTORY City Components 0 1 24 1 30 35 34 12 1 12 26 Schools 0 0 3 0 12 18 0 0 0 0 0 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 0 1 27 1 42 53 34 12 1 12 26 CURRENT RATIO PER POPULATION CURRENT POPULATION 2007 66,177 Current Ratio per 1000 Population 0.00 0.02 0.41 0.02 0.63 0.80 0.51 0.18 0.02 0.18 0.39 Population per component 66,177 2,451 66,177 1,576 1,249 1,946 5,515 66,177 5,515 2,545 PROJECTED POPULATION - YEAR 2012 69,274 Total # needed to maintain current ratio of all existing facilities at projected population 0 1 28 1 44 55 36 13 1 13 27 Number that should be added to achieve current ratio at projected population 0 0 1 0 2 2 2 1 0 1 1 78 V. How We Manage- An Analysis of Administrative Findings A. Funding F Fees/Charges The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department relies on fees and charges for major revenue generation to offset program expenses. The Department stays market-driven with reasonable, affordable fees and is consistent with national trends relating to public park and recreation agencies, which generate an average 35% to 50% of operating expenditures. Reservations This revenue source comes from the right to reserve specific public property for a set amount of time. The reservation rates are usually set and apply to group picnic shelters, meeting rooms for weddings, reunions and outings or other type of facilities for a special activity. Partnerships Partnerships are joint development funding sources or operational funding sources between two separate agencies, such as two government entities, a non-profit and a City department, or a private business and a City agency. Two partners jointly develop revenue producing park and recreation facilities and share risk, operational costs, responsibilities, and asset management based on the strengths and weaknesses of each partner. Iowa City has developed partnerships with the School District, the University and a number of non-profit groups from small scale to large scale. Dedication/Development Fees These fees are assessed for the development of residential subdivisions with the proceeds to be used for parkland acquisition and/or development. Since its inception in 1994, a year hasn’t gone by when either land or fees have not been received by the City. General Obligation Bonds Bonded indebtedness issued for capital improvements and general public improvements. This funding source is utilized every year for a variety of capital projects. Depending on the size and nature of the project, public approval may be required through an election. Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Tax Tax based on gross receipts from charges and meals services, which may be used to build and operate sports fields, regional parks, golf courses, tennis courts, and other special park and recreation facilities. The Parks & Recreation Department receives a portion of this every year to support the operations of the Mercer Park Aquatic Center. In 2008 this will amount to approximately $185,000. Grants The department pursues grants whenever appropriate. Several REAP Grants (Resource Enhancement and Protection) have been awarded in recent years from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 79 Currently, the department is pursuing a CAT Grant (Community Attraction and Tourism) in the amount of $2,000,000 from the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Several smaller grants have been awarded through programs offered by the National Recreation and Park Association. We also anticipate pursuing another REAP Grant and at least one trails grant in the upcoming year. Bond Referendum A bond referendum requires a vote by the citizens for general obligation bonds initiated through City Council approval prior to the citizen vote. A 60% approval is required. The most recent Parks & Recreation project constructed utilizing this method was the Mercer Park Aquatic Center, which opened in 1988. Volunteerism The revenue source is an indirect revenue source in that persons donate time to assist the department in providing a product or service on an hourly basis. This reduces the City’s cost in providing the service and it builds advocacy into the system. While the Department utilizes volunteers for many activities, an upgraded comprehensive volunteer program could be pursued more vigorously. Foundation/Gifts These dollars are raised from tax-exempt, non-profit organizations established with private donations in promotion of specific causes, activities, or issues. They offer a variety of means to fund capital projects, including capital campaigns, gifts catalogs, fundraisers, endowments, sales of items, etc. The department is affiliated with the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Foundation, which is not active on an ongoing basis, but rather reactive to needs, typically of a capital development nature. Equipment Rental The revenue source is available on the rental of equipment such as tables, chairs, tents, stages, bicycles, roller blades, boogie boards, etc. that are used for recreation purposes. This is currently being done by the Department, but on a very small scale. Community Gardens Many city and county agencies will permit out food plots for community gardens as a small source of income. The Department currently offers about 70 plots in Wetherby Park at $19 each. Membership and Season Pass Sales Cities sell memberships to specific types of amenities to offset operational costs. These membership fees can apply to recreational and fitness centers, tennis centers, golf courses, pools, ice-rinks, etc. Iowa City does not sell memberships, but they do sell season passes to the pools and dog park. Lighting Fees Some cities charge additional fees for the lighting charges as it applies to leagues, special use sites, and signature type facilities that require lighting above a recreational level. This includes demand charges. Program Contractor Fees Cities and counties receive a percentage of gross contractor fees for contractor programs held on City or county facilities. The percentages range from 25% to 40% depending on space, volume, and the amount 80 of marketing the City does for the contractor. Jazzercise is a good example; other possibilities could be pursued. Booth Lease Space In some urban cities, they sell booth space to sidewalk type vendors in parks or at special events. For a flat rate based on volume received. The booth space can also apply to farmers markets, art schools, and antique type fairs. This is done with the Farmers Market and occasional food vendors in the parks. Ticket Sales/Admissions This revenue source is on accessing facilities for self-directed activities such as pools, ice-skating rinks, ballparks and entertainment activities. These user fees help offset operational costs. In Iowa City this is done primarily at the swimming pools and the dog park. Concession Management Concession management is from retail sales or rentals of soft goods, hard goods, or consumable items. The City either contracts for the service or receives a set of the gross percentage or the full revenue dollars that incorporates a profit after expenses. This is not currently a large source of revenue for Iowa City. Any such revenue comes from privately operated vending machines and occasional vending carts. Affiliate groups are allowed to sell concessions as fund raising mechanisms for their respective organizations. Friends Associations These groups are formed to raise money typically for a single focus purpose that could include a park facility or program that will better the community as a whole and their special interest. Friends of Hickory Hill Park and Concerned Citizens for Sand Prairie Preservation are two examples of how this is working in Iowa City. Advertising Sales This revenue source is for the sale of tasteful and appropriate advertising on park and recreation related items such as in the City’s program guide, on scoreboards, dasher boards and other visible products or services that are consumable or permanent that expose the product or service to many people. This is currently being done, but not to a large scale, partly due to “censorship” restrictions. Naming Rights Many cities and counties have turned to selling the naming rights for new buildings or renovation of existing buildings and parks for the development cost associated with the improvement. Iowa City has used this for the Scanlon Gym, Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park and parkland acquisitions such as Kiwanis Park and Frauenholtz-Miller Park. Cost Avoidance The Department must take a position of not being everything for everyone. It must be driven by the market and stay with the Department’s core businesses. By shifting its role as direct provider, the City will experience savings by deciding whether or not to provide that facility or program. This is cost avoidance. The estimated savings listed could be realized through partnering, outsourcing, or deferring to another provider in the provision of a service and/or facility. Iowa City works with a number of “affiliate groups” to jointly provide services and facilities. The more prominent examples include the 81 Kickers Soccer Club, Girls