1. Karen Ford, National Manager, USTA Serves
Parks and Recreation
Karen Ford, National Manager, USTA Serves
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Introduce self
Park experience
Tennis experience
USTA Serves

2. Objectives:
Define mission, purpose and basic operation of park and recreation agency.
Identify 3 issues important to park and recreation agencies/departments.
List 5 questions to ask in order to help local advocates work with their community and/or park and recreation agency.
How many of you have participated in a park and recreation program, tennis or non-tennis?
What did you participate in and what was the experience like? Share.
How many of you have worked with a park and recreation department?
How many of you had a positive experience working with your park and recreation department? Share.
How many have had a challenge? Share.

3. Task #1: Answer the following questions:
What is the role, purpose or mission of a park and recreation department/agency in a community, town or city?
Who do are the decision-makers in the park and recreation department/agency?
Where does a park and recreation agency get its funding?
What role does the community play in the direction of a park and recreation department/agency?
Financing Park and Recreation Services:
Taxation
Property taxes
Special taxes
Millage taxes
Special Assessment Taxes
Fees and Charges
Pricing strategies
Bonds
General obligation bonds
Revenue bonds
Grants
State and Federal
Grants for capital projects
Grants for programming
Gifts and Donations
Corporate Sponsorships
Partnerships
Membership Dues
Concession Operations

4. Task #2: Think of your own community:
What are your current community needs or issues?
Which issues or needs impact the operation of your local park and recreation agency?
Don’t think of tennis needs, think of overall community needs?
Transportation
After-school programming
Gang violence in the parks
Shootings at the schools – Trenton example
Education budgets – pay for play
Senior Citizen programs
Economic development
Recession
Etc.

5. Anytown, USA Local advocate, high school tennis coach
Looking for grant money to renovate park tennis courts. 3 are in disrepair and would like to add more.
City decided not to repair courts.
Park and Recreation director said if you find funding to renovate they would be happy to accept.
A CTA exists, but has not been engaged.
Refurbished courts will assist high school tennis team and middle school tournaments.
Community is in the middle of revising their Comprehensive Community Plan.
Case study.

6. Anytown, USA
What questions do you need to ask? What else do you need to know?
Where can you find additional information to help the local advocate/high school tennis coach?
Visit some town/city websites
Janesville, WI
Sturbridge, MA
Cit of Great Falls, MT
Town of Frisco, CO
Fairfax County Virginia Park Authority
Ebparks.org/planning

7. Tennis in the Parks Initiative
Tennis in the Parks is not a grant program.
A strategic initiative designed to form partnerships with each agency.
Assist any community eager to expand or improve opportunities for the public to play.
Goal: Build long term partneships with each agency or community to foster sustainable programs.
Three Areas of Focus:
Programming
Infrastructure
Advocacy

8. Tennis in the Parks Initiative

9. Questions & Comments

10. The Master Plan: What it is, Why it’s important?
The Master Plan serves as a guide for the future development of a community. It takes a long view of how a community should look and feel years from now. It defines broad, city-wide goals for a community as well as specific objectives and strategies.
The Master Plan is a community’s “vision” for land use and development through a specified period of time.
In most cases, Master Plans must be revisited and updated every 5-10 yrs, with assistance from professional consultants, input from citizens and city staff.

11. Advocacy: Influencing Facility Development in Public Parks and Recreation Departments
Tennis advocacy should occur year round through informal communications and relationship building with the Parks and Recreation staff, Advisory Board members, and elected officials.
There are specific times for additional formal advocacy during the development of capital projects.
The determination of public recreation facilities to be considered for development should be a very open and public process.

12. Four Steps of Capital Project Development1
Comprehensive Master Planning 4
Project Construction & Completion 2
Project Selection & Budgeting 3
Project Design & Development

13. Step 1: Comprehensive Master Planning
Communities develop long range plans (15-20 years) for parks and facilities to guide future development.
Update these plans at 5 or 10 year intervals.
In addition to a statistical basis for the plan, expressed community interests and desires impact the plan.
Tennis advocates must take the initiative to know the timing for the development of the plan and actively engage by attending all public meetings and providing input into the plan.
Request a special focus group meeting to occur during needs assessment.

14. Step 1: Comprehensive Master Planning
COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING &
RECOMMENDATION DEVELOPMENT
Needs Assessment
Take Inventory
Review LOS*
Conduct
Public Survey
Finalize Needs &
Establish Goals
Recommendation Development
Solicit
Public Input
Solicit
Advisory Group Input
Staff Review
Elected Officials Review
Master Plan Development
Renovations
New Parks
Greenways
Special-Use
Facilities
Acquisition
Projects
* LOS = Levels of Service

15. Step 2: Project Selection and Budgeting
Annually, communities adopt a fiscal year budget which includes an annual Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) and a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), typically 5 years.
This process is also a public process which allows tennis advocates an opportunity to influence the inclusion of funding for tennis facility development.
Prior to the adoption of the budget, public hearings are held.
Tennis Advocates should follow the budget schedule closely to advocate for their projects.

16. Step 2: Project Selection and Budgeting
This budget process prioritizes project development.
Prioritized projects that are not funded in the adopted CIB are included in the CIP with the intention of funding in upcoming years.
While the Comprehensive Master Plan established a “map” for development, the projects are reprioritized annually and other projects might also be inserted.

17. Step 2: Project Selection and Budgeting
Master Plan Recommendations
New Parks
Renovations
Special Use Facilities
Greenways
Open Space Acquisitions
Parks & Recreation
Program Staff
Impacts of Other
Community Plans
Proposed FY
Project Request
Submission
Maintenance Staff
Boards/Committees
Elected Officials/Citizen
Requests
Staff Recommended
CIB and CIP
Elected Officials Review
And Adoption of Annual CIB and CIP

18. Step 3: Project Design and Development
The final determination of facilities to be included in a funded park development project have not, most likely, been absolutely determined. As an individual park project is initiated, a site master plan is developed, again, through a public process.
If tennis facilities are already being considered, advocates need to be present to assure that these facilities are not replaced by other community recreation needs and to impact the scope and scale of the proposed tennis facilities.
If tennis facilities have not been considered, advocacy could move them onto the “list” for consideration.

19. STEP 3: PROJECT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
Input Process for Budgeted Projects
Staff
(Program, Maintenance,etc).
General Public Input
Advisory Board Input
(citizen committee)
Staff Assimilation of
Project Design/Development Input
Review Alternatives
Staff Recommends Design
and Development Solution
Committee Review
& Approval
Elected Officials
Review& Approval
Development of Design Specifications

20. Four Steps of Capital Project Development1
Comprehensive Master Planning 4
Project Construction & Completion 2
Project Selection & Budgeting 3
Project Design & Development

21. Summary
Informal advocacy – relationship building - should occur throughout the year.
Take the time to understand the way local government operates.
Seize the opportunity to provide formal input at key public meetings during every stage of the decision making process.