Parks and Recreation Master Plan October 2015

Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Acknowledgements

Mayor Tony Martinez

Commissioner Rose Gowan

Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa Leo Rosales, Parks and Recreation Board Chair

Derek Benevides, Parks and Recreation Board

Meri Heggie, Parks and Recreation Board Jerry Hatley, Parks and Recreation Board

Charlie Cabler, City Manager

Pete Gonzalez, Deputy City Manager

Stephanie Reyes, Assistant City Manager

Ruth Osuna, Assistant City Manager

Mary Elizabeth Hollmann, BCIC

Damaris McGlone, Interim Parks and Recreation Director

Bill Payne, Park Operations Manager

All Staff of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department

Table of Contents

1.1 BACKGROUND ...... 1 1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES ...... 2 1.3 PROJECT PROCESS ...... 2 1.4 RELATED PLANS ...... 3 1.5 MISSION STATEMENT ...... 6 1.6 KEY STRATEGIES ...... 6

2.1 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS...... 8 2.2 TRENDS ANALYSIS...... 15 2.3 DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS FINDINGS ...... 23

3.1 KEY LEADERSHIP AND FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY ...... 24 3.2 PUBLIC MEETING SUMMARY ...... 31 3.3 WEB-BASED SURVEY FINDINGS ...... 33

4.1 METHODOLOGY ...... 44 4.2 SUMMARY OF THE SYSTEM ...... 46 4.3 INDIVIDUAL PARK ASSESSMENTS ...... 48 4.4 PARK DESIGN PRINCIPLES ...... 49

5.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 60 5.2 OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS ...... 60 5.3 FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS ...... 61 5.4 CORE PROGRAM AREAS ...... 61 5.5 RECREATION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ...... 62 5.6 COST RECOVERY AND PRICING ...... 66 5.7 VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT ...... 69 5.8 MARKETING AND PROMOTION ...... 72

6.1 LEVEL OF SERVICE STANDARDS OVERVIEW ...... 74 6.2 SERVICE AREA AND EQUITY ANALYSIS ...... 77 6.3 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN ...... 93

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7.1 FUNDING SOURCES FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT DOLLARS & OPERATIONS .. 95 7.2 FUNDING SOURCES FOR OPERATIONAL DOLLARS ...... 100 7.3 PRIVATE FUNDING SOURCES ...... 101 7.4 VOLUNTEER SOURCES ...... 102 7.5 GRANTS THROUGH PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS...... 103 7.6 OPERATIONAL FUNDING COSTS OPPORTUNITIES ...... 106

8.1 MISSION ...... 107 8.2 PARKLAND & TRAILS ...... 108 8.3 MAINTENANCE ...... 108 8.4 RECREATION FACILITIES ...... 108 8.5 RECREATION PROGRAMS ...... 109 8.6 ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE & GOVERNANCE ...... 109

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Parks and Recreation Master Plan

INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND The City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) offers quality valued assets and programs to the community through a variety of services that enhance Brownsville’s quality of life, economic value, and sense of community. The PARD owns and maintains 821.1 acres of parkland, 32 miles of trail, and over 43,000 square feet of recreation center space. The Department also offers exceptional recreation programming for all ages in the areas of aquatics, athletics, golf, youth enrichment, and special events. Developing the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan helps to ensure the continued success of the Brownsville system and community. The Master Plan is a critical element in the strategic management of the PARD and, when used as a living document, helps guide decisions regarding future parks, open space, recreational facilities, recreation programs, and organizational management over the next ten years. Additionally, the Master Plan recommendations and implementation plan contribute to the sustainable operations of Brownsville’s facilities and services through potential partnerships and administrative enhancements.

The planning team of PROS Consulting and StudioOutside was retained to be a partner with the city to develop the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This master plan was built around a series of technical assessment processes to measure the parks and recreation system, as well as the operational management of policies, procedures, parks, facilities, programs, and services against best practices in the state and region.

1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES The objectives associated with the development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan included the following:

• Engage the community, leadership and stakeholders in meaningful and varied public input to build a shared vision for parks and recreation that supports the economic and community goals of the City of Brownsville; • Utilize a wide variety of data sources and best practices to predict trends and patterns of use and how to address unmet needs in the City; • Determine unique Level of Service standards for the City to project appropriate and prudent actions regarding program services, parks, open space, amenities, trails, cultural and natural resources; • Shape financial and operational preparedness through innovative and “next” practices in revenue generation to achieve the strategic objectives and recommended actions, and implementation strategies outlined in the plan; • Develop a dynamic and realistic action plan that can ensure long-term success and financial sustainability for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. 1.3 PROJECT PROCESS The Brownsville Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update followed an iterative process of data collection, public input, on-the-ground study, assessment of existing conditions, market research, and open dialogue with local leadership and key stakeholders. The project process followed a logical planning path, as illustrated below:

Financial, Demographic Parks & Recreation Stakeholder Operational, and Trends Facilities Program Action Plan Engagement and Business Analysis Assessment Assessment Analysis

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The Master Plan is not an end product in itself. The Master Plan is rather a means to guide the provision of parks and recreation and advance the overall mission and vision of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department. The goal is to guide in the delivery of excellent parks, trails, public facilities, activities, programs, and services that will contribute to community prosperity and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors to the city. 1.4 RELATED PLANS In the course of developing the PARD Master Plan, a number of related plans associated with parks and recreation in Brownsville were reviewed to help inform and shape research, data collection, and strategic recommendations. Those plans include the following:

2012 TEXAS OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN The 2012 Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan fulfills an eligibility requirement for a statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan that allows Texas to continue to receive its allotted appropriation through the Land and Water Conservation Fund program. The plan creates awareness of current outdoor recreation and conservation needs, issues, and areas of concern through input from citizens and outdoor recreation professionals. It guides the state on how to best administer Texas’ apportionment of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It creates a resource for current and future outdoor recreation and conservation initiatives and is aligned with Texas Park and Wildlife Department’s Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan.

Implications for Brownsville PARD:

• Describes the overall value and impact of parks and recreation in relation to tourism, economic development, environment, and quality of life. • Identifies prominent demographic and outdoor recreation trends at the state and national level. • Provides extensive data on inventory of recreation and conservation lands throughout the state and by ecoregion and county. • Identifies statewide challenges pertaining to conservation of land, water, and wildlife, and describes the importance of outdoor recreation in preserving natural resources. • Provides extensive resources for conservation strategies and priorities, such as solutions for implementing sustainable design elements into the creation, construction, and maintenance of outdoor recreation lands within the state of Texas. • Details the wide variety of recreation grants available across the state and provides important information and the selection criteria evaluated for the State Park Program and the Local Park Program.

IMAGINE BROWNSVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Brownsville Comprehensive Plan provides a foundation for guiding the future growth and development of the city that is consistent with the vision and goals of the community. The plan consists of core elements and smart growth/sustainability elements. The four core elements include land use (including public facilities and parks), downtown, economic development, and mobility/infrastructure. These core elements are supported by six smart growth/sustainability elements: civic, education, equity, healthcare, emergency management, and environment.