Softball, Boys Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Swim Club, DogPAC, Riverside Theatre and the local disc golf organization. Land Trust Many cities have developed land trusts to help secure and fund the cost for acquiring land that needs to be preserved and protected for greenway purposes. This could be a good source to look to for acquisition of future lands. Iowa City Parks and Recreation has worked with both the Johnson County Heritage Trust and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for this purpose. Inter-local Agreements Contractual relationships entered into between two or more local units of government and/or between a local unit of government and a non-profit organization for the joint usage/development of sports fields, regional parks, or other facilities. The Department currently has six such agreements, three with the Iowa City Community School District, two with the University of Iowa and one with Riverside Theatre. Corporate Sponsorships This revenue-funding source allows corporations to invest in the development or enhancement of new or existing facilities in park systems. Iowa City has used this in the past, most notably with the Scanlon Gymnasium project where two areas bear the names of corporate donors. This should continue to be used when appropriate opportunities arise. Surplus Sale of Equipment by Auction Cities have surplus auctions to get rid of old and used equipment that generates some income on a yearly basis. The Department does sell items on occasion through an auctioneer as required by the City. The revenue generated is minimal and goes into the general fund. Inter-modal Transportation and Efficiency Act This funding program, commonly called TEA-21 Grants was authorized by the Federal Government in 1991. Funds are distributed through the state. There are several million dollars in enhancement revenues available for transportation related projects, including bicycle and pedestrian trails, rail depot rehabilitation, landscaping, and beautification projects. The department has used this source of funding for trail projects on a number of occasions, and should continue to do so. Land Swaps The city trades property to improve their access of protection of resources. This could include property gain by the city for non-payment of taxes or where a developer needs a larger or smaller space to improve their profitability. The city or county typically gains more property for recreation opportunities in exchange for the land swap. Although not on a large scale this has been done in the past, and the City should be open to future opportunities. 82 Security and Clean-Up Fees Cities will charge groups and individuals security and clean-up fees for special events other type of events held in parks. Iowa City does this on a small scale, and does it as an incentive to groups to take care of facilities and clean up after their event, not as a revenue source. Recreation Service Fees This is a dedicated user fee, which can be established by the City Council, upon recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission, for the purpose of constructing and maintaining recreation facilities. The fee can apply to all organized activities, which require a reservation of some type, or other purposes as defined by the local government. Examples of such activities include adult basketball, volleyball, and softball leagues, youth baseball, soccer, and softball leagues, and special interest classes. The fee allows participants an opportunity to contribute toward the upkeep of the facilities being used. Such a fee has never been used in Iowa City, but could be implemented. Revenue Bonds Bonds used for capital projects that will generate revenue for debt service where fees can be set aside to support repayment of the bond. Revenue Bonds have not been used for Parks and Recreation projects in the past, but should be considered for an appropriate facility. Sales Tax The revenue source is very popular for funding park and recreation agencies either partially or fully. The normal sales tax rate is one cent for operations and one half cent for capital. This tax is very popular in high traffic tourism type cities and with counties and state parks. This requires a referendum, and has been attempted only once, but did not pass. If considered again it will be a City Council decision to do so. Utility Roundup Programs Some park and recreation agencies have worked with their local utilities on a round up program whereby a consumer can voluntarily pay the difference between their bill up to the even dollar amount and they then pay the department the difference. Ideally, these monies are used to support utility improvements such as sports lighting, irrigation costs and HVAC costs. The following are funding sources that could easily be used by the City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department to create the existing budgets for capital and operational expenditures. The following funding sources are potential funding opportunities the City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department should consider for additional funding of capital and operational expenditures. 83 Gift Catalogs Gift catalogs provide organizations the opportunity to let the community know on a yearly basis what their needs are. The community purchases items from the gift catalog and donates them to the city. This was considered by the Foundation many years ago, and is an opportunity to increase resources for the Department. Catering Permits and Services This is a license to allow caterers to work in the park system on a permit basis with a set fee or a percentage of food sales returning to the City. Additionally, many cities have their own catering service and receive a percentage of dollars off the sale of their food. Iowa City has not pursued this in the past, but could in the future. Special Fundraisers Many park and recreation agencies have special fundraisers on an annual basis to help cover specific programs and capital projects. This is not currently being done by the Department, but could be pursued by the foundation to increase revenue. Credit Card Surcharge Fees on Sports and Entertainment Tickets, Classes, etc. This fee is a surcharge on top of the regular sports revenue fee or convenience fee for use of MasterCard and Visa. The fee usually is no more than $5.00 and usually is $3.00 on all exchanges. The money earned is used to help pay off the costs of improvement or for operational purposes. Life Estates This source of money is available when someone wants to leave their property to the City in exchange for them to live on their property until their death. The City usually can use a portion of the property for park purposes and then all of it after the person’s death. This revenue source is very popular for individuals who have a lot of wealth and their estate will be highly taxed at their death and their children have to sell of their property because of probate costs. This allows the person to receive a good tax deduction yearly on their property while leaving a life estate. It is good for the City because they do not have to pay for the land. Maintenance Endowments Maintenance Endowments are set up for organizations and individuals to invest in ongoing maintenance improvements and infrastructure needs. Endowments retain money from user fees, individual gifts, impact fees, development rights, partnerships, conservation easements, and for wetland mitigations. Reverse Sponsorships This revenue source allows agencies to receive indirect revenue from cross promoting their current sponsors with professional sporting events such as in racing with cars and drivers and significant sports heroes. Indirect sponsorships provide up to 15% of the sponsorship value back to the City for linking their parks and recreation sponsors with professional sports. If the opportunity presents itself in Iowa City, it could be considered. Recycling Centers Some cities operate recycling centers for wood, mulch, and glass as profit centers for their systems. Iowa City currently offers wood and mulch free to the public. 