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2022 Award Nominations are Open
Nominations are now being accepted for the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) 2022 awards program. The annual NACPRO Awards Banquet recognizes and honors excellence in parks and recreation at the county, regional, special district level throughout the nation.
The presentation of awards will be held in Valdosta, Georgia on Sunday, May 15, 2022.
Nominations are being accepted through January 21, 2022.
For more information: https://www.nacpro.org/awards
Best Practices Forum
Johnson County seeking your processes on golf course pro shops
Johnson County Parks and Recreation District (Kansas) is in the process of reviewing its golf course pro shop processes and is requesting information from other agencies on how they handle operations, staffing, and revenue. A survey has been created that will take only a few minutes of your time. Your participation is greatly appreciated.
Survey Link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NFBQTHW
Got an issue you need advice on? Or a best practice you want to share? Send us the details and we will publish it in the next NACPRO News.
Welcome New Members
Mr. Devin Wetzel
Assistant Superintendent of Parks and Golf Courses
Johnson County Parks & Recreation District, Kansas
Mr. Kevin Kirwin
Director
Indian River County Recreation Dept., Florida
Member News
Public Golf Course Volunteers Make Minimum Wage Claim
Courtesy of NRPA
By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.
In the case of Adams v. Palm Beach County, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 191114 a (S.D. Fla. 10/4/2021), Plaintiffs were golf course attendants at the Osprey Point Golf Course operated by Palm Beach County, Florida (the County). As part of that arrangement, they were permitted to play golf for reduced greens fees. Plaintiffs alleged that they were employees of Palm Beach County and, therefore, entitled to minimum wage payments under state and federal law. Separately, Plaintiff Gerald Kasmere alleged that he suffered employment retaliation after he complained about not receiving minimum wages. In response, the County filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs’ lawsuit. In so doing, the County argued that the Plaintiffs fell within an exception to the minimum wage laws for public agency volunteers.
The County solicited golf course volunteers through the website for its parks and recreation department. The posting for Osprey Point stated:
"This is a high volume 27-hole golf facility that opened in 2010. The course is the first in Florida to receive Audubon Certified Classic Sanctuary status. Volunteers serve as course rangers, driving range attendants and bag drop attendants. Hours vary. Nights and weekends preferred. Osprey Point volunteers enjoy being outdoors, getting to know others with similar interests and reduced fees to play and practice golf."
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2022/january/public-golf-course-volunteers-make-minimum-wage-claim/
A Word from Our Sponsors
Pilot Rock Picnic Tables Are Built to Last
Not all picnic tables are created equal. Designs may look similar, but the materials and construction can vary quite a bit. We design our products to withstand the use, and abuse, of constant exposure to the public and the elements. A Pilot Rock® picnic table will serve your parks and campgrounds longer, with fewer repair costs. Check out this video to see how Pilot Rock® picnic tables stack up to the competition.
Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR7ciWXQM9M&feature=youtu.be
Research and Resources
Top Trends in Parks and Recreation for 2022
Courtesy of NRPA
By Richard J. Dolesh
It is once again time for the Top Trends in Parks and Recreation — an eclectic, sometimes cheeky collection of observations and predictions about what will be the most significant trends to emerge in the field and industry of parks and recreation in 2022 and beyond. So let’s get down to it.
- Parks as Infrastructure
- Climate Change
- Macroeconomics of Parks and Recreation
- Technology
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2022/january/top-trends-in-parks-and-recreation-for-2022/
Challenging "Best Practices" in Parks & Recreation
Courtesy of Let's Talk Parks
The word "best practice" is one that is commonly used in our field. By definition, "best practices are a set of guidelines, ethics, or ideas that represent the most efficient or prudent course of action in a given business situation." Left unchecked or unchallenged, these best practices can become a barrier for innovation and growth. It can be assumed that because there is a *best* that there's isn't a BETTER way to do things. In this episode, Marissa sits down with Jason Elissalde to talk about why that term can be detrimental to our success - plus, some different ways of thinking about leadership and innovation which can make our agencies more inclusive and welcoming for all.