Implications for Brownsville PARD:

• Parks and greenspace play an important role in the land use portion of the plan in terms of preservation of land for conservation efforts, connectivity of the city, and the introduction of open space and parks in developed portions of the city. • As a smart growth principle, this plan identifies public open spaces and trails as important connections between various areas and land uses within the community because of their positive impact on property values, importance in providing amenities and civic gathering spaces for residents, and their role in creating an identity for neighborhoods. • Future developments must include a variety of open space types, from small greenspaces that serve individual local neighborhoods, as well as providing larger, regional parks and preservation areas that attract a broad user base from multiple neighborhoods. • Expanding the existing trail system is important in connecting the city, offering recreational opportunities, and providing infrastructure for alternative modes of transportation. • The Parks and Recreation Department plays an integral role in embracing the multi-cultural diversity of the city by providing civic gathering spaces, interpretive opportunities, and programming of cultural events and celebrations.

BRAND BROWNSVILLE This project is dedicated to developing a marketing campaign that includes a unified branding and marketing plan for the city. Brand Brownsville is a cooperative effort between the City of Brownsville, the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, the Brownsville Economic Development Council, and Hahn Public Communications, with input from interested stakeholders. The project aims to develop a unique Brownsville brand and identity that can be used to enhance the city’s public image, economic development, and marketing opportunities. The resulting plan is expected to produce an organized and effective internal and external image that will position Brownsville for future economic and cultural success.

Implications for Brownsville PARD:

• Plan process included demographic analysis based on ESRI Tapestry Segments, which describes characteristics and spending preferences of the community that could be used in developing new parks, facilities, and programs. • Stakeholder interviews and community input indicate that parks and recreation play a significant role in the perception of what assets are important to Brownsville. • Brownsville PARD offerings are critical components for successfully completing the goals of the marketing/branding plan. Extensive research shows that parks and recreation help accomplish the following key goals identified in this plan: create more jobs for residents, recruit more new employers and industries, enhance local quality of life, improve educational offerings, promote community pride, and attract visitors.

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2015-2040 BROWNSVILLE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN The purpose of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan is to guide development of the Brownsville Transportation system through implementation of a prioritized list of potential transportation projects. Specifically, the plan identifies and prioritizes projects needed to accommodate projected growth expected to occur in the Brownsville MPO area to the year 2040. Goals of the plan include: support economic vitality by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency; increase safety; increase security; increase accessibility and mobility options for movement of people and freight; protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, and improve the quality of life; enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system; promote efficient transportation system management and operation; emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.

Implications for Brownsville PARD:

• The transportation plan sets out objectives for bicycle and pedestrian planning to identify needed investments to improve the safety of non-motorized users and provide alternatives to automobile travel that allow access to work, school, and other destinations. • The plan also has a focus on connectivity within Brownsville and extending outward to other communities, which ties into the goals of PARD in enhancing its trail system. • This plan identifies sources and strategies for funding improvements to transportation, many of which could also benefit the efforts of parks and recreation in improving its trail system. • Trails are vital to accomplishing goals of the transportation plan related to protection and enhancement of the environment, promotion of energy conservation, and improvement in the quality of life.

REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN BROWNSVILLE This plan was completed in late 2013 by the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute through funding by AARP and AARP Texas. The Revitalizing Downtown Brownsville Active Learning: Opportunities to Transform the Built Environment discusses key ways the downtown area can be revamped into a vibrant area. Opportunities identified in the plan include: place-driven development, land use and transportation policy to include all users, incorporating traffic-calming features, improving parking efficiency, connectivity between the community and university, and transforming alleyways and underutilized concrete space. Implications for Brownsville PARD:

• This plan calls for improvements in walkability downtown and the introduction of a Complete Streets Policy, which both rely heavily on the addition of additional multi-purpose trails and integrating alternative forms of transportation into the planning and design of downtown. • Proposed traffic-calming tools, such as pronounced bike lanes, “greening” the streets, and addition of bike racks along trails, are all ideas that would be better implemented with the involvement of the parks and recreation department. • Parks and greenspace are ideal for the transformation of alleyways and underutilized concrete areas downtown into more vibrant spaces that encourage human interaction and celebrate the history and culture of the city.

CONNECTING BROWNSVILLE: THE 2013 BICYCLE AND TRAIL MASTER PLAN The recommendations of this plan call for a system of off-street shared use paths, on-street bicycle facilities, and key connections that will enhance transportation and appearance of the City of Brownsville. The visionary component of this plan foresees a network of connected corridors that seamlessly allow users to move about from one place in Brownsville to another by walking or biking. The practical application of the plan envisions connections to all neighborhoods via readily accessible, wide, safe, and attractive facilities. The guiding principles in the development of a comprehensive trail system include: connectivity, partnerships, comfort of the user, accessibility, and incorporating a variety of user experiences and facility types.

Implications for Brownsville PARD: • Establishes standards and guidelines for paths and bicycle facilities to aid in identifying viable locations for development of on-street or off-street facilities and to ensure continuity throughout the system. • Estimates general cost ranges for typical pedestrian and bicycle facilities that will aid in planning future trail development. • Provides recommendations for additions and improvements to the system as a whole, and by district, and establishes a rough timeline for implementation of the proposed trail system. • Details additional steps for making trails more user friendly and encouraging usage among residents, such as end of trip facilities, wayfinding, system branding, and programming.

1.5 MISSION STATEMENT One of the most critical steps in planning involves ensuring that outcomes of the plan directly support the fundamental organizational purpose for an agency. Therefore, it is essential to review the Department’s mission statement to properly frame the Master Plan. The mission statement for the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department was revised through the master planning process and is as follows: “The mission of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department is to directly contribute to the City’s quality of life by providing exceptional programs, facilities, parks, and trails while celebrating and preserving the community’s natural and cultural heritage.” 1.6 KEY STRATEGIES All strategic recommendations should not only be grounded in the organizational mission statement, but should also represent best practices that will be successful given the characteristics and environment of the system. The following key strategies are recommended for Brownsville based on the analysis and assessment conducted in this plan. Additional detail can be found in the Implementation Action Plan, included as Appendix C.

STRATEGIES FOR PARKLAND & TRAILS • Ensure the growth of the parks and trails system keeps pace with the needs of the community but does not outpace the financial or organizational resources of the Department. • Complete a network of open space corridors and trails that connect neighborhoods, schools, commercial areas, and local destinations to parks and facilities. The trails would also ideally link with regional, national, and international trail systems or parkland. • Encourage natural resource protection, ecological sustainability, and environmental awareness within Brownsville's parks and trails system.

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STRATEGIES FOR MAINTENANCE • Bring parks and trails into compliance with health, safety, and welfare standards. • Establish consistent and comprehensive maintenance standards for parks, trails, and facilities to uphold the quality of user experience and promote financial sustainability. • Promote financial sustainability by calculating and tracking the true cost of maintenance operations. • Develop or update design standards for parks, trails, and facilities that consider operational requirements, flexible uses, desired user experiences, and revenue generation. • Develop an asset management plan with a lifecycle replacement schedule to govern capital investment in existing facility infrastructure.

STRATEGIES FOR RECREATION FACILITIES • Optimize the operation of facilities in the PARD system to meet the needs of the community. • Maximize the use of the Brownsville Sports Park to ensure its sustainability and position as a source of pride to the community. • Strategically add facilities to serve the growing population and meet new recreation demands while ensuring financial sustainability.