84 Hospitality Centers These types of recreation facilities are developed by cities for use by the public for wedding, reunions, and special gatherings. The recreation facilities are not subsidized but operate at a profit. Some facilities are surprisingly managed by outside caterers. Iowa City is currently do this, but not at a profit. New facilities would need to be developed to create profit. Cell Towers Cell towers attached to existing light poles in game field complexes is another source of revenue the City could seek in helping support the system. To date, the Department has not permitted such apparatus in city parks, but proposals have been considered in the past and likely will be again. Hospital – Rehabilitation Contracting Cities will contract with hospitals for their rehab patient’s work that can be provided at local recreation centers with their therapists overseeing the work. This provides a steady level of income for the fitness center and encourages patients after rehab to join. Payments are made by health insurance companies. Film Rights Many cities permit out their sites such as old ballparks or unique grounds or sites for film commissions to use. The film commission pays a daily fee for the site plus the loss of revenue the city will incur if the site generates income. Manufacturing Product Testing and Display This is where the city works with specific manufacturers to test their products in parks, recreation facilities and in program services. The city tests the product under normal conditions and reports back to the manufacturer how their product is doing. Examples are in lighting, playgrounds, tires on vehicles, mowers, irrigation systems, seed & fertilizers (etc.). This city gets the product for free but must pay for the costs of installation and for tracking results. Fishing License for City or County Lakes Some cities they have their own put and take fish operation and safe fishing laws for their own lakes for trout and specialty fish. This may be more feasible in the future. Capital Improvement Fees These fees are on top of the set user rate for accessing facilities such as golf, recreation centers and pools to support capital improvements that benefit the user of the facility. The Parks and Recreation Department has not use this source, but some affiliate groups in Iowa City have done so with success. Land and Water Conservation Fund These funds are awarded for acquisition and development of parks, recreation, and supporting facilities through the National Park Service and State Park System. Iowa City has received funding from this program in the past, but not for many years. The City has chosen not to pursue this funding in recent years due largely to the many strings attached. 85 Private Concessionaires Contract with a private business to provide and operate desirable recreational activities financed, constructed, and operated by the private sector with additional compensation paid to the City. Patron Cards This allows patrons of a specific recreational facility to purchase patron cards for a month or a year that allows them special privileges above the general public. These privileges include having rights to early tee times, reservations, and special tours, shows or events. The patron cards can range in price from $15.00 a month to $150.00 a year. Establish a Greenway Utility Greenway utilities are used to finance acquisition of greenways and development of the greenways by selling the development rights underground for the fiber optic types of businesses. This is currently not covered in the state code and would likely require a code amendment. Private Developers These developers lease space from City-owned land through a subordinate lease that pays out a set dollar amount plus a percentage of gross dollars for recreation enhancements. These could include a golf course, marina, restaurants, driving ranges, sports complexes, equestrian facilities, and recreation centers and ice arenas. Merchandising Sales This revenue source comes from the public or private sector on resale items from gift shops and pro shops for either all of the sales or a set gross percentage. Iowa City currently doesn’t have the types of facilities that would make this source very appealing although future facilities may. Subordinate Easements – Recreation / Natural Area Easements This revenue source is available when the City allows utility companies, businesses or individuals to develop some type of an improvement above ground or below ground on their property for a set period of time and a set dollar amount to be received by the City on an annual basis. Irrevocable Remainder Trusts These trusts are set up with individuals who typically have more than a million dollars in wealth. They will leave a portion of their wealth to the City in a trust fund that allows the fund to grow over a period of time and then is available for the City to use a portion of the interest to support specific park and recreation facilities or programs that are designated by the trustee. This has never been done with the Parks and Recreation Department, but could be considered. The following funding sources are potential funding opportunities the City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department could consider for additional funding of capital and operational expenditures. These funding sources may not be available currently in the state or an intergovernmental agreement may be necessary for implementation. These funding sources may meet with some resistance and be more difficult to implement therefore more research is recommended. 86 Permits (Special Use Permits) These special permits allow individuals to use specific park property for financial gain. The City either receives a set amount of money or a percentage of the gross service that is being provided. Other than food vendors, the current practice has been not to allow this. Sale of Mineral Rights Many cities sell their mineral rights under parks for revenue purposes to include water, oil, natural gas and other by products for revenue purposes. Integrated Financing Act This legislation creates an alternate method for collecting assessments levied under the Landscaping and Lighting Act, the Vehicle Parking District Law and the Park and Playground Act. This act applies to all local agencies. This act can be used to pay the cost of planning, designing, and constructing capital facilities authorized by the applicable financing act, pay for all or part of the principle and interest on debt incurred pursuant to the applicable financing act and to reimburse a private investor in the project. It serves two unique properties: (1) it can levy an assessment which is contingent upon future land development and payable upon approval of a subdivision map or zone change or the receipt of building permits; (2) it allows the local agency to enter into an agreement with a private investor whereby the investor will be reimbursed for funds advance to the agency for the project being financed. More research and information would need to be obtained before determining the feasibility of this funding source. Wheel Tax on Cars/Vehicles Many cities have a City sticker tax on vehicles based on the type of vehicle. This allows for park agencies to receive a portion of this money to cover the costs of roads, hard surface paths and parking lots associated with parks. This funding source is not currently allowed, although it has been mentioned in the past. Parking Fee This fee applies to parking at selected destination facilities such as beach parking areas, major stadiums and other attractions to help offset capital and operational cost. Traditionally, parking has been free at all the Park and Recreation facilities except the downtown recreation center. The adjacent parking lot falls under the jurisdiction of the Parking Division. Leasebacks on Recreational Facilities Can Produce Revenue Many cities do not have capital dollars to build revenue-producing facilities but they will hire a private investor to build the facility according to the specifications they want and the investment company will finance the project and the City will lease it back from them over 20 years. This can be reversed where by the City builds the facility and leases to private management to operate it for a percentage of gross dollars to pay off the construction loans through a subordinate lease. This funding source may be possible in Iowa City although public bidding may be required. 87 Family Tree Program Many cities have worked with local hospitals to provide cash to the parks system to buy and plant a tree in honor of every new born in the City. The hospitals invest $250 to $300 and receive the credit from the parents of the newborns. The parks system gets new trees of ample size. Iowa City currently has a memorial tree program that is not affiliated with the hospital or in recognition of new born babies. Sell Development Rights Some cities and counties sell their development rights below park ground or along trails to fiber optic companies or utilities. The park agency detains a yearly fee on a linear foot basis. This may be possible. Agricultural Leases In some City and county parks, they lease low land property along rivers or excess land to farmers for crops. The City or county typically get one-third of the value of the crops or they lease it on a per acre basis. Iowa City has utilized this funding source in the past, but currently there is no parkland that would lend itself to this. Camping Fees & Hook-Up Fees City and county parks along with state parks permit camping for RV’s, tents, and primitive Camping. Fees range from a high of $18 to $20 a night per site to $6 or $7 for primitive space. Additional fees will be added for water, electricity, sewer, and cable T.V. access. The Department does not currently have campsites, but one may be considered at Sand Lake in the future. Signage Fees This revenue source taxes people and businesses with signage fees at key locations with high visibility for short-term events. Signage fees range in price from $25.00 per signs up to $100.00 per sign based on the size of the sign and location. This has never been done, but could be a possibility. Product Sales This is where the city sells specific products for purchases or consumption by the public. This would include trees, food, maple syrup, livestock animals, fish, plants, etc. This is a potential revenue source, although the Department would need to be careful to minimize any perceived competition with the private sector. B. Analysis of Benchmarking Limits of Comparative Data and Analysis Benchmarking is an important tool that allows the comparison of certain attributes of the city’s management of public spaces (parks, recreation, aquatics, and related services) with other similar communities. For this plan, benchmarking data was collected from comparable agencies including: Cedar Rapids, IA, Cedar Falls, IA, Ames, IA, Bloomington, IN, Bend, OR, Bolingbrook, IL, Fort Collins, CO, Lawrence, KS, and Terre Haute, IN. It is very difficult to find exact comparable communities because each has its own unique identity, its own way of conducting business, and differences in what populations it serves. It is important to keep in mind that while many park and recreation departments serve primarily its residents, others serve a large portion of non-residents. 