Parks Administration

Contents

• Management Related Topics
• Safety Topics
• Purchasing
• Concessions
• Park Rules, Regulations, and Policies
• Park Code Enforcement - Exclusion of Violators
• Recreation Program Guides Online - Illustrations
• Registration Forms - Liability Waivers
• Related MRSC Web Pages
  • Creating Volunteer Opportunities
  • Intergovernmental Cooperation in Parks and Recreation
  • Parks and Recreation Finance

Management Related Topics

• City Parks Forum Briefing Papers - American Planning Association
• The Excellent City Park System: What Makes it Great, and How to Get There, by Peter Harnik, Trust for Public Land, 2003
• Benefits of Parks and Recreation 
  • In My Opinion...Parks’ Value More than Just Aesthetic, by Michael Kirschman, County News, October 5, 2009
  • Measuring the Economic Value of a City Park System - Trust for Public Lands
• Levels of Service
  • City Park Facts  - Trust for Public Land - Annual survey, the Center for City Park Excellence maintains the nation's most complete database of park facts for the largest 60 U.S. cities. With the help of CCPE data, you can see how your city compares to others. (Cities are divided into different population density classes in some of the below reports. A report is available here that shows the densities and explains the classifications.)
  • Level of Service Project Workshop   - Power Point Presentation - Outdoor Recreation (IAC) now called Recreation and Conservation Office, February 9, 2007 
  • Parks/Recreation Open Space/Facility Standards ( 7.56 MB)  in Level of Service Standards - Measures for Maintaining the Quality of Community Life. Report No. 31, Municipal Research & Services Center, September 1994
• Naming Policies for Park and Recreation Facilities - MRSC
• Peformance Measurement
  • Parks and Recreation - The Florida Benchmarking Consortium (FBC) - an intra-state collaboration of Florida local governments seeking to improve the delivery of local government services through the use of performance measurement (PM) data and proven benchmarking tools and techniques.
  • Parks and Recreation Community of Practice -  Public Performance Network and Reportint Network, Rutgers University
  • Performance Measurement: It's A Benefit! by Jo An Zimmermann, Nelson Cooper, Lawrence R. Allen, Parks & Recreation, June, 2001
  • Local government Examples
    • King County - Department of Natural Resources and Parks  - KingStat 2009 Performance Report
    • King County  - Department of Natural Resources and Parks  Performance Measures
    • Kirkland  - Performance Measure Packet 2008 - Parks and Community Services ( 158 KB)
    • Snohomish County  - Parks and Recreation in 2009 Snohomish County SnoStat Performance Measures by Citizen Priority Type ( 64 KB)

• National Playground Safety Institute - A program of the National Recreation and Park Association
• National Program for Playground Safety
• Park Safety and Physical Activity - Trust for Public Land
• Playground Safety Publications - National Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Pool and Safety Spa Act
  • Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, 15 USC 8001 - Consumer Product  Safety Commission - PoolSafety.gov
  • Clogged by the Law, by Stacey Pine, Parks and Recreation, February 2009 - Discusses difficulties complying with new law.  MRSC Library Loan

Purchasing

• EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines -  A key component of the government's "buy-recycled" program - see Park and Recreation Products
• Purchasing and Bidding for Washington State Local Governments - MRSC
• Small Works Roster Manual for Local Governments - MRSC

Concessions

• Edmonds Ordinance No. 3604 ( 20 KB) - Adopts Ch. 4.04 - Concessions Agreements, 9-06
• Ephrata - Request for proposals for beverage/concessions contract for vending machines at various parks and recreation sites ( 344 KB)
• Kennewick RFQ Recreational Equipment Rental/Concession In Columbia Park, 2007 ( 160 KB)
• Kirkland Parks & Community Services Request For Proposals (RFP) Job # 13-06-PK ( 65 KB) Food and Beverage Concessions in Parks, 2006  
• Seattle Parks - Request for Proposals for Park Concession Permits
• Vancouver Municipal Code Chapter 15.08  - Conducting Business in City Parks and Plazas  -- includes concession agreements
  • Solicitation for Food Vendors for Summer Concerts ( 221 KB) - Press release, letter to vendors, application form
    

Park Rules, Regulations, and Policies 

• Community Athletics Programs Nondiscrimination Policies - MRSC
• Comprehensive Parks Rules and Regulations -  MRSC
• Park Facilities and Community Centers - Use Policies - MRSC

Park Code Enforcement - Exclusion of Violators

• Seattle
  • Seattle Municipal Code Section 18.12.278   - Park Exclusion
  • Seattle Municipal Code  Section 18.12.279 - Trespass in Parks -- Definition -- Punishment
  • Seattle Off Leash Area Rules
• Everett Municipal Code Section 9.06.235 - Park Exclusion
• Monroe
  • Monroe Municipal Code Section 9.28.255 - Park Exclusion
  • Monroe Municipal Code Section 9.28.225 - Trespass in Parks—Punishment
• Tenino Ordinance No. 712 ( 27 KB), passed 6-05
• Vancouver Municipal Code Chapter 7.06 - Public Facility - Criminal Activity Exclusion Orders

Recreation Program Guides Online  - Illustrations

• MyParksAndRecreation.com - Collaborative effort of Bellevue, Bothell, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Sammamish and Woodinville
• Redmond Recreation Guide Brochure
• Tukwila Recreation Brochure
• Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation Catalog

Registration/Application Forms - Liability Waivers

• Park at Bothell Landing Reservation Request ( 184 KB)
• Seattle Parks and Recreation Registration Form ( 213 KB)
• Tumwater Historical Park Shelter Reservation 
• University Place Adopt-A-Street (Park) Policy & Procedures (112 KB) includes Exhibit A: Adopt-a-Street (Park) Volunteer Release and Hold Harmless, and Exhibit B: Adopt-a-Street (Park) Agreement
• Vashon Park District Facilities - See Use Application Forms

Related Resources

MRSC Index - Administration