STRATEGIES FOR PROGRAMS • Implement consistent program management principles for all programs to ensure equitable service delivery, quality delivery, and long-term financial sustainability. • Develop a standard-based approach to program management focus on quality service delivery and to support informed management decision-making. • Align program offerings with community needs and priorities. • Develop a stronger volunteer system that builds advocacy and support for the PARD system. • Strategically design and offer selected special events within the BPARD system for regional economic impact.

STRATEGIES FOR ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, & GOVERNANCE • Restructure PARD's leadership and administrative functions to provide the additional needed staffing levels to move the Department forward. • Update policies and procedures on an annual basis. Ensure all staff in all Divisions have access to them, and that they create maximum flexibility for staff in the field to do their work in a timely manner. • Develop a long term financial plan for PARD this is consistent with the goals and objectives of the City and support the initiatives and strategies as reflected in this Master Plan. • Develop a stronger and more strategic approach to marketing programs, services, facilities, and events. • Leverage partnerships to achieve business outcomes and enhance service delivery.

COMMUNITY PROFILE 2.1 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS The Demographic Analysis provides an understanding of the population within City of Brownsville, Texas. This analysis is reflective of the total population, and its key characteristics such as age segments, income levels, race, and ethnicity. It is important to note that future projections are all based on historical patterns and unforeseen circumstances. As the study is conducted, changes in demographic data may have a significant bearing on the validity of the final projections.

DEMOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW The total population of City of Brownsville recently underwent rapid growth of 3.8% from 175,023 in 2010 to 181,606 in 2014. The current estimated population is projected to continue to grow to 189,515 in 2019, and reach 205,648 by 2029.

The current estimate for 2014 depicts the service area as heavily family-oriented, with approximately 82% of total households represented as families.

According to U.S. Census reports, the total number of households in the target area has grown by approximately 4.2%, from 49,871 in 2010 to 51,957 in 2014. The City’s total households are expected to increase to 59,416 by 2029.

City of Brownsville’s median household income ($30,071) and per capita income ($12,402) are well below the state and national averages.

Based on the 2010 Census, the population of the target area is much younger (29.8 years) than the median age of the U.S. (37.2 years). Projections show that by 2029 the City of Brownsville will experience minimal change, with the 55+ age group expected to increase most rapidly.

The estimated 2014 population of Brownsville is predominantly White Alone (87.69%), with Some Other Race (9.01%) representing the largest minority, and those of Hispanic / Latino descent representing more than 90% of residents. Future projections show that by 2029 the overall composition of the population will remain true, as the White Alone remains the overwhelming majority, followed by Some Other Race. Forecasts of the target area through 2029 expect the Hispanic / Latino population to remain steady around 93%.

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METHODOLOGY Demographic data used for the analysis was obtained from U.S. Census Bureau and from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), the largest research and development organization dedicated to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and specializing in population projections and market trends. All data was acquired in December 2014 and reflects actual numbers as reported in the 2010 Census and estimates for 2014 and 2019 as obtained by ESRI. Straight line linear regression was utilized for projected 2024 and 2029 demographics. The City of Brownsville geographic boundary was utilized as the demographic analysis boundary shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - City of Brownsville Service Area Boundaries

RACE AND ETHNICITY DEFINTIONS The minimum categories for data on race and ethnicity for Federal statistics, program administrative reporting, and civil rights compliance reporting are defined as below. The Census 2010 data on race are not directly comparable with data from the 2000 Census and earlier censuses; caution must be used when interpreting changes in the racial composition of the US population over time. The latest (Census 2010) definitions and nomenclature are used within this analysis.

• American Indian – This includes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment

• Asian – This includes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam

• Black – This includes a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – This includes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands

• White – This includes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa

• Hispanic or Latino – This is an ethnic distinction, a subset of a race as defined by the Federal Government; this includes a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

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CITY OF BROWNSVILLE POPULACE POPULATION City of Brownsville has observed minimal growth in recent years. From 2010 to 2014, the target area’s total population experienced a rapid increase of 3.8% or an annual rate of 0.95%. This is higher than the national population growth average, which is around 0.7% annually. Projecting ahead, the City’s population is expected to continue to grow over the next 15 years. Based on predictions through 2029, the target area is expected to have approximately 205,648 residents living within 59,416 households. See Figure 2.

City of Brownsville: Total Population 250,000

205,648 189,515 197,602 200,000 181,606 175,023

150,000

Total Population 100,000

50,000

0 2010 2014 2019 2024 2029 Census Estimate Projection Projection Projection

Figure 2 - Total Population

AGE SEGMENT When evaluating the distribution by age, the City of Brownsville is skewed toward the younger population segments. In 2014, the largest segment by population is the <18+ age group representing 32.1%, and the smallest is the 55+ segment which constitutes 19.6% of the population.

Over time, the overall composition of the population of the City will undergo a slight aging trend. Future projections through 2029 show that both the 55+ and 18-34 segments will experience some minimal growth, with the older segment growing most rapidly. The largest segment by 2029 is expected to remain the <18 group by a narrow margin, followed by the 18-34 and 55+ segments. Although the shift is slight, the aging trend is consistent with general national trends where the 55+ age group has been growing as a result of increased life expectancies and the baby boomer population entering that age group. See Figure 3.

City of Brownsville: Population by Age Segments

100% 90% 80%

70% 60% 55+

50% 35-54

40% 18-34

30% <18

20% 10% 0% 2010 2014 2019 2024 2029 Census Estimate Projection Projection Projection

Figure 3 - Population by Age Segments

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RACE AND ETHNICITY When analyzing race and ethnicity, the diversity of the service area is very limited. The 2014 estimate shows that the vast majority of the population falls into the White Only (87.69%), with some other race (9.01%) representing the largest minority. Perhaps the most notable characteristic of the City from a race / ethnicity standpoint is the large Hispanic / Latino population, which represents over 90% of the current population. Projections for 2029 expect the City to experience minimal change, with the majority White Only population remaining the majority, and those of Hispanic / Latino ethnicity holding steady at around 93% of the total. See Figures 4 and 5.

City of Brownsville: Population by Race 100%

90%

80%

70% Two or More Races

60% Some Other Race Pacific Islander 50% Asian 40% American Indian 30% Black Alone 20% White Alone 10% 0%

2010 2014 2019 2024 2029 Census Estimate Projection Projection Projection

Figure 4 - Population by Race

Hispanic/Latino Population

100%

90% All Others 80% 70% 60%

50% 93.19% 93.30% Hispanic / 40% Latino Origin 30% (any race) 20% 10% 0% 2010 2029

Figure 5 - Hispanic / Latino Population

HOUSEHOLDS AND INCOME City of Brownsville: Household Income Characteristics The City of Brownsville’s $70,000 income characteristics Median demonstrate a growing $60,000 Household trend. The median Income household income is $50,000 Average estimated to be $30,071 in Household $40,000 Income 2014. It is projected to grow to $46,904 by 2029. The $30,000 Per Capita Income median household income $20,000 represents the earnings of all persons age 16 years or older $10,000 living together in a housing $- unit. The per capita income 2014 2019 2024 2029 is also projected to increase Estimate Projection Projection Projection from $12,402 in 2014 to $19,152 by 2029 (Figure 6). Figure 6 - Household Income Characteristics

As observed in Figure 7, City of City of Brownsville: Comparative Income Characteristics Brownsville’s median household income is significantly lower than the state ($51,563) $60,000 and national ($53,046) averages. The target area’s Per Capita Income is also much lower $50,000 than state ($25,809) and national ($28,051) averages. City of $40,000 Brownsville

$30,000 Texas

$20,000 U.S. A

$10,000

$- Median Per Capita Household Income Income

Figure 7 - Comparative Income Characteristics

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2.2 TRENDS ANALYSIS The following table summarizes the findings from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2014 Sports, Fitness and Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report.