Listen here:
https://letstalkparks.com/podcast/
Coastal Risk Screening Tool: Warming Choices Map
Courtesy of Climate Central
Climate and energy choices this decade will influence how high sea levels rise for hundreds of years. These new map layers allow you to adjust sliders to compare the outcomes of different warming scenarios.
For more information:
https://coastal.climatecentral.org/
Environments that Promote Intergenerational Play and Recreation
Courtesy of PlayCore
Parks and open spaces are meant to be used by all people. Intergenerational design aims to bring people together through purposeful, mutually beneficial activities that promote greater understanding and respect between generations Read more about how environments promote intergenerational play through our blog.
Read more:
https://www.playcore.com/news/environments-that-promote-intergenerational-play-and-recreation
NRPA Parks Snapshot: 2021 Year-End Survey Results
Courtesy of NRPA
By Kevin Roth
In our year-end edition of NRPA Parks Snapshot, we are looking at the challenges affecting park and recreation agencies as our nation continues to recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic — particularly those that impact funding, staffing and programming. We hope you find this information helpful as you make decisions at your agency.
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/blog/nrpa-parks-snapshot-2021-year-end-survey-results/
In the News
2022 NACo Achievement Awards - Call for Nominations
Applications are now open for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2022 Achievement Awards. Please join us in celebrating 52 years of county innovation by applying today.
NACo will highlight the 18 “best of category” winners, as well as feature all winners in NACo materials and online. We also provide a customizable press release for you to share the good news with the media and residents.
We encourage all counties, parishes and boroughs to apply.
Early Bird Deadline: March 4, 2022 (save $25 off the application fee)
Regular Deadline: March 31, 2022
For more information:
https://www.naco.org/resources/featured/2022-naco-achievement-awards
NACo Now Accepting Interim Policy Resolutions for 2022 Legislative Conference
Submit your policy resolutions by January 12.
In preparation for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2022 Legislative Conference, we encourage members to get involved and have their voices heard in Washington by submitting an interim policy resolution today.
All interim resolutions must be submitted electronically (preferably as a Word document) via email to [email protected] by Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.
For more information:
https://www.naco.org/blog/naco-now-accepting-interim-policy-resolutions-2022-legislative-conference
Wisconsinites love their parks, but communities are struggling to fund them
Courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio
By Shamane Mills
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has warned that parks face a fiscal cliff in six years if additional funding isn’t found.
"I think it’s important to understand that the way we fund parks is just not sustainable," Crowley said during the roundtable hosted by the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
The policy forum produced a report assessing the financial state of parks operated by Milwaukee County and looked at how other systems in the state and elsewhere in the country fund their operations. The analysis found that over a 30-year period, the amount of Milwaukee parks funding from property taxes dropped from 74% in 1989 to 43% in 2019.
Read more:
https://www.wpr.org/wisconsinites-love-their-parks-communities-are-struggling-fund-them
Plan Z for Miami
Courtesy of NRPA
By Jack Kardys
FLORIDA - In 2012, the June issue of Parks & Recreation featured Miami-Dade County’s Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan, which outlined the 50-year vision of the county to radically improve quality of life in the region and serves as a model for municipalities around the country interested in developing park-centric urban and suburban master plans.
One of the potential projects is Plan Z, a public-private partnership (P3) proposal that sits at the intersection of architecture, urban planning and public health. As an enhancement to the county’s original North Dade Greenway Plan, the creators of Plan Z envision this multi-modal plan as an integral part of the Miami LOOP, which would connect the mainland’s Commodore Trail, Underline, Ludlam Trail and Miami River Greenway with Biscayne Bay and its waterfront along the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Read more:
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2022/january/plan-z-for-miami/
Outdoor recreation has historically excluded people of color. That's beginning to change.
