PARKS, RECREATION, AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

ADMINISTRATION DIVISION

 

Additional information about the Administration Division may be obtained by calling Bruce Crocker, Operations Analyst at (919) 462-2073, through e-mail at bruce.crocker@townofcary.org or visiting the Town’s website at www.townofcary.org.

 

 

TOWN OF CARY GOALS AND INITIATIVES

Town Focus Areas

Focus Area I:

Community Planning

Focus Area II:  Infrastructure

Focus Area III:  Financial Condition

Focus Area IV:  Municipal Services

Town Goals

Achieve a well-planned community using innovative and proactive planning approaches and techniques.

Ensure that roads, water and wastewater facilities, parks, and other infrastructure exists for the existing citizens and for the future needs identified in the comprehensive plan.

Achieve a stable and strong financial position by accurately estimating, prudently allocating, and managing financial resources.

Achieve a high level of service to the citizens in a prompt, reliable, responsive, and cost-effective manner.

Town Initiatives

(pages 2 and 3 of this document contain full descriptions of each Town Initiative)

Growth Management

  Long Range Water Resources

Housing Program

Comprehensive Planning

Land Use Plan

Environmental Concerns

Infrastructure and Level of Service Standards

Fiscal Plan

Water, Wastewater, Transportation Infrastructure

Broad Band Technology Services

Long Term Financial Plan

Performance Measurement

Short Term Financial Planning

Review Operations

Cost Consciousness and Sustained Service Provision

Public Involvement

Departmental Goals and Initiatives

 

 

 

1

 

 

1,2

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

1,2,3

 

 

DEPARTMENTAL GOALS AND INITIATIVES

Planning & Design:  Parks, Greenways and Open Space

1. Responsible for the acquisition of land and the design and development of a system of parks, greenways, recreation facilities, and open space areas.

2. Current system includes twenty one public park areas (includes mini, neighborhood, community, metro, school/athletic, and natural areas), Fourteen special use facilities including: three Community Centers with gyms, one Senior Center, one Tennis Center, one National Baseball Training Center, one Nature Center, two Arts/Historical Centers, two outdoor Amphitheaters, a Skate Park, a Soccer Park, Cary Dog Park and approximately forty-one miles of greenways and trails.

Program Support

3. Responsible for public information and marketing, customer service and staff training, grant writing, and program evaluation and analysis.

 

FY 2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

Program Support

  • Successfully received re-accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies with the National Recreation and Park Association.
  • Developed and implemented procedures for   the Volunteer Background Investigations Policy adopted by Town Council. 
  • CLASS/Program Registration Work Team developed a General CLASS/Point-of-Sale (POS) user’s manual to be used for new employee training and current employee refresher training.
  • CLASS/Program Registration Work Team assessed and implemented the Athletic League Scheduling module allowing on-line registration via the web.
  • Marketing/Web Work Team completed an in-depth review of the department Marketing Plan in support of the accreditation standards to include a review of the Program Brochure and methods to increase resident and participant awareness.
  • Staff Development Work Team offered a variety of team building opportunities for the member of the Department and focused on training opportunities and maintenance of training information annually for staff.
  • Security/Risk Management Work Team members reviewed and developed the policy guidelines and procedures for the completed Volunteer Background Investigations Policy.
  • Accreditation Work Team drafted and submitted the 2008 Department self-assessment report documenting accreditation standards evidence in electronic and hard-copy format.
  • Accreditation Work Team reviewed updated and added required data to the evidence files for the Accreditation Commission review and approval.
  • Health/Fitness Work Team obtained the Fit Community Designation and was awarded a $120,000 grant for community program planning and physical projects.
  • Health/Fitness Work Team developed program with Membership and Pass management opportunities enabling patrons to a variety of programs to determine participant preferences.
  • C-Net Work Team continued design and began work on databases that will be the source of many elements of the “RecRoom” intranet.
  • Facility Reservations & Evaluation Team reviewed and made recommendations to streamline Administrative booking functions for consistency and streamlining the process throughout the Department.
  • Temporary Staff Management Team centralized and developed online all the necessary forms and requirements in a Department central location for hiring temporary staff.   
  • Program Development Work Team initiated and completed a comprehensive study in the development of the Departments’ Long Range Program Plan.
  • Conducted 8 public meetings to provide public input regarding current park, special use and greenway projects.

 

Park & Facility Development

·         Completed planning and obtained approval for Comprehensive Sign Plan for all Town parks, greenways and special use facilities.

·         Initiated construction of the Middle Creek Phase II project, including a new multi-purpose field, children’s play area, picnic shelter, parking lot and 18 disc golf course.

·         Completed permitting and initiated construction for the Walnut Street Park.

·         Completed design development phase for Bartley Park Phase I project

·         Completed renovation projects at Cary Tennis Park, including replacement of court lights and retaining wall.

·         Completed renovation projects at Godbold Park including redesign and replacement of walkways and additional plantings at Godbold Dog Park.

·         Completed overseeing installation of shade structure at Kids Together Park.

·         Completed renovation projects at North Cary Park, including replacement of rubber surface at Boulder and Play Area, drainage improvements and construction of new pads for picnic tables.

·         Completed construction of new walkways at Ritter Park.

·         Initiated construction of drainage improvements within Play Area at Annie Jones Park.. 

·         Initiated construction of Field 2 Bleacher Seating project SAS Soccer Park

·         Completed programming phase for the Aquatic Center project.

·         Completed programming, phase for the Cary Elementary Renovation project.

 

 

Greenways

·         Completed construction of new extension of the Hinshaw Greenway trail segment (.66 miles) linking Kid’s Together Park and McDonald Wood’s Park over DOT pedestrian bridge.