Summary of National Participatory Trends Analysis

1. Number of “inactives” decreased slightly, those active to a healthy level on the rise a. “Inactives” down 0.4% in 2013, from 80.4 million to 80.2 million b. Approximately one-third of Americans (ages 6+) are active to a healthy level

2. Most popular sport and recreation activities a. Fitness Walking (117 million) b. Running/Jogging (54 million) c. Treadmill (48 million)

3. Most participated in team sports a. Basketball (23.7 million) b. Tennis (17.7 million) c. Baseball (13.3 million)

4. Activities most rapidly growing over last five years a. Adventure Racing – up 159% b. Non-traditional/Off-road Triathlon – up 156% c. Traditional/Road Triathlon – up 140% d. Squash – up 115% e. Rugby – up 81%

5. Activities most rapidly declining over last five years a. Wrestling – down 45% b. In-line Roller Skating – down 40% c. Touch Football – down 32% d. Horseback Riding – down 29% e. Slow-pitch Softball – down 29%

The local market potential index data compares the demand for recreation activities and spending of the City of Brownsville’s residents to the national averages.

Summary of Local Market Potential Index Analysis

6. City of Brownsville exhibits mixed market potential for sport and leisure activities

7. Top recreational activities in Brownsville compared to the national average a. Soccer b. Spent money on sports/recreation equipment ($100-$249) c. Attend football game

OVERVIEW The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Sports, Fitness & Recreational Activities Topline Participation Report 2014 was utilized to evaluate national sport and fitness participatory trends. SFIA is the number one source for sport and fitness research. The study is based on online interviews carried out in January and February of 2014 from more than 19,000 individuals and households. Information released by SFIA’s 2014 Study of Sports, Fitness, and Leisure Participation reveals that the most popular sport and recreation activities include: fitness walking, treadmill, running/jogging, free weights and bicycling. Most of these activities appeal to both young and old alike, can be done in most environments, are enjoyed regardless of level of skill, and have minimal economic barriers to entry. These popular activities also have appeal because of their social advantages. For example, although fitness activities are mainly self-directed, people enjoy walking and biking with other individuals because it can offer a degree of camaraderie.

Fitness walking has remained the most popular activity of the past decade by a large margin. Walking participation according to data available in 2013, reported over 117 million Americans had walked for fitness at least once.

From a traditional team sport standpoint, basketball ranks highest among all sports, with nearly 24 million people reportedly participating in 2013. Team sports that have experienced significant growth in participation are rugby, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, gymnastics, beach volleyball, and ultimate Frisbee– all of which have experienced double digit growth over the last five years. Most recently, rugby, field hockey, and lacrosse underwent the most rapid growth among team sports from 2012 to 2013.

In the past year, there has been a slight 0.4% decrease of “inactives” in America, from 80.4 million in 2012 to 80.2 million in 2013. According to the Physical Activity Council, an “inactive” is defined as an individual that doesn’t take part in any “active” sport. Even more encouraging is that an estimated 33.9% of Americans above the age of 6 are active to a healthy level, taking part in a high calorie burning activity three or more times per week.

NOTE: In 2012, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) came into existence after a two-year strategic review and planning process with a refined mission statement-- “To Promote Sports and Fitness Participation and Industry Vitality”. The SFIA was formerly known as the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA).

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NATIONAL TRENDS IN GENERAL SPORTS Basketball, a game originating in the U.S., is the most participated in sport among the traditional “bat and ball” sports with almost 24 million estimated participants. Popularity can be attributed to the ability to compete with relatively small number of participants, the limited amount of equipment needed to participate, and the limited space requirements necessary – the last of which make basketball the only traditional sport that can be played at the majority of American dwellings as a drive-way pickup game.

As observed in Figure 8, since 2008, squash and other niche sports like lacrosse and rugby have experienced strong growth. Squash has emerged as the overall fastest growing sport, as participation levels have increased by nearly 115% over the last five years. Based on survey findings from 2008-2013, rugby and lacrosse have also experienced significant growth, increasing by 80.9% and 66% respectively. Other sports with notable growth in participation over the last five years were field hockey (31.4%), ice hockey (27.9%), gymnastics (25.1%), and beach volleyball (18.5%). From 2012 to 2013, the fastest growing sports were rugby (33.4%), field hockey (19.2%), lacrosse (12.8%), and squash (9.6%). During the last five years, the sports that are most rapidly declining include wrestling (45.2% decrease), touch football (down 32%), and slow pitch softball (28.9% decrease).

In terms of total participants, the most popular activities in the general sports category in 2013 include basketball (23.7 million), tennis (17.7 million), baseball (13.3 million), outdoor soccer (12.7 million), and slow pitch softball (6.9 million). Although three out of five of these sports have been declining in recent years, the sheer number of participants demands the continued support of these activities.

National Participatory Trends - General Sports Participation Levels % Change Activity 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 12-13 11-13 10-13 09-13 08-13 Baseball 15,539 14,429 14,198 13,561 12,976 13,284 2.4% -2.0% -6.4% -7.9% -14.5% Basketball 26,108 25,131 25,156 24,790 23,708 23,669 -0.2% -4.5% -5.9% -5.8% -9.3% Cheerleading 3,192 3,070 3,134 3,049 3,244 3,235 -0.3% 6.1% 3.2% 5.4% 1.3% Field Hockey 1,122 1,092 1,182 1,147 1,237 1,474 19.2% 28.5% 24.7% 35.0% 31.4% Football, Flag 7,310 6,932 6,660 6,325 5,865 5,610 -4.3% -11.3% -15.8% -19.1% -23.3% Football, Tackle 7,816 7,243 6,850 6,448 6,220 6,165 -0.9% -4.4% -10.0% -14.9% -21.1% Football, Touch 10,493 9,726 8,663 7,684 7,295 7,140 -2.1% -7.1% -17.6% -26.6% -32.0% Gymnastics 3,975 3,952 4,418 4,824 5,115 4,972 -2.8% 3.1% 12.5% 25.8% 25.1% Ice Hockey 1,871 2,018 2,140 2,131 2,363 2,393 1.3% 12.3% 11.8% 18.6% 27.9% Lacrosse 1,092 1,162 1,423 1,501 1,607 1,813 12.8% 20.8% 27.4% 56.0% 66.0% Racquetball 4,611 4,784 4,603 4,357 4,070 3,824 -6.0% -12.2% -16.9% -20.1% -17.1% Roller Hockey 1,569 1,427 1,374 1,237 1,367 1,298 -5.0% 4.9% -5.5% -9.0% -17.3% Rugby 654 720 940 850 887 1,183 33.4% 39.2% 25.9% 64.3% 80.9% Soccer (Indoor) 4,487 4,825 4,920 4,631 4,617 4,803 4.0% 3.7% -2.4% -0.5% 7.0% Soccer (Outdoor) 13,996 13,957 13,883 13,667 12,944 12,726 -1.7% -6.9% -8.3% -8.8% -9.1% Softball (Fast Pitch) 2,331 2,476 2,513 2,400 2,624 2,498 -4.8% 4.1% -0.6% 0.9% 7.2% Softball (Slow Pitch) 9,660 9,180 8,477 7,809 7,411 6,868 -7.3% -12.1% -19.0% -25.2% -28.9% Squash 659 796 1,031 1,112 1,290 1,414 9.6% 27.2% 37.1% 77.6% 114.6% Tennis 17,749 18,546 18,719 17,772 17,020 17,678 3.9% -0.5% -5.6% -4.7% -0.4% Track and Field 4,604 4,480 4,383 4,341 4,257 4,071 -4.4% -6.2% -7.1% -9.1% -11.6% Ultimate Frisbee 4,459 4,636 4,571 4,868 5,131 5,077 -1.1% 4.3% 11.1% 9.5% 13.9% Volleyball (Court) 7,588 7,737 7,315 6,662 6,384 6,433 0.8% -3.4% -12.1% -16.9% -15.2% Volleyball (Sand/Beach) 4,025 4,324 4,752 4,451 4,505 4,769 5.9% 7.1% 0.4% 10.3% 18.5% Wrestling 3,335 3,170 2,536 1,971 1,922 1,829 -4.8% -7.2% -27.9% -42.3% -45.2% NOTE: Participation figures are in 000's for the US population ages 6 and over Large Increase Moderate Increase Moderate Decrease Large Decrease Legend: (greater than 25%) (0% to 25%) (0% to -25%) (less than -25%)