88 Additionally, organizations typically don’t break down the expenditures of parks, trails, facilities, and maintenance the same way. Agencies also vary in terms of how they organize their budget information and it is sometimes difficult to assess whether or not the past year’s expenses are typical for the community. This being said, the benchmarking information presented here should be used as a catalyst for the City of Iowa City to continue to research best practices for more specific areas when they are needed. Benchmarking Data Sought The communities were chosen primarily due to the perceived similarities and geographic proximity to Iowa City. Requested benchmarking data includes:  Population  Median income levels  Total full time equivalencies (FTE)  Total park and recreation acres managed by agency  Total operating budget  Breakdown of the sources and allocation of the budget  Number and types of parks, trails, outdoor and indoor facilities Additionally benchmarking data looks to weigh pertinent data along with comparing against a “per thousand” population calculation in some cases. Comparing data on a “per thousand” population basis is more accurate than averaging or generalizing. For this analysis, population information and median household income was derived from ESRI Business Information Solutions. As indicated, some of the data is 2006 numbers, while other data is 2007 figures. Summer Campers at City Park Pool 89 Table 15: Benchmarking Comparison – Iowa City, IA Topic Iowa City, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Falls, IA Bloomington (IN) Ames (IA) Bend (OR) Bolingbrook (IL) Fort Collins (CO) Lawrence (KS) Terre Haute (IN) Community/Agency Overview 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number Population 66,177 126,197 36,803 69,229 51,000 76,249 73,000 139,908 94,859 60,000 Median Household Income $42,412 $55,965 $50,173 $34,308 $44,518 $58,800 $84,000 $44,459 $64,700 $28,010 Total P&R Acres Managed by Agency 1,603 3,360 1,400 2,264 1,200 2,402 NA 1,192 3,497 970 Acres Per 1,000 Residents 24.22 26.62 38.04 30.58 23.5 31.74 NA 117.37 27.13 61.86 Agency Resources 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number 2006 Number Full-time Employees 35 53 16 59 22 82 56 72 75 44 Full-time Employees per 1,000 0.52 0.41 0.43 0.85 0.43 1.07 0.76 0.51 0.79 0.73 FTE Part-time/Seasonal Staff (divide total seasonal hours by 2080 hours) 44.52 81.35 64.5 61 (based on hours) 150 (workers) 83 (based on hours) 630 (workers) 137 (workers) 85 (workers) NA Total Operating Budget $5,211,415 $6,865,518 $2,995,955 $7,277,750 $2,400,000 $12,194,610 $10,200,000 $13,489,928 $8,342,246 $2,500,000 Budget per 1,000 $78,749 $54,403 $81,405 $105,126 $47,059 $159,931 $139,726 $96,420 $87,944 $41,667 Revenue from Taxes $4,170,281 $4,722,623 $1,282,355 $4,870,309 $1,400,000 $9,538,000 $5,000,000 $8,282,672 $4,827,945 $2,167,436 Percent of Budget from Taxes 80% 68% 42% 67% 58% 78% 49% 61% 58% 87% Revenue from Fees and Charges $982,234 $2,142,895 $1,713,600 $2,359,254 $1,400,000 $3,822,899 $5,200,000 $4,904,443 $2,640,850 $117,945 Percent of Budget from Fees/Charges 18% 31% 57% 32% 58% 31% 51% 36% 32% 5% Average Capital Budget (past 5 yrs.) $1,926,793 $3,748,666 $2,400,000 $301,994 $350,000 $7,407,819 $2,000,000 $2,045,000 $1,000,000 NA Parks and Facilities 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number 2007 Number Total Acres of: Parks 1,281 975 850 639 1,200 1,503 964 741 3,497 970 Parks acres per 1,000 19.3 7.7 23.1 9.7 23.5 19.7 13.2 5.3 36.9 16.2 Open space (other than parks) 322 2,385 250 1,389 400 889 46 31,376 1,250 0 Miles of Trails: Total paved trail miles 45.2 26 30 4 28 24 14 28 50 10 Total soft surface trail miles 6.2 14 0 23 10 27 1 33 15 0 Total miles of trails per 1,000 .78 .32 .82 .39 .75 .67 .20 .44 .69 .17 Number of Outdoor Facilities: Parks 42 72 35 38 34 71 45 42 55 34 Baseball/softball fields 26 38 6 18 0 12 18 41 7 2 Soccer fields 17 42 18 0 6 10 17 42 17 2 Football fields 0 0 6 2 0 1 7 10 5 0 Golf Courses (number of holes) 0 72 36 27 9 0 9 45 18 36 Number of traditional outdoor pools 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 NA 2 Outdoor Leisure aquatic centers 0 5 1 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 Playgrounds 31 50 25 27 20 0 38 39 27 14 Park shelters 45 32 37 13 6 0 17 42 19 40 Skateparks 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 NA Dog parks 1 1 1 0 1 1 NA 3 2 NA Indoor Recreation Facilities: Community/Recreation Centers 2 2 1 3 1 0 3 4 5 1 Number of traditional Indoor Pools 2 1 2 0 1 0 1 3 1 0 Number of Indoor Leisure Aquatic centers 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 Dedicated Senior Centers 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Ice Rinks (total sheets of ice) 0 2 0* 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 *Agency has one outdoor ice rink 90 Analysis of Benchmarking The communities chosen for this analysis were chosen based on perceived similarities to the City of Iowa City; the communities either are within a close geographical proximity to Iowa City or have similar demographic make-ups. Many of the communities were chosen because they house large universities and therefore have similar populations as Iowa City. The average population of all ten responding communities is 79,342. Iowa City, at 66,177 is lower than this average; however the median population 71,114 is a better representative of the disbursement. The average median household income for all respondent communities is $50,735 (MHI for Iowa City is $42,412) and the median value of all the communities’ median household incomes is $47,346. Iowa City has the lowest total acres managed by the agency per 1,000 (24.22). Fort Collins, CO has the highest acres per 1,000 (117.37), followed by Terre Haute, IN (61.86). Iowa City is in the mid-range in terms of full-time employees per 1,000 (0.52). The highest full-time employees per 1,000 is Bend, OR (1.07) and the lowest is Cedar Rapids (0.41). Of the respondent communities, Ames, IA has the highest cost recovery, recovering 58% from fees and charges. Terre Haute, at 5% is the lowest; Iowa City recovers 18% from fees and charges. Iowa City is in the mid-low range for Capital Improvements Budget of the respondent communities, averaged over the proceeding five years, ($1,926,793). The lowest average CIP is Bloomington, IN ($301,994), the highest is Bend, OR ($7,407,819). Iowa City is in the high range for total miles of agency maintained trails (51.4). Lawrence has the most miles of trails (65); Terre Haute has the least miles of trails (10). Most of the respondent agencies had at least one dog park and one skatepark. C. Guiding Themes Based on the findings in the previous sections of this plan, some guiding themes have emerged and provide the framework for the City of Iowa City’s approach toward parks and recreation facilities and services. Iowa City should capitalize on its great assets and focus on taking care of what they have, as a priority. A strong parks and recreation component is central to the quality of life goals of Iowa City. This Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan promotes the enhancement and expansion of parks and recreation opportunities for the community. There are several guiding themes and findings expressed through the community planning processes that are summarized below:  Build on Iowa City’s natural and recreational outdoor assets  Increase trails to support a pedestrian-friendly, connected, “walkable” community, including bicycling  Enhance the “quality of life” for residents through parks and recreation  Create new funding mechanisms for increased resources to sustain the level of standards the community supports  Increase Partnerships and Collaborations  Balance Cost Recovery and Affordability  Improve Communication and Marketing 91  Plan for Growth  Balance passive, self-directed, and active recreational opportunities through goals and strategies  Maintain and upgrade the existing assets and expand park and recreation opportunities as opportunities arise  Increase or Realign Programming