Page 40 - parks-master-plan

41

Defining an Organizational Philosophy

Community value-based philosophical guidelines development will determine the division’s priorities as they relate to populations served and resources allocated.

As an initial step, Recreation Services defined its mission in the following statement:

“The Division of Recreation Services maximizes the lifelong benefits of recreation, learning and the arts by delivering innovative programs, inclusive activities, excellent facilities and services to enhance the quality of life throughout the community.”

Recreation Services also has recognized the need to identify its core services and

programming being offered to the community. Supported by auxiliary programs, these core programs and services are defined as those that are instituted and provided having a direct relationship to the division’s purpose, mission and philosophies, and are considered essential to our citizenry.

By identifying and categorizing the various offerings, space allocation, funding

requirements, cost recovery expectations and

use of other resources, decisions can be aligned with the overall community expectations.

Balancing core and auxiliary programs and services will fulfill the community’s

recreational needs. The number of services and programs offered directly correlates with resource availability. The division has adopted the following criteria to identify and classify potential core programs and services:

• Meets the City’s philosophy statement(s)

• Is recreationally or leisurely based, not competitive or exclusive

• Has dedicated facilities to support the program or service

• Has dedicated City staff supervision

• Maintains a large target market or wide demographic appeal

• Has a long history of being provided

The division is evaluating existing offerings to create an inventory of core programs and services. This master list will ensure resources are applied and adjustments made to maximize accommodation. The inventory of all core programs and services should be reviewed on an annual basis or as the City’s philosophies evolve to determine if they are still core.