Courtesy of CNN
By Leah Asmelash
In the United States, outdoor recreation and Whiteness have long gone hand in hand.
Dubbed the "adventure gap" or "nature gap," the lack of diversity in outdoor recreation has become a hot topic in the White-dominated space. (In 2019, more than 50 CEOs of outdoor retailers signed a pledge to work toward diversity and inclusion in the outdoors). The conversation about the disparity picked up among industry leaders and enthusiasts alike after the racial justice protests of 2020.
But the truth behind the gap in outdoor recreation, like so much in the US, has its roots in systemic racism, said KangJae "Jerry" Lee, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, who studies race and outdoor leisure.
"If we start connecting the dots," Lee said, "the issue becomes excruciatingly clear that historical institutional racism has banished people of color from the great outdoors."
Read more:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/14/us/national-parks-history-racism-wellness-cec/index.html
Holistic approach shapes park use
Courtesy of NACo
By Charlie Ban
GEORGIA - As chairman of Chatham County, Ga. Board of Commissioners, he sees a lot more value in tailoring recreational facilities placed where they’ll have demonstrated an immediate impact.
“If we have a community where 95 percent of the people are over the age of 50, it doesn’t make sense to put a new gymnasium there,” he said. “We’ll get a lot more value out of a walking path or tennis courts.”
That’s one of the conclusions he has reached as he leads the county through a more comprehensive planning process, dubbed One Chatham, which views the county in its entirely and aims to distribute its resources more equitably.
One Chatham also seeks to break down barriers between local governments and approach planning from a more holistic perspective, involving intergovernmental agreements and memorandums of understanding between the county and municipalities or school districts to make use of their resources and facilities.
“We’ve had school facilities that are locked up at 4 p.m. and open up again in the morning in time for school,” Ellis said. “Those are walking and running tracks that residents could be using, and the county won’t have to build duplicates of to serve the same people.”
Read more:
https://www.naco.org/articles/holistic-approach-shapes-park-use
USDOT Awards Nearly $1B in RAISE Grants
Courtesy of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
The USDOT recently announced an investment of nearly $1 billion in American infrastructure through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants program. These multimodal grants were known as TIGER grants during the Obama Administration and BUILD grants in the Trump Administration. Bloomberg CityLab reported on a recent analysis of the 90 projects funded through RAISE grants and concluded that there is significantly more funding for pedestrian and bike infrastructure and significantly less for new road construction than in recent years.
Read more:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-29/bike-pedestrian-infrastructure-favored-in-raise-grants
Training
2022 National Outdoor Recreation Conference - Request for Presentation Proposals
May 2 to 5, 2022 - Knoxville, Tennessee
"Outdoor Recreation: Solutions for Transformation"
The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) is proud to present the 2022 National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC) – Outdoor Recreation: Solutions for Transformation. The program committee is seeking presentations that convey durable transformative solutions of any scale that address the biggest challenges in outdoor recreation – whether they be social, environmental, or economic.
These are pivotal times for outdoor recreation and our goal is to present a program at the 2022 National Outdoor Recreation Conference that is solutions forward and equity centric.
The submittal deadline is January 31, 2022
For more information:
https://www.recpro.org/national-outdoor-recreation-conference
Webinar: Trail Ambassador Programs - Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices
Courtesy of American Trails
Date: January 27, 2022
Time: 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm ET
Cost: Free
Organization: American Trails
Trail ambassador programs can be a boon to any trail or trail system. They build local engagement, help identify and solve deferred maintenance issues, and turn casual users into lifelong advocates. We've gathered together leaders of some of the best ambassador programs across the nation, representing a variety of trail user types, to share best practices and offer sage advice for starting programs for your trail. We have made this a two-part webinar series to showcase great examples and resources that will focus on providing ample time for answering your most burning questions.
For more information:
https://www.americantrails.org/training/trail-ambassador-programs-tips-tricks-and-best-practices-2
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