Figure 8 - General Sports Participatory Trends

NATIONAL TRENDS IN AQUATIC ACTIVITY Swimming is unquestionably a lifetime sport. Swimming activities have remained very popular among Americans, and both competition and fitness swimming have experienced an increase in participation. Fitness swimming is the absolute leader in multigenerational appeal with over 26 million reported participants in 2013, a 13.5% increase from the previous year (Figure 9). NOTE: In 2011, recreation swimming was separated into competition and fitness categories in order to better identify key trends.

Aquatic Exercise has a strong participation base, but has recently experienced a downward trend. Aquatic exercise has paved the way for a less stressful form of physical activity, allowing similar gains and benefits to land based exercise, including aerobic fitness, resistance training, flexibility, and better balance. Doctors have begun recommending aquatic exercise for injury rehabilitation, mature patients, and patients with bone or joint problems due to the significant reduction of stress placed on weight- bearing joints, bones, muscles, and also the affect that the pressure of the water assists in reducing swelling of injuries.

National Participatory Trends - Aquatics Participation Levels % Change Activity 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 12-13 11-13 10-13 09-13 08-13 Aquatic Exercise 9,512 8,965 8,947 9,042 9,177 8,483 -7.6% -6.2% -5.2% -5.4% -10.8% Swimming (Competition) N/A N/A N/A 2,363 2,502 2,638 5.4% 11.6% N/A N/A N/A Swimming (Fitness) N/A N/A N/A 21,517 23,216 26,354 13.5% 22.5% N/A N/A N/A NOTE: Participation figures are in 000's for the US population ages 6 and over Large Increase Moderate Increase Moderate Decrease Large Decrease Legend: (greater than 25%) (0% to 25%) (0% to -25%) (less than -25%)

Figure 9 - Aquatic Participatory Trends

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NATIONAL TRENDS IN GENERAL FITNESS National participatory trends in general fitness have experienced some strong growth in recent years. Many of these activities have become popular due to an increased interest among people to improve their health by engaging in an active lifestyle. These activities also have very few barriers to entry, which provides a variety of activities that are relatively inexpensive to participate in and can be performed by nearly anyone with no time restrictions.

The most popular fitness activity by far is fitness walking, which had over 117 million participants in 2013. This change represents 2.9% increase from the previous year. Other leading fitness activities based on number of participants include running/jogging (over 54 million), treadmill (48.1 million), and hand free weights (43.2 million), and weight/resistant machines (36.3 million).

Over the last five years, the activities that are growing most rapidly are high impact aerobics (up 47.1%), yoga (up 36.9%), running/jogging (up 31.9%), cardio kickboxing (28.7% increase), and group stationary cycling (up 27.8%). Most recently, from 2012-2013, the largest gains in participation were in boxing for fitness (8.7% increase), Tai Chi (up 8.3%), and high impact aerobics (up 7.1%). See Figure 10.

National Participatory Trends - General Fitness Participation Levels % Change Activity 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 12-13 11-13 10-13 09-13 08-13 Aerobics (High Impact) 11,780 12,771 14,567 15,755 16,178 17,323 7.1% 10.0% 18.9% 35.6% 47.1% Aerobics (Low Impact) 23,283 24,927 26,431 25,950 25,707 25,033 -2.6% -3.5% -5.3% 0.4% 7.5% Aerobics (Step) 9,423 10,551 11,034 10,273 9,577 8,961 -6.4% -12.8% -18.8% -15.1% -4.9% Boxing for Fitness N/A N/A 4,788 4,631 4,831 5,251 8.7% 13.4% 9.7% N/A N/A Calisthenics 8,888 9,127 9,097 8,787 9,356 9,356 0.0% 6.5% 2.8% 2.5% 5.3% Cross-Training N/A N/A N/A 7,706 7,496 6,911 -7.8% -10.3% N/A N/A N/A Cardio Kickboxing 4,905 5,500 6,287 6,488 6,725 6,311 -6.2% -2.7% 0.4% 14.7% 28.7% Elliptical Motion Trainer 24,435 25,903 27,319 29,734 28,560 27,119 -5.0% -8.8% -0.7% 4.7% 11.0% Fitness Walking 110,204 110,882 112,082 112,715 114,029 117,351 2.9% 4.1% 4.7% 5.8% 6.5% Free Weights (Barbells) 25,821 26,595 27,194 27,056 26,688 25,641 -3.9% -5.2% -5.7% -3.6% -0.7% Free Weights (Dumbells) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 32,309 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Free Weights (Hand Weights) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 43,164 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Martial Arts 6,818 6,643 6,002 5,037 5,075 5,314 4.7% 5.5% -11.5% -20.0% -22.1% Pilates Training 9,039 8,770 8,404 8,507 8,519 8,069 -5.3% -5.1% -4.0% -8.0% -10.7% Running/Jogging 41,097 42,511 46,650 50,061 51,450 54,188 5.3% 8.2% 16.2% 27.5% 31.9% Stair Climbing Machine 13,863 13,653 13,269 13,409 12,979 12,642 -2.6% -5.7% -4.7% -7.4% -8.8% Stationary Cycling (Group) 6,504 6,762 7,854 8,738 8,477 8,309 -2.0% -4.9% 5.8% 22.9% 27.8% Stationary Cycling (Recumbent) 11,104 11,299 11,459 11,933 11,649 11,159 -4.2% -6.5% -2.6% -1.2% 0.5% Stationary Cycling (Upright) 24,918 24,916 24,578 24,409 24,338 24,088 -1.0% -1.3% -2.0% -3.3% -3.3% Stretching 36,235 36,299 35,720 34,687 35,873 36,202 0.9% 4.4% 1.3% -0.3% -0.1% Tai Chi 3,424 3,315 3,193 2,975 3,203 3,469 8.3% 16.6% 8.6% 4.6% 1.3% Treadmill 49,722 50,395 52,275 53,260 50,839 48,166 -5.3% -9.6% -7.9% -4.4% -3.1% Weight/Resistant Machines 38,844 39,075 39,185 39,548 38,999 36,267 -7.0% -8.3% -7.4% -7.2% -6.6% Yoga 17,758 18,934 20,998 22,107 23,253 24,310 4.5% 10.0% 15.8% 28.4% 36.9% NOTE: Participation figures are in 000's for the US population ages 6 and over Large Increase Moderate Increase Moderate Decrease Large Decrease Legend: (greater than 25%) (0% to 25%) (0% to -25%) (less than -25%)