for Youth, Teens, Seniors, Disabled, Arts, Cultural, Non-Sports for the changing demographics  Expand citywide events  Increase Indoor Recreation Facilities – Recreation and Aquatic Center as a long range goal VII. Great Things to Come- Recommendations and Action Plans The previous sections have provided findings and analysis of the various management and planning issues for the City of Iowa City. This section provides recommendations for improvements for Iowa City based on the information gathered from the demographics, survey results, the public input process, program analysis, organizational review, and the level of service analysis. The information gathered has aided in identifying community issues, analyzing future needs, and addressing how to implement them. The recommendations in this section are not necessarily prioritized, although the capital improvement recommendations in the table within this section are prioritized within the timeframe indicated. It is understood that these priorities may change or shift based on funding opportunities, political climates, etc. and is intended to provide guidelines as to what is needed to keep up with the growth, development, and change that is occurring in Iowa City. Recommendations for the next twelve years address the needs of the community and can be implemented with the funding sources identified. The recommendations are guidelines based on current information and planning. Planning beyond these twelve years is not as certain, as the community will change drastically. It is recommended that another Parks and Recreation Master Planning process begin within the next six to eight years to more accurately plan for the future. Most communities conduct a new Master Planning process every six to eight years to maintain their ability to receive grants with a current long-range plan in place. A. Recommendations Action Steps:  Assign responsibility and time frame, and allocate resources necessary to complete each action identified in annual work plans. Strategy: Incorporate the action items of this plan into the City’s annual work plans to achieve the recommendations of this plan and to enhance effectiveness of staff effort. 92 Action Steps:  Inform all levels of staff of the direction of the Plan, allow for staff input, encourage buy-in, and encourage input from all staff members.  Provide cross-departmental staff teams/team members, as appropriate, with education development opportunities, necessary equipment, and supplies. Action Steps:  Establish service standards for all community services activities. Suggested criteria for service standards include:  Programs: participation levels, revenue, instructors, customer satisfaction, cost per experience (or per hour, per class), customer retention  Instructors: experience, knowledge, friendliness, recruiting, rewarding, training, standards  Volunteers: experience, knowledge, friendliness, recruiting, rewarding, training, standards  Facilities: cleanliness, aesthetics, comfort  Staff: Experience, knowledge, friendliness, rewards, training, trends Action Steps:  Identify all major maintenance tasks including such things as: o Turf /Mowing o Plantings o Restrooms o Sidewalks and paths o Irrigation o Weed and insect control o Curb appeal o Playground and picnic equipment o Courts and fields o Litter control  Evaluate and develop a scoring system for each task to meet desired and consistent service levels.  Involve staff in the development of the standards and scoring system.  Conduct maintenance standards training for all staff.  Establish and monitor recordkeeping procedures to document the actual hours and materials costs for each maintenance operation.  Apply appropriate maintenance standards and define set up/tear down requirements for all special events, tournaments, or other activities that currently stress resources. Assure adequate staffing and funding to take on the task, prior to making a commitment. Strategy: Create standards for all community services activities and services. Strategy: Assure that all levels of staff are informed of and are set up to work together to implement the recommendations and strategies of the plan. 93 The Department has a strong reputation for being responsive to community desires within budget constraints. The citizen survey and public input sessions highlighted areas of additional programming desire including:  Opportunities to connect people to the natural environment  Additional learn-to-swim, water fitness and outdoor swimming  Outdoor leisure pool opportunity  Additional special events and family/community gathering opportunities  Expansion of art, dance and performing arts opportunities  Expansion of fitness and wellness programming Action Steps:  Evaluate the development of new programs based on community interests. It is very easy to focus on programs that have worked for a number of years, especially if they are still drawing enough interested participants to justify the program’s continuation. Starting new programs, based on community demand and/or trends, can be risky due to the inability to predict their success. If the program interest seems great, as with those identified in citizen survey, then the programs should be considered for expansion.  Establish criteria for the implementation of new programs (based on research and feedback). The Department should pursue program development around the priorities identified by the survey, using the following criteria:  Need: outgrowth of a current popular program, or enough demonstrated demand to successfully support a minimal start (one class for instance)  Budget: accounting for all costs and anticipated (conservative) revenues should meet cost recovery target established by Department within two seasons  Location: appropriate, available and within budget  Instructor: qualified, available and within budget  Materials and supplies: available and within budget  Marketing effort: adequate and timely opportunity to reach intended market, within budget (either existing marketing budget or as part of new program budget)  Develop program evaluation criteria for existing offerings and implement annually. Using historical participation levels to determine program popularity and participant feedback can be helpful in deciding if programs should be continued. Annually all current programs should be evaluated to determine if they should be continued, changed (market segment focus, time/day offered, etc.) or discontinued. A few simple questions should be asked about each program that include:  Is participation increasing or decreasing? If participation is increasing then it could clearly mean that the program should be continued. If participation is decreasing are there any steps to take to increase interest through marketing efforts, change the time/day the program is offered and change the format or instructor? If not, it may be time to discontinue the program. Strategy: Seek ways to respond to identified programming priorities 94  Is there information contained in the participant feedback that can be used to improve the program?  Are cost recovery goals being met? If not, can fees be realistically increased?  Is there another provider of the program that is more suitable to offer it? If yes, the Department could provide referrals for its customers for the program it does not or is not willing or able to offer.  Is this program taking up facility space that could be used for expansion of more popular programs or new programs in demand by the community? The City should continue its leadership in this area by developing facilities and programming that are on the cutting edge in parks, recreation, and cultural arts. Continuing to diversify recreational opportunities will enable the department to attract revenues through fees and charges that will support the desires of residents. Action Steps:  Focus on the enhancement of fitness and wellness components at recreation centers. Regularly update fitness equipment to stay current with fitness trends and public demand and seek opportunities to expand the size of the fitness facilities through renovation and new facility development.  Prepare for the fitness and wellness desires of the aging baby boomers. This group is also known as the group entering into the traditional “senior” age group of 55 and over, who do not identify with the term “senior.” This cohort is seeking a continued active lifestyle and is not likely to partake in traditional “senior” offerings.  Provide concurrent youth and adult programming as a way to increase participation. There are many successful youth programs offered by the Department for which adults are bringing and picking up children. The Department should offer more adult programming, such as fitness and wellness, concurrently with youth programming as a way to entice parents and guardians to stay and participate in programs. As a tax supported operation, it is important that efforts are made to reach underserved segments of the population. Action Steps:  Review the existing financial assistance program to maximize use. Seek assistance from other providers of low-income services to help promote the opportunity. Assure that use of the program is available in the most dignified manner possible.  