Executive Summary

Background

In November 2000, Seattle voters approved a $198.2 million levy lid lift.  The duration of the Pro Parks levy was eight years and included enhanced maintenance, programming, land development and acquisition.  In 2005, council released a Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI 102-3-A2) for the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to prepare for the sun-setting of the Pro Parks Levy by preparing a Strategic Business Plan (SBP) that would assess and prioritize programs, as well as find new sources of revenues.  In 2006, City Council broadened the scope of the SBP (SLI 78-2-A1) to address policy direction and priorities for the entire DPR beyond what was funded by the Pro Parks Levy.  The City Council requested DPR to analyze all aspects of business including programs, services, operations, maintenance, major maintenance, development, and acquisition. 

As a supporting document for the SBP analysis, this report provides context as to what comparable city park systems are accomplishing nationwide.  Ten cities participated (including Seattle) in the questionnaire and/or survey: Austin, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Eugene, Madison, Phoenix, Portland and Spokane.  These cities were chosen because they appeared to have similar departments to Seattle based on one or more of the following criteria: size, population, service mix, culture and/or geography. 

The questionnaire and survey were created to gather information on strategic management with regards to DPR’s lines of business and these three tenets.  Strategic Management is defined as activities that: 1) clarify direction or scope; 2) articulate costs in a transparent and comprehensive way; and/or 3) connect direction to costs for long-term financial and operational sustainability.  This report is intended to provide an overview of exciting strategic management tactics that other cities are utilizing in respect to topics of interest to the SBP. 

This report will demonstrate that without a clear direction for the different lines of business, transparent accounting and plan for long-term financial stability, particularly for recreation and maintenance, it will be a challenge for Seattle DPR to meet the needs of their constituents in the future.