THE PLANNING PROCESS
This document has been developed to guide the department's actions during the five-year period 2003-2008. The need for such a plan was identified as a high priority by department staff in surveys and discussions that began in 2001. A committee of employees developed a detailed outline of the process that should be followed in the preparation of such a plan. This was subsequently reviewed at a department-wide meeting and the committee's recommendation was endorsed by the department director.

Plan development began with the identification of all the relevant sections or work groups of the department. Each section was asked to meet independently and complete a detailed analysis of their working environment. Included in this was a list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, capabilities, values, technologies, goals and benchmarks. After completion of the section plans, there was a meeting of the section chiefs with their respective division head. During this session the various section plans were reviewed for gaps and duplication. Division heads were able to add independent ideas of their own or to suggest modifications to the individual section documents. Next a meeting was held with all supervisors and non-supervisory representatives from each section. During this meeting, each section presented their plan and staff had the opportunity to ask questions and receive clarification.

Following this meeting, the Department Director appointed a committee to work with him in drafting a department plan. Committee members included:

Andrew Noonan
Nancy Bove
Melissa Young
Ben Pacy
Wayne Gross

The committee decided it was necessary to develop a vision statement and a list of values for the department as part of this process. All staff had the opportunity for input in the selection of the final list of values that they felt was most important.

After review of the draft plan by department staff, each section was asked to make recommendations as to the priorities for each of the goals. The Department Director then assigned a priority of one, two, or three priority to each goal with one being the highest priority. A draft plan was then developed and presented to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners and the Mayor. Based upon comments from the Board, the draft was edited and presented to the public at a series of three meetings. After reviewing this feedback, the document was finalized for presentation to the Commission. The Commission subsequently adopted the plan.

BURLINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION - A DEPARTMENT PROFILE

We manage 28 park sites comprised of over 550 acres of land.

We have a $3.1 million annual operating budget, of which, $2.3 million is derived from fees and charges that we collect.

We have 35 full time permanent staff and over 300 part time and seasonal employees.

We produce four large scale community special events each year.

We care for 10,000 trees along city streets and in city parks.

We host over 200 events in our parks that are produced by others.

We manage marina facilities that include 200 boat slips and over 60 moorings.

We operate an ice arena that offers 60 different skating programs, hosts four high school hockey teams and provides skating opportunities to numerous other groups during an eleven month operation each year.

We oversee seven community garden sites consisting of 400 individual plots that are rented to the public.

We operate a full service campground with 96 sites.

We serve 120 children daily with an after school child care program.

We maintain a seven mile long waterfront bike path.

We offer over 200 individual recreation programs throughout the year serving preschool ages, youth, adults and seniors.

We manage three public beaches and a fishing pier on Lake Champlain.

We provide a facility for skateboarding, rollerblading and biking.

BURLINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION MISSION STATEMENT
To acquire, develop and maintain a system of parks which offers a broad spectrum of built facilities and open spaces; provide high quality, affordable recreation programs which meet the needs of all segments of the community; regulate and manage public trees and property along city streets in an effort to create attractive green spaces; and manage the Burlington harbor and provide the necessary facilities to ensure safe and pleasurable water-based recreation opportunities.


VISION FOR BURLINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION
Our parks, harbor and the facilities contained within them are safe, clean and attractive and meet the community's recreation needs. We are outstanding stewards of the public trees as well as all the natural and cultural resources within city parks property. These assets enhance the appearance of the city and contribute to a higher quality of life for our residents. Our recreation programs and special events are safe, fun, accessible and affordable and enrich the leisure time of the participants.

BURLINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
To carry out our mission and to achieve our vision, we value the following:

HONESTY & INTEGRITY: We are committed to preserving and nurturing the trust placed in us by the public and we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of conduct.

SAFETY: As we carry out our daily responsibilities, we are ever mindful of our personal safety and the well being of all program participants, park users, and fellow employees.

ATTITUDE: We approach our work with a positive and cooperative attitude and willingly assist the public and the people with whom we work.

DEDICATION: We are committed to our mission and we possess the will and resourcefulness to carry out our diverse responsibilities.

EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS: We highly value employees who are experienced in performing their duties and who are skilled in a variety of tasks. We will invest sufficient resources in our staff to ensure their proficiency and provide them with opportunities for professional growth.

EXCELLENCE: We strive for excellence in all we do in an effort to achieve a level of performance that exceeds expectations.

DIVERSITY: We recognize the benefits of having a diverse workforce and will provide programs and facilities to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community.


PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT STRENGTHS
1. Our staff is our most valuable asset. We are:

Experienced and knowledgeable
Adaptable
Resourceful – Good at problem solving
Dedicated
Have a vision

2. We have established successful relationships and have developed a very positive reputation in the community. Our stakeholders/supporters include:

The public
Other city departments
Vendors
Concessionaires
Other non-profit organizations
User groups
Volunteers
Local elected officials

3. We have outstanding attractions and facilities such as our waterfront properties, bike path, and ice arena, which create a strong public attachment to our department.

4. We provide high quality and unique recreation programs, events and services such as waterfront events, community gardens and public tree management that are appreciated and enjoyed by the public.

5. We provide excellent customer service.

6. We posses an excellent fleet of vehicles and other specialized equipment that assists us in making our operations more efficient.

7. Given the nature of our facilities and certain programs that we offer, we have the ability to generate a considerable amount of revenue.

PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WEAKNESSES
1. The department is expected to generate revenues to cover nearly 75% of its operating costs. This extensive reliance on revenues influences many of the decisions made throughout the department and creates tension between individual work groups. It also causes fees to be raised to the level where some programs are not affordable to those who most need the service. Conflicts constantly arise between the need to generate revenue and provide services.

2. There is a lack of resources to adequately maintain and replace park facilities. With a replacement value of over $45 million, significant resources should be provided to perform preventative maintenance and replace when necessary older, outdated facilities. There is no source of funds that is annually earmarked for this purpose.

3. There is a need for improved cooperation on the part of some city departments to ensure the success of some Parks and Recreation events.

4. There is an extremely heavy reliance on seasonal staff to carry out many of our activities and to operate our facilities. This sometime results in high turnover and lack of experience in certain positions. Considerable effort is required by supervisors to recruit, train and oversee seasonal staff.

5. There is a shortage of parking space for vehicles and implements as well as a need for more indoor storage.

6. There is a need to improve communication at all levels of the department.

7. There is a conflict in agendas between various programs and facilities and outside user groups.

8. There is a lack of opportunity for career advancement.

9. Workload continues to increase for all staff.

10. There is a high degree of seasonality to much of our work and this creates difficulty in managing and scheduling of staff.

11. There is a lack of IS support to the department from the outside.

12. There is a severe lack of indoor space for programming.

13. There is a lack of programs for preschool children.

14. There is a lack of programs for high school age teens.

15. There is no criminal background check of volunteers and part time staff working in non-licensed children's programs.

16. Funding for program advertising is too limited.

17. There is competition with the private sector for participants/users.

18. Our programs and facilities have not been reevaluated in light of the changing demographics of the city.

19. There is pressure to provide facilities and services to non-Burlington residents.

GOALS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED 2003-2008
The following goals were identified by reviewing the list contained in the individual section and division plans and those proposed separately by the department director. Goals were grouped together under nine broad headings. Some goals statements were eliminated due to their redundancy and others because their focus was too narrow to be included in the department plan. Benchmarks or measurements of progress toward achieving these goals remain to be developed. This will be completed after the goals are accepted as part of the overall department plan.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

1  Develop a plan that recognizes excellence and provides appropriate rewards for both permanent and temporary employees.

1 Work with Human Resources and other city departments to develop career growth opportunities.

1 Continue to provide opportunities for training and education for each employee and ensure that appropriate certifications are obtained and maintained.

1 Obtain the authority for and implement a system to conduct background investigations for all staff and volunteers who work in youth programs.

2 Develop and fund more comprehensive training for temporary staff and volunteers.

2 Investigate changes that can be made to the employee classification system to address equity concerns within the various pay grades in the department.

EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES

1 Develop a five-year fleet replacement plan and secure the necessary funding to implement it. The plan should recognize the need of individual work groups, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and maximize efficiency with shared use and the selection of equipment with multipurpose functions.

FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

1 Evaluate the need for the renovation and expansion of athletic fields.

1 Ensure that playgrounds are safe, fun and accessible to all.

1 Modernize and make accessible, all bathroom facilities.

1 Increase the use of Memorial Auditorium in order to provide for more and better indoor recreation programs. Consider assuming the operating responsibility for the facility in order to ensure this is accomplished with minimal conflict with existing uses.

1 Increase the involvement of section staff in the planning and implementation of park capital projects.

1 Initiate a "Conservation Legacy Program" by developing and implementing stewardship plans for park property that contain significant natural features.

1 Pursue development of a parking area for the Waterfront off-leash dog area.

1 Construct a Community Recreation Center, including a family aquatic facility, which assists in meeting the indoor recreation needs of the city.

2 Obtain funding to acquire/protect important lands with natural and open space value.

2 Renovate ice arena snack bar, administration area and lounge and provide for improved off-ice training facilities.

2 Obtain more indoor and outdoor storage space for park vehicles, equipment and materials.

2 Establish community garden sites throughout the city that are permanent and adequate to meet the gardening need.

2 Establish and maintain a four-year pruning cycle for all public (street and park) trees.

2 Develop expanded marina facilities at Perkins Pier to include all necessary boater amenities.

3 Implement a department wide record storage policy and identify space that is suitable for this purpose.

3 Evaluate the need and suitability of parks other than Waterfront Park to host special events.

3 Replace the studio ice rink with a full size ice surface.

3 Work with other city departments to improve the appearance of the greenbelt through regular mowing and the elimination of undesirable structures.

3 Open an off-leash dog area to serve the southern part of the city.

FUNDING

1 Gradually increase the general tax support for the department's operating budget so that there is a reduced reliance on self-generated revenues. For FY 03, only 25.7% of the budget is funded by tax dollars.

1 Establish an annual source of funding of at least $50,000 to address small repair projects and preventative maintenance tasks. With a park infrastructure valued at $45 million, there is an on-going need to keep the system repaired and operating properly.

1 A Five Year Capital Improvement Plan exists and is updated annually. Funding needs to be provided on a regular basis to address the highest priority needs in the plan. This will ensure that older facilities are renovated or replaced when needed and new facilities are constructed when the demand for them is justified. A copy of the FY 03 Plan is appended to this document.

PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS

1 Evaluate the staffing needs for the Community Gardens Program with the goal of reducing the direct oversight by the Recreation Superintendent.

2 Offer more adult recreation programs. Consider activities other than athletics.

2 Develop alternative means to advertise programs beyond seasonal brochures and local periodicals.

2 Improve program offerings for under served populations such as pre-school and high school age youth.

2 Improve program registration process so that all participants understand and accept risks involved in the program and that the city's liability is minimized.

3 Obtain national accreditation for childcare programs.

RELATIONSHIPS

1 Better educate the public concerning the value of parks and recreation, what we offer and how they can assist us in improving our services.

2 Attract new sponsors and develop stronger connections with existing ones in order to enhance special events, recreation programs and park facilities.

3 Develop stronger relationships with other city departments and private developers in order to ensure that land development decisions do not have negative consequences for park property or public trees.

STAFFING

1 Analyze the workload of each section and determine how well we are staffed to carry out current responsibilities. Obtain the additional staff that is justified by the workload analysis.

1 Identify the additional staff required to perform any new responsibilities that are proposed for the department and educate decision-makers as to the need for them.

TECHNOLOGY

1 All staff should identify and obtain the hardware and software that are required to perform their duties in the most efficient manner possible. This includes software for reservations and park maintenance tracking.

1 Administrative staff should obtain the necessary training so that they can fill the role of first responder or an agreement should be made with another department to play this role.

1 A process needs to be developed to ensure that the department's website will be regularly maind so that the information is current and easily available.

2 The department should develop the ability to accept on-line program registrations and facility reservations.