Research transportation accessibility issues and work with other community groups and private entities (such as public transit or the school bus system) to develop options to Strategy: Reach out to those with financial need. Strategy: Identify and develop programs related to new trends in parks, recreation, and cultural arts 95 address needs. Transportation for low-income families was identified in the focus group sessions as a significant barrier to participation. The facilities and programming offered should be thought of as a system. Some of the components in the system, due to their expense, should be available to serve the whole community (such as indoor swimming pools), and some should be available to serve local neighborhoods (such as after school programming). Action Steps:  Investigate ways that facilities and programs can be accessible to more people through connectivity of the trail system for pedestrian and bike use, better public transit, parking availability and general awareness of opportunities.  As growth continues in the west part of town, pursue an indoor multi-purpose recreation facility to serve that geographic sector. The Department has an excellent reputation for responsiveness to the community. The opportunity exists to become more pro-active in this regard. Action Steps:  Implement a Standard Practice for Customer Program Feedback, Program Evaluation and Program Development. Customer feedback will help improve programming by being able to respond to customer needs in a timely matter. Information sought from participants should include:  Satisfaction levels and supporting reasoning  Suggestions for improvements to programs  Suggestions for new programs  Solicit youth input through future surveys and other opportunities. Soliciting youth feedback is a challenging proposition for parks and recreation entities. Working with other service providers may also provide important information and opportunities to attract this age group.  Create a “Mystery Shopper” program where secret shoppers evaluate services anonymously and results are tracked. Strategy: Regularly solicit community input in program and facility planning efforts. Strategy: Assure programming opportunities are reasonably available to all geographic sectors of the City. 96 Action Steps:  Seek volunteer effort to support expansion of programming into opportunities to connect people to nature. Many individuals and groups are interested in sharing their expertise and/or sweat equity with a goal of promoting stewardship of our natural resources.  Harness the energy of seniors and the retiring baby boomer generation as instructors and program leaders. Across the country, interest is being expressed in sharing expertise and hobbies.  Consider the addition of a volunteer coordinator in the department, or a shared volunteer coordinator in the City. A successful volunteer program must be well organized and advertised, with specific, rewarding, and recognized opportunities that allow individuals and groups to feel they are contributing to a larger goal.  Create a “Park Ambassador” program where residents living adjacent to parks are trained to inspect parks and then file a weekly report in exchange for a nominal fee or pass. In the citizen survey, ‘not being aware of the department program offerings’ was one of the top reasons given for not participating. Action Steps:  Enhance the branding and identity of the Department. Providing a consistent look to department advertising in the brochure, on the web site, on flyers, maps, etc., will help the community become aware of what is available to them and of the breadth of the offerings.  Celebrate the accomplishments of the department in promotional materials. Focus groups and public meetings brought to light that many existing participants in department activities, programs and use of facilities are unaware of the variety and expanse of what is available. Most participants have a relatively narrow view of what is available and outcomes achieved based on their limited use of department offerings and facilities. It is a suggestion of the community that the department “toot its own horn,” in order to gain support for future endeavors.  Coordinate Department of marketing and communication opportunities with citywide efforts.  Create an annual marketing plan for the Parks and Recreation Department.  Update and expand website marketing efforts. The web site can serve as a one stop shop for everything in which the department is involved, including program offerings, facility information, trail and facility maps, opportunities through volunteerism and the Foundation, financial assistance, etc.  Develop an evaluation process for marketing media such as newspaper, seasonal brochures, website, direct mail, targeted e-mails, radio, and television advertising to continuously determine effectiveness of marketing dollars. Strategy: Effectively communicate Department offerings to public. Strategy: Expand Department volunteer opportunities. 97 Diversity in the department’s funding and revenue portfolio is as important in the public sector as in the private sector. The City has the ability to use these mechanisms to enhance the quality of life in Iowa City and expand recreation, park, open space, trails, programs, and services to the community. Action Steps:  Work with the City, residents and partners to establish additional revenue through a combination of the following sources to implement the recommendations of the Master Plan:  Potential redirection of existing City funds  Alternative Funding options (see Section V)  Strategic partnerships  Fees and charges  Further investigation of support for an education campaign for a ballot initiative to pass a bond referendum for future capital improvements. Many departments within Iowa City have experienced challenging times in the recent past, with limited funding and staffing levels, and the Department should explore the best means of achieving its funding goals. Alternative funding methods may be instrumental to the operations of the City’s recreation programs and facilities on an ongoing basis. Allocating resources (assigning staff time, matching funds, etc.) to pursue alternative funding should be considered an investment in the future, with an outlined and expected positive rate of return. Action Steps:  Identify opportunities to increase community support and revenue opportunities such as grants, partnerships, sponsorships, volunteers and earned income (see Section V for Alternative Funding Resources).  Assign staff resources and/or investigate the possibility of utilizing volunteer efforts to apply for such funding.  Develop a “Wish List” to identify philanthropic opportunities that align with these needs. Once identified, aggressively apply for grant funding and Foundation assistance.  Expand and formalize a volunteer program to include standards, recruiting, training, retaining, and rewarding volunteers in all program areas.  Create new and formalize existing Sponsorships (see Sample Sponsorship Policy in Appendix III) with equity agreements that are reviewed annually.  Create an annual “Sponsorship Manual” listing all the opportunities for the year and distribute within the community in a menu format that creates a sense of urgency within the business community. Strategy: Pursue alternative funding to implement the Master Plan Strategy: Research potential traditional funding opportunities. 98  Work with Parks and Recreation Foundation to facilitate the receipt of grant funds and other fundraising activities.  Seek collaborations with developers for future development projects to include recommended parks and recreation facilities and standards It is suggested that the City employ a cost recovery policy that provides the foundation for setting fees and charges based on the organizational vision, mission, and values of the City, and who in the community benefits. This will help determine the cost recovery and subsidy level of each program and facility and serve as a tool to monitor these goals over time. Action Steps:  Clarify the Department’s Pricing Policy and Strategy. If a pricing policy exists, even loosely, it should be fine-tuned to provide expanded detail in guiding management decisions. If a written policy is not in existence, one should be created.  Refine Cost Tracking. Review direct and indirect costs assigned to specific programs and facilities in order to assure consistency in balancing costs with revenues. Assure that the accounting system is capable of providing information monthly, quarterly, and annually to inform management decisions.  Identify citywide participant categories. Participant category examples for use of facilities and programs include resident and non-resident, age, partners identified through various inter-governmental agreements, non-profit organizations, and private organizations, as well as many others.  Determine fee schedule and subsidy levels. Based on the Pyramid Methodology for resource allocation and cost recovery (see Appendix IV), for each program/activity and facility, determine the subsidy/cost recovery target level incorporating participant categories.  