Figure 10 - General Fitness Participatory Trends

NATIONAL TRENDS IN GENERAL RECREATION Results from the SFIA’s Topline Participation Report demonstrate increased popularity among Americans in numerous general recreation activities. Much like the general fitness activities, these activities encourage an active lifestyle, can be performed individually or with a group, and are not limited by time restraints. In 2013, the most popular activities in the general recreation category include road bicycling (over 40 million participants), freshwater fishing (nearly 38 million participants), and day hiking (over 34 million participants).

From 2008-2013, general recreation activities that have undergone very rapid growth are adventure racing (up 159%), non-traditional/off-road triathlons (up 156%), traditional/road triathlons (up 139.9%), and trail running (up 49.7%). In-line roller skating, horseback riding, and skateboarding have all seen a substantial drop in participation, decreasing by 40%, 29.4%, and 21.8% respectively over the last five years. See Figure 11.

National Participatory Trends - General Recreation Participation Levels % Change Activity 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 12-13 11-13 10-13 09-13 08-13 Adventure Racing 809 1,005 1,214 1,202 1,618 2,095 29.5% 74.3% 72.6% 108.5% 159.0% Archery 6,180 6,368 6,323 6,471 7,173 7,647 6.6% 18.2% 20.9% 20.1% 23.7% Bicycling (Mountain) 7,242 7,367 7,152 6,989 7,265 8,542 17.6% 22.2% 19.4% 15.9% 18.0% Bicycling (Road) 38,527 39,127 39,730 39,834 39,790 40,888 2.8% 2.6% 2.9% 4.5% 6.1% Bicycling (BMX) 1,896 1,858 2,090 1,958 1,861 2,168 16.5% 10.7% 3.7% 16.7% 14.3% Camping (Recreational Vehicle) 16,343 16,977 16,651 16,282 15,903 14,556 -8.5% -10.6% -12.6% -14.3% -10.9% Camping (Within 1/4 Mile of Vehicle/Home) 32,531 34,012 32,667 31,961 31,454 29,269 -6.9% -8.4% -10.4% -13.9% -10.0% Climbing (Sport/Indoor/Boulder) 4,642 4,541 4,542 4,445 4,355 4,745 9.0% 6.7% 4.5% 4.5% 2.2% Climbing (Traditional/Ice/Mountaineering) 2,175 2,062 2,017 1,904 2,189 2,319 5.9% 21.8% 15.0% 12.5% 6.6% Fishing (Fly) 5,849 5,755 5,523 5,581 5,848 5,878 0.5% 5.3% 6.4% 2.1% 0.5% Fishing (Freshwater) 42,095 40,646 39,911 38,864 39,002 37,796 -3.1% -2.7% -5.3% -7.0% -10.2% Fishing (Saltwater) 14,121 13,054 12,056 11,896 12,000 11,790 -1.8% -0.9% -2.2% -9.7% -16.5% Golf 28,571 27,103 26,122 25,682 25,280 24,720 -2.2% -3.7% -5.4% -8.8% -13.5% Hiking (Day) 31,238 32,542 32,534 33,494 34,519 34,378 -0.4% 2.6% 5.7% 5.6% 10.1% Horseback Riding 11,457 10,286 9,782 9,335 8,423 8,089 -4.0% -13.3% -17.3% -21.4% -29.4% Hunting (Bow) 3,770 3,974 4,067 4,271 4,354 4,079 -6.3% -4.5% 0.3% 2.6% 8.2% Hunting (Handgun) 2,734 2,575 2,493 2,690 3,112 3,198 2.8% 18.9% 28.3% 24.2% 17.0% Hunting (Rifle) 10,490 10,729 10,632 10,479 10,485 9,792 -6.6% -6.6% -7.9% -8.7% -6.7% Hunting (Shotgun) 8,638 8,611 8,276 8,370 8,426 7,894 -6.3% -5.7% -4.6% -8.3% -8.6% Roller Skating, In-Line 10,211 8,942 8,128 7,451 6,647 6,129 -7.8% -17.7% -24.6% -31.5% -40.0% Shooting (Sport Clays) 4,199 4,232 4,291 4,296 4,544 4,479 -1.4% 4.3% 4.4% 5.8% 6.7% Shooting (Trap/Skeet) 3,523 3,519 3,489 3,453 3,591 3,784 5.4% 9.6% 8.5% 7.5% 7.4% Skateboarding 8,118 7,580 7,080 6,318 6,227 6,350 2.0% 0.5% -10.3% -16.2% -21.8% Target Shooting (Handgun) 12,551 12,919 12,485 13,638 15,418 14,370 -6.8% 5.4% 15.1% 11.2% 14.5% Target Shooting (Rifle) 12,769 12,916 12,637 13,032 13,853 13,023 -6.0% -0.1% 3.1% 0.8% 2.0% Trail Running 4,537 4,845 4,985 5,373 5,806 6,792 17.0% 26.4% 36.2% 40.2% 49.7% Triathlon (Non-Traditional/Off Road) 543 634 798 819 1,075 1,390 29.3% 69.7% 74.2% 119.2% 156.0% Triathlon (Traditional/Road) 943 1,148 1,593 1,686 1,789 2,262 26.4% 34.2% 42.0% 97.0% 139.9% NOTE: Participation figures are in 000's for the US population ages 6 and over Large Increase Moderate Increase Moderate Decrease Large Decrease Legend: (greater than 25%) (0% to 25%) (0% to -25%) (less than -25%)

Figure 11 - General Recreation Participatory Trends

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LOCAL SPORT AND MARKET POTENTIAL The following charts show sport and leisure market potential data from ESRI. A Market Potential Index (MPI) measures the probable demand for a product or service in the target area. The MPI shows the likelihood that an adult resident of the city will participate in certain activities when compared to the US National average. The National average is 100; therefore, numbers below 100 would represent a lower than average participation rate, and numbers above 100 would represent higher than average participation rate. The City is compared to the national average in three (3) categories – general sports by activity, fitness by activity, and money spent on miscellaneous recreation. The City of Brownsville demonstrates strong market potential index numbers for team sports, while producing below average figures for fitness activities. Although the earning potential of the service area is below average, the local trends analysis indicates that residents actively participate at a high level in recreational activities. The MPI data reveals a favorable market of users interested in many of offerings within the wheelhouse of the Parks and Recreation Department.

An opportunity exists in the area of fitness, in that MPI data shows that residents of Brownsville are not participating in these activities as much as the national average. Fitness activities have experienced rapid growth in participation levels in recent years, and it should be a priority of the Department to spur similar growth in fitness and wellness for its user base.

