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I <br />TO:Mayor Peterson and Council Members <br />Cliiiir McDennoU ;uid P:uks, 0|K:ii Space :uul 'I'niils Cointnissioii Mciu Ikts <br />FROM: <br />DA'IE: <br />Ron Mourse, City Adiniiiistralor <br />N ovcih Ikt 12, 2(M);i <br />SUBJECTF: Joint Workscssion —Council and P:uks, 0|)cn Space, and Trails Commission <br />Tlic Parks, Open Space and 'I'raiis Commission has requested that a copy ol its “Strategic Plan" <br />be included in the agenda packet (see attached) as die basis for providing the Council isidi an <br />ouUinc of the dirccUon in which die Park Commission is moving, and die issues .and priorities it <br />has idenlined. Aldiougli die Strategic Plan includes some long tenn go:ds and |>l;uis, it also <br />includes a number of specific projects. It is important that the Council and Park Commission <br />avoid getting bogge<l down in the deUiil of die Strategic Plan, such as the spccilic projects diat arc <br />planned, die level of funding for parks, etc., so much th.it diey miss diis opportunity to address <br />some of die deeper issues diat are important to die Council :uid die Park Conmiissioii working <br />togedier elTectively to meet the community ’s parks, o(>en sp.ice, and trails needs. <br />'Hiesc <lee|ier issues include whether the vision and goals of die Park Commission and die <br />Council regarding die parks system arc in synch; whcdier dierc is an accurate :md shared <br />uiulerstaiidiiig of die needs of the conmiunity, in terms of parks, open .space, .md trails; and <br />whedicr tlicrc is a shared understanding of die role of die Park Commission in relation to die <br />Council and our citi/.ens. <br />Although die first strategy listed for meeting the Conmiissioirs mission is to i<ientify recreation <br />and open space needs of die city and its residents, .ind die lirst item in the list of actions in <br />support of die mission is to evaluate current park, o|>eii space and trail options to determine if <br />conmiunity needs are licing met, the strategic plan docs not include an action plan for identifying <br />and prioritizing die needs of die community. A key element in aligning die vision iuid goiils of the <br />Park Commission and die Council regiirding parks, open space and trails is a shared <br />understanding of needs, and die level and priority of needs. A shared understanding of needs <br />and priorities will provide the I'nuiiework necessar>' to lie able to edectively address, ami make <br />decisions about, park issues, such as diosc in die Strategic Plan. <br />The most comprehensive infonnation we have about park, open space, and trail needs is the Park <br />Survey conducted in 1994. 'Fhe sunmuiry and conclusions sections of die survey, as well as a <br />tabulation of die responses to the survey questions, are attached. Aldiou^i a number of changes <br />have occurred in die City since the 1994 survey, we do not liavc updated information to indicate <br />whedicr die needs and priorities have changed since diat time. It would be helpful to spend some <br />time discussing how best to facilitate a shared understanding between die Council imd Park <br />Conmiissioii regarding park, open space and trail needs aiul priorities.