Partial Cost Fee: recovers something less than full cost. This partial cost fee could be set at a percentage of direct costs, all direct costs, all direct costs plus a percentage of indirect costs, or some combination.  Full Cost Fee: recovers the total cost of a service including all direct and all indirect costs.  Market Rate Fee: based on demand for a service or facility. Determine the market rate by identifying all providers of similar services (e.g., private sector providers, other municipalities, etc.) and setting the fee at the highest level the market will sustain.  Consider policy revisions to increase revenue generation potential.  Use discounted fees as a special promotion such as reduced fee hours during off peak times.  Reconsider the current alcohol policy to allow for limited and appropriate alcohol use to make rental opportunities more attractive. Strategy: Review the Department’s cost recovery philosophy and policy and update as necessary. 99 Action Steps:  Investigate partnerships with local medical and health organizations to increase fitness and health programming particularly for the aging population and youth population within the community.  Create new and formalize existing partnerships (see Sample Partnership Policy in Appendix V) with equity agreements that are reviewed annually.  Strengthen and expand Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with schools for use of fields, gyms, and multipurpose spaces.  Explore the possibilities of revising and promoting adopt-a-park/trail programs to help with park maintenance, beautification, and civic pride.  Investigate, where appropriate, collaborations with entities suggested by the community during the public input process of this master planning effort  Large businesses and local businesses  Chamber of Commerce, Visitors and Convention Bureau, ICCCBB Sports Authority for the promotion of sporting events  Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD)  University of Iowa and Kirkwood College, public schools  Neighborhood Groups  Support Groups (dog park group, Friends of the Iowa River Scenic Trail (FIRST), sports groups, Project GREEN, Friends of Hickory Hill, Backyard Abundance, I- WATER, Johnson County Heritage Trust, Master Gardeners, Future Perfect  City Council, City Commissions, Public Art Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, other City Departments  I-DOT, Johnson County, neighboring cities  Local associations of service providers: sports, martial arts, private/non-profits, UAY The existing Senior Center serves the traditional “senior population” in a limited facility, by today’s standards. As the baby boomer cohort moves into the 55 and over age group, its members will be looking for non-traditional and highly active physical and social opportunities. Action Steps:  Provide cross marketing between the existing senior and recreation programs in order to assure a comprehensive approach to serving the older adult population.  As new facility development opportunities present themselves seek ways to encourage participation by the older adult population through a comfortable setting with shared access to activity centers such as swimming pools, therapy pools and light weight fitness equipment. Strategy: Pursue a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship with the Senior Center. Strategy: Build partnerships within the community to take advantage of existing facilities, share new facilities, and provide additional programming and services to the community. 100 At this time, the University has intentions of community access with options of daily admission fees and annual fee for use of the pool, gym, and fitness facilities. The facility will provide the only indoor leisure pool in this part of the state. Fees are anticipated to be high in relation to fees at the existing recreation center, albeit for a higher service level offering. Community use times will be a second priority to all University uses and student needs. Action Steps:  Continue discussions with the University to maximize community use times.  Seek to maximize the use of both pools to the extent possible in a complementary fashion.  Upon opening of the facility, monitor and evaluate community use opportunity. Action Steps:  Strive to replace or renovate all components scoring below community expectations. See list below for specific components that scored below community expectations. Playgrounds should be prioritized for renovation/replacement. Park Component Neighborhood Score Comments City Park Playground 1 Upper playground City Park Playground 1 Upper playground City Park Playground 1 Upper playground Court Hill Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Court Hill Park Natural Area 1 Small and littered Court Hill Park Educational Experience 1 Sign in disrepair Creekside Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Creekside Park Playground 1 Older Creekside Park Water Access, General 1 Creek is hidden Happy Hollow Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Highland Park Playground 1 Older Mercer Park Playground 1 Swings and climber older Mercer Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair North Market Square Park Basketball 1 Needs surface repair Strategy: Improve existing parks to meet community standards Strategy: Explore a community access relationship with the University of Iowa at its new Student Wellness Facility currently under construction. 101 Peninsula Park Water Access, General 1 Visual access only to water Scott Park Open Water 1 Creek is hidden Sturgis Ferry Park Water Access, Developed 1 Access to water is steep unless via boat trailer Terrell Mill Park Shelter 1 Needs repair Terrell Mill Park Volleyball 1 Needs surface repair Tower Court Park Playground, Local 1 Older  Add comfort and convenience features to parks where missing, such as benches, drinking fountains, and restrooms. It is recommended that at least 7 out of the 14 listed comfort and convenience features listed in the park inventory data report be provided in each park. (Refer to park inventory data for a list of missing comfort and convenience features by park.)  Consider adding restrooms to more neighborhood parks to increase the length of stay for families at parks. Parks in locations that are not in proximity to other parks with restrooms include: East Iowa City o Pheasant Hill Park o Court Hill Park West Iowa City o Benton Hill Park o Brookland Park or o Harlocke Hill Park  Continue to make the development of Sand Lake Recreation Area a priority.  Either upgrade all basketball courts to a playable level or remove some courts and concentrate efforts on a few that will get the most use overall. System wide, basketball courts are in conditions that are below community standards. The community survey reports that the small need for courts in the community are being largely unmet.  Continue to upgrade playgrounds as funding is available. The list of components in the first strategy of Goal 9 lists the playgrounds that are priorities for replacement.  Continue to work with the City to find construction techniques that increase maintenance efficiencies along the Downtown Pedestrian Mall.  Pursue plans to build out ballfields in Kicker’s Park. This is currently the best location for new ballfields in the City. Although the need for new fields is not eminent the City can expect to see increased demand in the next 5-7 years as the community grows.  Add more shelters to I.C. Kickers Park to increase the comfort of park users  Add loop walks to parks as funding is available and opportunities exist.  Continue to upgrade and improve small neighborhood parks. These facilities ranked highly for need among the community  Improve Creekside Park to address low levels of walkable service in that part of town. Improvements can include: o Upgrade the basketball court or replace with a component selected by residents o Upgrade or replace the playground o Improve security lighting 102 Action Steps:  Work with the School District to provide adequate recreational amenities at schools that are the singular providers of recreation in a neighborhood. Priorities include: o Henry Longfellow Elementary School o Helen Lemme Elementary School o Irving Weber Elementary School o Shimek Elementary school  Work with other city departments to increase walkability throughout the community by adding sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and bridging barriers.  Improve parks that lie in low service area (as shown in Perspective B, Appendix VI) to increase walkable recreational opportunities. Strategies outlined in Strategy 1.1 should be employed in park improvement. Access to nature and natural areas ranked highly as a need in the community survey. The City has a great base of resources from which to respond to this need. As parks and properties are being developed a priority should be placed on natural areas enhancement and creation Action Steps:  Continue to maintain and enhance natural areas throughout the system.  Enhance natural drainages, waterways, and native areas in developed parks.  Work with friends groups to improve and maintain soft surface trails within parks.  