·         Completed construction, in partnership with the Engineering Department, of the sewer and 2.0 mile segment of the White Oak Creek Greenway segment between NC 55 and Green Level Church Road.

·         Completed construction of 1.0 mile segment of White Oak Creek Greenway through Bond Park and McArthur PDD.

·         Completed construction of developer-built connecting trail (.2 miles) linking Symphony Lake Greenway to Regency Parkway extension.

·         Completed construction of developer-built greenway (.38 miles) through the Grey Hawk subdivision, linking to future Dutchman’s Branch Greenway.

·         Completed construction of developer-built greenway (.60 miles) through the Churchill Estates subdivision.

·         Completed construction of developer-built greenway (.40 miles) through the Triangle Aquatic Center.

·         Completed construction of short segment of greenway through Highcroft PDD.

·         Completed planning and design of the 2.0 mile segment of the Green Level Greenway segment between Green Level West and Green Level Church Roads. (USDA Grant project)

·         Completed construction of connecting trail from Vickie Drive to Pirate’s Cove Greenway.

·         Initiated construction of 4.67 mile segment of the American Tobacco Trail through Chatham County in partnership with DOT.

·         Assisted Engineering Department with realignment of Gateway segment of Annie Jones Greenway due to stormwater improvement project.

·         Initiated construction of relocated segment of McCloud Court segment of Annie Jones Greenway through Annie Jones Park.

·         Continued to coordinate the planning and design of the remaining segments of the 4-mile alignment of the Black Creek Greenway (Phases IV, V).

 

 

Grants & Acquisition

·         Initiated first conversion/waiver request for 2004 PARTF grant to transfer grant from Town Center Park to Ferrell Property.

·         Completed Wake County open space grant requirements for the acquisition of the Morris Branch parkland. Compiled and submitted final documentation and reimbursement request. 

·         Wake County (Batchelor Branch) – drafted letter to extend and close out grant.

·         Completed USDA grant requirements for the Green Level Stream Restoration, Open Space and Greenway project.

·         Submitted 2008 Recreational Trails grant for the Black Creek Greenway.

·         Coordinated the acquisition of the 45 acre Ferrell parcel with Real Estate.

·         Coordinated donation of 8 acre conservation easement in Harmony subdivision.

·         Coordinated, with Real Estate, the donation of conservation easements within the Manors at Green Level and Camden through development review and plat process.

·         Coordinated, in partnership with Wake County, Raleigh and Triangle Land Conservancy, the donation of 38 acres of open space along Swift Creek.

·         Coordinated, with Real Estate, the dedication of 1.0 acres of parkland and 6.5 acre donation of open space from the Waterford Estates development project.

·         Initiated negotiations with landowners regarding the acquisition of the Nancy Jones property.

 

 

Development Review & Planning

·         Reviewed over 98 site/subdivision plans and 171 total resubmitted site plans during the past six months for payment-in-lieu and greenway issues.

·         Reviewed over 141 plats for open space, park and greenway real estate issues.

·         Reviewed and prepared datasheets for over 50 rezonings, comprehensive plan amendments, special uses and mixed use sketch plans.

·         Contracted for over 20 PIL appraisals as necessary and prepared/sent out PIL invoices.

·         Initiated update of the Land Dedication Ordinance to allow the Town to charge recreation fees for multi-family development projects.

 

KEY PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

·         Provide 7.5 acres of developed parks per 1,000 residents annually.  (This level of service is based on a combination of the current population projections, geographic facility distribution needs, programmed activity needs, citizen survey results, in accordance with the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan.)

·         Increase the total mileage of greenways by 2 miles/year.

·         Achieve an Above Average or Excellent rating on 95% of customer service evaluations.

 

 

 

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES


Performance Measure

Actual
FY 2007

Estimated
FY 2008

Projected
FY 2009

Developed park acres/1,000 residents

6.88

7.23

7.31

Greenway miles/year

8.64

4.67

7.0

% participants rating Customer Service Level as Above Average or Excellent

97%

97%

97%

 

KEY WORKLOAD INDICATORS


Workload Indicator

Actual
FY 2007

Estimated
FY 2008

Projected
FY 2009

# of developed park acres*

877.57

922.67

933.67

# of greenway miles

30

34

41

 

 

 

 

*Includes mini, neighborhood, community, metro parks and athletic venue facilities.  Does not include facilities such as Hemlock Bluffs or Symphony Lake.

ACTIVITY HISTORY

Fund Number:  10-6210

 

Activity

 

Actual

FY 2005

Actual

FY 2006

Actual

FY 2007

Estimated

FY 2008

Budget

FY 2009

Personnel Services

 

$756,014

$774,295

$798,112

$997,548

$1,134,250

Operations and Maintenance

 

$137,754

$149,113

$189,480

$518,229

$391,768

Capital Outlay

 

0

0

0

$38,250

0

Total

$893,768

$923,408

$987,592

$1,554,027

$1,526,018

Authorized FTEs

11

11

12

13

14

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fund Number: 051-6210

$893,768

$923,408

$987,592

$1,554,027

$1,526,018

Miscellaneous

0

0

0

$1,020

0

Memorial Benches

0

0

$2,960

$7,709

$7,500

Parks Scholarship

$3,229

$320

$1,919

$10,000

$10,000

Grand Total

$896,997

$923,728

$992,471

$1,572,756

$1,543,518

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNIFICANT BUDGET AND SERVICE LEVEL CHANGES BEYOND CURRENT LEVELS

·         Addition of a Park Planner position to manage capital projects including parks, greenways and facility development.