Parks and Recreation doing more with less

Over the past 15 years, the amount of City park land has increased 64 percent, and the number of playgrounds has increased 33 percent. Over the same period, the number of employees in the department has decreased.

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department’s annual operating budget for the current fiscal year is $11.35 million. That’s about nine percent of the City’s total operating budget. User fees cover about 19 percent of the department budget. If the average household received a bill for the non-fee-supported services of Parks and Rec, it would total about $5.63 a month. Administration and planning cost about 62 cents a month. Here’s how the rest of the $5.63 breaks down:

Maintenance and Operation
Cost per household - $2.43

Half of the department’s annual operating budget is spent maintaining parks, trails and public trees. The department manages:

• more than 6,000 acres or 9.6 square miles of parks and open space;
• 122 park sites;
• 85 playgrounds, nearly twice the national average per capita;
• 124 acres of paved areas including play courts, parking lots, roads and walkways; and
• 224 buildings and other structures.

In 1991-92, the department had one maintenance person for every 58 acres of park land. The ratio is now one person for every 100 acres. Because mowing is the greatest expense, the department started a “Prairie in the Parks” program, using low-maintenance grasses in low-use areas. A 2000 report on park systems in 25 U.S. cities shows that Lincoln has a high number of parks with a low cost per resident. (See chart on this page).

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Recreation Centers and Programs
Cost per household - 93 cents

The department operates seven neighborhood recreation centers, one indoor playground and one teen center. Nearly 16,000 people of all ages participated in a wide variety of classes in 2006. Fees associated with recreation centers and programs cover about half of the total cost of operations.

Each school day, more than 1,300 children participate in educational, recreational and social programs operated by the Parks department. Before- and after-school programs are offered at 14 schools, including five Community Learning Centers. Nearly 29,000 children enrolled in summer day camps in 2006. Clubs are provided at the Auld Recreation Center for youth and adults with special needs, and the department sponsors Lincoln’s Special Olympics Team. Responding to need in the community, the department began offering a specialized program for adults with mental health conditions or physical challenges in 2005.

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Community Forestry
Cost per household - 82 cents

With about 122,000 public trees, Lincoln has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a “Tree City USA” for the past 29 years. Tree City USA communities spend an average of nearly $7 per capita for public tree maintenance. During fiscal year 2005-06, the City spent $4.70 per capita – 32 percent less than the national average.

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Outdoor Pools
Cost per household - 32 cents

Nearly 260,000 people visited Lincoln’s 11 public pools last summer. Admission fees and concessions generate more than 60 percent of the operating costs. While revenue from Star City Shores covers all of its operating costs, revenue from neighborhood pools ranges from one-quarter to two-thirds of operating costs.

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Outdoor Education
Cost per household - 31 cents

More than 12,000 school children tour the Pioneers Park Nature Center each year. The Nature Center is a 648-acre nature preserve offering outdoor recreation programs, exhibits and activities. Two interpretive buildings are open to the public free of charge and feature small animals and hands-on exhibits. A variety of classes, workshops and camps are offered each season, including a pre-school program and day camp. The department also manages Hyde Observatory in Holmes Park.

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Trails
Cost per household – 13 cents

Surveys indicate that the City’s 121 miles of trails are the most heavily used parks facility in the community, with nearly one million uses per year. Trail construction has been funded mainly by private donations and federal grants.

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Team Sports Programs
Cost per household - 7 cents per month

More than 14,000 people participated in the department’s sports programs in 2005-06. The department manages 60 sports fields. Fees cover more than 70 percent of operating costs.

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Golf
No tax funds used

During the past fiscal year, nearly 204,000 rounds of golf were played on Lincoln’s four 18-hole courses and one nine-hole course. User fees cover the entire cost of operating the municipal courses.

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For more information on the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department, visit the City Web site at lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: parks) or click here.

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