As observed in the table below, the following sport and leisure trends are most prevalent for residents within the City of Brownsville based on the most recent data available (2014). Cells highlighted in yellow indicate the top three scoring activities based on the purchasing preferences of residents.

GENERAL SPORTS MARKET POTENTIAL

City of Brownsville Participatory Trends - General Sports

Activity MPI Participated in Baseball 111 Participated in Basketball 99 Participated in Football 107 Participated in Golf 96 Participated in Soccer 120 Participated in Softball 106 Participated in Tennis 100 Participated in Volleyball 108

FITNESS MARKET POTENTIAL

City of Brownsville Participatory Trends - Fitness

Activity MPI Participated in Aerobics 104

Participated in Jogging/ Running 70

Participated in Pilates 79

Participated in Swimming 71 Participated in Walking for Exercise 77 Participated in Weight Lifting 100 Participated in Yoga 89

MONEY SPENT ON MISCELLANEOUS RECREATION

City of Brownsville Participatory Trends - Money Spent on Recreation Activity MPI Spent on sports/rec equipment in last 12 mo: $1-99 101 Spent on sports/rec equipment in last 12 mo: $100-249 113 Spent on sports/rec equipment in last 12 mo: $250+ 97 Attend sports event 62 Attend sports event: baseball game - MLB reg seas 97 Attend sports event: basketball game (college) 95 Attend sports event: basketball game - NBA reg seas 134 Attend sports event: football game (college) 109 Attend sports event: football game - NFL Mon/Thurs 109 Attend sports event: football game - NFL weekend 111 Attend sports event: high school sports 100 Attend sports event: ice hockey - NHL reg seas 83 Went on overnight camping trip in last 12 months 80 Visited a theme park in last 12 months 101 Went to zoo in last 12 months 96

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2.3 DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS FINDINGS The City of Brownsville is a youthful, family-oriented community with a heavy Hispanic/Latino influence and a propensity to engage in team sports. There are two prominent features from the demographic analysis for the Department to focus on for the future: ethnicity and below average earnings of the service area. The local trends exhibit mixed results, as there is above average participation in many activities related to team sports and miscellaneous spending on recreation, but Brownsville residents are much less involved in fitness activities than the rest of the country.

The population of Brownsville is predominately of Hispanic/Latino descent, which represent approximately 93% of all residents. This number is so substantial that it is clear the Department must largely cater to the needs, interests, and tendencies of this group. Traditionally, Hispanic/Latino groups and families often enjoy large social gatherings at parks, however it will be imperative to continue to identify, and build upon, any unique qualities specific to Brownsville residents. It is also important not to lose sight of the minority segments by ensuring departmental offerings have a little something for everyone, and to follow closely any shifts in the racial composition of the population in the future.

Based on the available data, it is clear that soccer should be a staple in the programming for Brownsville. The sport has the highest MPI among all recreational activities, which also compliments the cultural interests of the largely Hispanic/Latino population. The favorable market for soccer presents a strong opportunity to expand the existing programming and experiment with up and coming trends related to the sport. This might include, for example, capitalizing on the upward trend of indoor soccer nationwide, or introducing rising niche activities related to soccer, such as futsal.

While the local population does demonstrate strong market potential for many recreational activities, there is a clear lag in the index figures for fitness related activities. This is a trend that the Parks and Recreation Department should aim to reverse, given the nature of the Department and the role it plays in residents’ lives. It is important for the future of Brownsville to progress into a fitness-minded community and encourage an active/healthy lifestyle for all residents. Research and trends suggest that fitness programming is a critical component to a healthy community, and parks and recreation departments tend to be the driving force

Any expansion of programming must proceed with care from a pricing standpoint, in that the income characteristics of the community are significantly lower than state and national averages. This discrepancy in earnings indicates a need to provide offerings that are affordable to ensure all residents are being served, which might require offering programs free of charge and/or scholarships. This could include drop-in programming that doesn’t require substantial financial or human resources from the Department, such as open field or court time for soccer and basketball.

Based on the findings from the demographic and trends analysis, the landscape of the service area is very unique. The Department must provide services and programs that are custom tailored to the community, as well as utilizing data revealed in the demographic and trends analysis for making informed decision. Although the income characteristics are well below average, the user base also has a solid tendency to spend their time and money on activities that are well within the Department’s capabilities. The future success of the Department will rely heavily on its ability to capitalize on the specific market conditions of the service area by providing facilities, amenities, and programs that are geared toward the needs and interests of the local community.

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT A critical element of the master planning process is public engagement, which is necessary to effectively deliver a community-oriented park and recreation system. A balanced, open, and collaborative engagement process builds community-wide trust in the plan and the process. Public engagement is carefully planned in order to create an outcome that will secure support for, and the ultimate approval of, the master plan by the city council, advisory groups, city management, department staff, and the diverse groups that utilize Brownsville PARD’s services. Public engagement during the planning process included the following key elements:

• Stakeholder Focus Groups – Conducted in October 2014, the project team conducted interviews with over 75 individuals representing dozens of organizations, agencies, and interests. • Public Meetings – An initial public meeting was conducted in February 2015 to gather community input on the strengths and opportunities facing the parks and recreation system. A second public meeting was conducted in summer 2015 to present a draft of the master plan and collect input on its findings and recommendations. • Online Public Survey – Conducted between December 2014 and March 2015 to collect opinions from the general public about ideas and improvements to the PARD.

Findings from these engagement efforts are summarized in the sections that follow. In addition to the efforts mentioned above, a Master Plan Steering Committee comprised of representatives from City Council, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and City of Brownsville staff provided guidance on planning issues and periodic subject matter expertise. 3.1 KEY LEADERSHIP AND FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY Stakeholder focus groups were conducted by project team members from PROS Consulting early in the planning process to identify system strengths, shortcomings, and opportunities. Participants were asked to comment on some or all of the questions presented below. Responses and emergent themes are listed with each question.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF THE BROWNSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM? The most common responses from participants in the community were initiatives in the area of health and fitness, youth program offerings, and praise of the diligent staff of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department.

Other aspects mentioned by stakeholders included the following:

• A major strength of Brownsville is the quality of offerings in the area of health and wellness. This includes the recent growth in the popularity of trails and bike use as a major draw in the community.

• The existing youth programs and services are a large benefit of the city. • Respondents valued the popularity of both sports, and athletics within the system.

• The city’s understanding that parks and recreation helps economically, with health, with social equity, quality of life, and many other benefits is a large asset.

• Participants appreciated that Department staff work very hard and are both dedicated and cooperative.

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• Respondents said that community members generally show their support of parks within neighborhoods.

WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE NEED TO BUILD ON FOR THIS MASTER PLAN? While partnerships are a system-wide strength – especially among schools and the arts and culture community – respondents noted that there seemed to be a falling rate of private/non-profit sector involvement in the parks and recreation system as compared to other cities.

Participants complimented staff on their ability to use limited resources. It was also mentioned that there is a continued need to show prudence in all financial aspects of the system is critical to the future health of the department.

Residents also recognized the strategic use of spacing and utilization of parks as another strength, but voiced a concern for the necessary progress of green space connectivity throughout the community.

Along with these suggestions, respondents also answered:

• The Department needs to be able to provide low- or no-cost programs to families with low socio- economic status, especially for afterschool programs and summer camps when school is not in session.