Increase interpretive signage at natural areas throughout the system.  Work to maintain a diversity of natural areas within the system including prairie, woodland, riparian areas, and wetlands.  Ensure that maintenance staff is trained in natural areas management techniques.  Partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create canoe access to the Iowa River.  Conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a nature center. Diversifying recreational opportunities in Iowa City’s existing parks by adding exciting new recreational facilities will ensure the creation of a system that will attract both new and old residents. Such facilities will continue to help make Iowa City unique in the region and will foster a positive image of the City for residents and non-residents alike. Action Steps:  Look for opportunities to add a “destination playground” to an existing park. Destination Playgrounds usually include special features such as a climbing wall, spray feature or adventure play. Often they involve special theming and opportunity to teach children and parent something of the local history, culture, or ecology of an area. Strategy: Identify and develop facilities for new trends in parks and recreation Strategy: Continue to provide a high level of service of natural areas and environmental education Strategy: Fill gaps in walkable service 103  Look for opportunities to add a “boundless playground.” Boundless playgrounds are designed to be fully accessible to children with disabilities and represent a growing trend in parks and recreation. While built to serve the local community, both may potentially attract visitors from the region.  Look for opportunities to build spray grounds in parks. These can be added to existing parks or suggested as features of new park. They provide opportunities for water play without the staffing and maintenance needed for outdoor pools  Consider adding a climbing feature to the next playground renovation. Climbing walls would be an addition to the parks that could be a unique draw to Iowa City Parks. Action Steps:  Work with surrounding developments to bring utilities to Future Parks.  Plan and budget for park development based on development trends. Currently new development is concentrated in the western part of the community. Consider developing one of the future parks as the development continues.  Add park maintenance resources as additional park, trails, and facilities are added to the system as needed.  Review land dedication and impact fees for new development to ensure that the department is getting the needed resources to provide parks and recreation to new residents.  Work with interest groups to add new dog parks to serve the southern and central part of Iowa City. The high density of the central core of Iowa City may justify the need to add an additional dog park to aid with the high number of residents without yards or transportation. The southern part of Iowa City is another likely location for the addition of a new dog park to serve this area of the community. Strategy: Add parks, trails, and facilities to respond to the growth needs of the community 104 Action Steps:  Work with the University of Iowa to gain access to new recreation center facilities.  Conduct a feasibility study for the construction of an indoor recreation/aquatic facility on the west side of Iowa City that includes multi-purpose program space, gymnasiums, walking track, fitness, aquatics, cardio and weight rooms  If feasible, design and construct a new indoor recreation/aquatic center on the west side of Iowa City Action Steps:  Increase neighborhood connections to multi-use trails  Add small shelters along trails to provide shelter during extreme weather conditions and sudden weather changes.  Create rest stations along all multi-use trails and wide sidewalks to encourage recreational use  Track trail maintenance tasks, hours, and expenses to determine actual trail maintenance costs  Modify the trial maintenance budget to reflect actual trail maintenance costs. Trail maintenance efforts should be balanced between available budget and user expectations.  Work to improve trails within parks to make them safe and enjoyable  Increase walking opportunities in parks by adding loop trails as allowable Action Steps:  As a priority in park and facility construction, prioritize trail construction in capital improvement spending.  Continue to build proposed trails as funding allows. Priorities for trail construction include: o Connections between existing trails o Connections between trails that create large loops o Connections to parks and greenspace o Connections to schools and other public facilities o Neighborhood connections to the larger network  Pursue projects to add a bridge to cross the Iowa River bridging Peninsula Park and Crandic Park.  Pursue funding to create a pedestrian underpass across Highway 218 at Hunters Run Park. Strategy: Increase trail connectivity and overall trail network Strategy: Increase the level of service offered by existing trails in parks and throughout community Strategy: Increase the level of service provided for indoor facilities 105 B. Recommendation Cost Estimates The following table includes recommended capital projects and additional items that significantly impact the annual operational and maintenance budgets and are above and beyond what is currently funded in the City's FY09-FY12 CIP Budget and the City's operating budget. All cost estimates are in 2008 figures. Funding sources listed are suggested methods of funding and can be enhanced with additional methods of funding. Overall staffing cost projections are included in the annual operational and maintenance cost estimates. Table 16: Cost Estimates and Funding Sources for 2009-2020 Recommended Priorities Recommendation 2009-2012 Priorities Capital Cost Estimate Capital Funding Sources Annual Operational & Maintenance Cost Estimate (incl. staffing) O/M Funding Sources Upgrade or replace playgrounds at Creekside, Highland, Mercer, and Tower court Parks (4 total) $240,000 CIP N/A N/A Add restrooms to one west side park $150,000 CIP $5,000 General Fund Add two small shelters to multi-use trails $30,000 CIP $2,000 General Fund Construct Planned Trail Projects $3,000,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $10,000/mile per year General Fund Create a renovation master plan for Creekside Park $10,000 General Fund N/A N/A Addition of one maintenance worker N/A N/A $38,000 General Fund Kickers Soccer Park improvements $890,500 CIP N/A N/A Butler Bridge Pedestrian Trail $550,000 CIP, Grants $1,000 General Fund City Park Trail lighting $240,000 CIP $2,500 General Fund Frauenholtz-Miller Park development $280,000 CIP, N.O.S. Fees $5,000 General Fund Hickory Hill Bridge $50,000 CIP N/A N/A Napoleon Softball Field renovation $180,000 CIP N/A N/A North Market Square Park redevelopment $280,000 CIP N/A N/A Outdoor ice rink $400,000 CIP $20,000 General Fund Pedestrian bridge- Peninsula/Rocky Shore $1,300,000 CIP $1,000 General Fund 106 Peninsula Park development $300,000 CIP $2,500 General Fund Recreation center improvements $225,000 CIP N/A N/A Sand Lake Recreation Area $5,900,000 CIP, Grants, Donations $50,000 General Fund Waterworks Prairie Park Hospice Memorial $115,000 CIP, Donations $1,000 General Fund Wetherby Park splashpad $200,000 CIP, CDBG, N.O.S., Grants, Donations $5,000 General Fund Total 2009-2012 CIP (in 2008 dollars) $11,340,500 Recommendation 2013-2016 Priorities Capital Cost Estimate Capital Funding Sources Annual Operational & Maintenance Cost Estimate (incl. staffing) O/M Funding Sources Replace upper playgrounds at City Park with a Destination/ Adventure Playground $750,000 CIP, Partnerships, Sponsorships, Grants $10,000 General Fund Construct Planned Trail Projects $8,000,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $10,000/mile per year General Fund Implement Creekside Park Master Plan $300,000 CIP N/A N/A Add restrooms to one east side park $150,000 CIP $5,000 General Fund Add two small shelters to multi-use trails $30,000 CIP, Grants $2,000 General Fund Addition of two maintenance workers N/A N/A $76,000 General Fund Sand Prairie development $260,000 CIP, Grants $5,000 General Fund Scott Park development $450,000 CIP $2,500 General Fund Total 2013-2016 CIP (in 2008 dollars) $9,940,000 107 Recommendation 2017-2020 Priorities Capital Cost Estimate Capital Funding Sources Annual Operational & Maintenance Cost Estimate (incl. staffing) O/M Funding Sources Construct Planned Trail Projects $10,000,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $10,000/mile per year General Fund Acquire and Construct New Park in West part of City unknown Dedication Fees, Bond, CIP unknown General Fund Construct additional large dog park in south- central part of City $75,000- $150,000 CIP, Partnerships, Grants $8,000 General Fund Feasibility Study for Recreation/Aquatic Center on West side of community $70,000 General Fund N/A N/A Design and Construct a new Recreation / Aquatic Center on West side of City $15,000,000- $20,000,000 Bond $500,000 General Fund Total 2017-2020 CIP (in 2008 dollars) +/- $30,220,000 Total 12 Year CIP (in 2008 dollars) +/- $42,880,000