• Recreation programming for soccer, youth and sports leagues is a strength. There is no YMCA or Boys and Girls Club so the department has stepped in to provide those services. However, this change also stretches their resources thin.

• The increased level of economic impact through additional sports tourism is a strength and has the potential for growth with additional resources and planning.

• There is an increased use of parks in the community but still a possibility for greater awareness of parks and public events.

• Brownsville has good spacing, a wide diversity of amenities, and great distribution of parks in the city.

• The growth of the trail system over past decade has been a large asset. • Citizens believe that the staff is efficient with their resources in terms of maintenance, attendance, support and presence at city events.

DO YOU HAVE IDEAS ABOUT CHANGES, ADDITIONS, OR IMPROVEMENTS FOR PROGRAMS, PARKS, TRAILS AND/OR RECREATION FACILITIES IN BROWNSVILLE FOR THE FUTURE? Many beneficial ideas emerged from stakeholder input as residents explained their ideas for future improvement. They noted anything from improving bike lanes, to better signage, lighting, adult recreation, and the creation of volunteer programs.

Tourism attraction and development were mentioned as a necessity for future growth, along with enhanced education and training of department employees on job-specific skills.

Another valuable idea was to engage the MIS department by increasing Wi-Fi access to parks, enhancing the user experience, electronically identifying park amenities, utilizing surveillance equipment and implementing a security plan for major parks or the overall system.

The issue of failing park maintenance was identified as a considerable problem among numerous Brownsville stakeholders. Solutions mentioned multiple times included creating a sustainable asset management plan that can keep up with the community’s high level of use and to implement enhanced maintenance and operational standards to improve the level of care for parks and facilities.

Another large problem discussed during focus groups was accessibility to parks. Community members were concerned with parking, public transportation, trails, and helping Brownsville become a multi- modal city.

Other frequently-mentioned response themes included department funding, community ownership of parks, and new ways to engage partners. In addition to these ideas, respondents also answered:

• There is a necessity for improved policies in managing field rentals, enforcing clean-up rules, recovering costs for maintenance, concession policies and methods that allow for more efficient management of leagues and rentals.

• The Department should offer additional free health and wellness classes to have the city lead by example, and the city should partner with the private sector or universities instead of letting these organizations take the lead.

• The department should work in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and other economic development agencies to draw more residents and businesses.

• Participants noted one valuable change might be educating the public on the relationship between trails and increased property values.

• The fact that the department assists with community gardens and farmers markets occasionally puts an extra demand on staff. Residents conveyed a desire to find new ways to expand the community gardens foundation recognizing it may be an area for growth in the future.

• A suggestion made by participants was the consideration of inflatable domes as a facility type.

• One proposal was to enhance connectivity by utilizing more rights of way and roadways. The enhanced use of interstitial spaces would allow for informal use and other unorthodox uses of space.

• Community members identified the incorporation of xeriscaping and drought-resistant vegetation in landscaping as an improvement.

• It would be beneficial to create a policy for public art, such as, when/where/how to install it and how to fund and maintain art over time.

• If school properties could be used as parks, the overall service area of parks would be significantly increased. The Department should consider school parks as a classification type and use a joint use agreement (JUA) with city to manage access and maintenance.

• Participants suggested that enhancing senior programming, including building off of the strengths of current partnerships, would be a worthy addition for the future.

26 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

• Because of facility misuse by some users, the Department should foster ownership of parks to reduce littering, vandalism, and damage. They can accomplish this through word of mouth, signage, and include it in their marketing materials as a theme (e.g., “these are YOUR parks”).

• The Children's Museum inside of Dean Porter Park has reached capacity for events. It is in desperate need of repairs to its stucco and foundation and would also benefit from a growth plan.

• The improved coordination between facilities/entities in Dean Porter Park (Children’s Museum, Ringgold Civic Center, Playhouse, Zoo, Aquatic Center) would cause less competition and allow for advantageous cross-promotion.

• There is a necessity to support native habitats. City parks can provide additional habitats to protect and to also help eco-tourism, especially related to birding.

• The Department should capitalize on resacas for their potential as waterfront spaces and continued use as stormwater runoff areas. Staff can also manage the areas around them by preventing erosion and protecting water quality. Resacas could be part of an “emerald necklace” of park land like in systems developed by Frederick Law Olmstead and similar planners.

ARE THERE RECREATION FACILITIES OR AMENITIES MISSING IN BROWNSVILLE THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS IN THIS MASTER PLAN? As far as amenities, some of the common responses included, trails, signage, birding sites, playgrounds, and food trucks. Programming responses included environmental education, arts and culture programs, therapeutic recreation, and aquatics. Below are additional suggestions by Brownsville community members:

• The addition of practice fields for kickball and other diamond sports would allow for enhanced recreation offerings and spaces.

• Citizens deem it necessary to take into account the total cost of facility ownership when building new amenities or facilities.

• Community members have a desire to create a maintenance endowment or sinking fund for facility management.

• The department needs to review the parkland dedication fund and possibly review/implement the impact fee.

• Respondents indicated this plan should address linking to Chamber of Commerce initiatives in order to support economic development and boost the image of Brownsville. A good master plan can support other organizations’ efforts to recruit.

• When parks are built through land dedication, they need to have developers build to park standards and adhere to proper design development review.

• It is critical to ensure play areas are safe, as far as, lighting, barriers between play areas and roads, and bodies of water.

• Residents need programs that are different, new, and inexpensive to get involved in (e.g., ultimate Frisbee, disc golf, environmental education, and birding).

• Participants mentioned the need for amenities such as covered outdoor courts, gyms, and additional basketball courts.

• It would be beneficial to create/expand the adopt-a-park program.

• Additional dog parks closer to neighborhoods with revenue generating features (e.g., dog wash stations) would be desirable.

• Brownsville residents expressed a desire for affordable city-sponsored overnight summer camps.

• A large theme among input meetings was promoting the use of technology (apps, Wi-Fi in parks) as a tool/motivator for wellness activities and to attract youth.

• Attendees exhibited a desire to address utilizing alternative energy sources for parks.

• Among park necessities, more shade and recycling were cited as advantageous changes.

• Specifics for senior programming such as water aerobics, senior Zumba, socials, trips, and therapeutic recreation/rehab programming were all communicated as significant issues to address in the master plan.

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE DEPARTMENT’S ABILITY TO MARKET ITS SERVICES, COMMUNICATE AND DEVELOP TOUCH POINTS WITH THE RESIDENTS? Members of the Brownsville community suggested multiple enhancements to marketing and communication to advance the parks and recreation department’s impact in the future. Among those communication approaches was a need to enhance the website with more information about available amenities in parks, historical/cultural information, and additional resources for teachers. They particularly addressed the general need to articulate the differing experiences available in parks throughout the system.

Other useful strategies included the use of improved marketing through social media, phone apps, bi- lingual signage, creation of a program guide, and better communication of program schedules.

Brownsville residents also provided the following comments:

• It is necessary to communicate that parks are more than just recreational spaces, they have environmental, economic, health benefits.

• The city is currently working with the Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) to provide and market opportunities for youth.

• Meeting attendees suggested the process of spotlighting one park in the system every month to market its features, increase awareness, and cross-promote programs as an additional useful strategy.

• The Department should continue and expand work with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and other local organizations to produce marketing materials to help promote Brownsville for sports tourism and conventions.

• Advertising and sponsorships at the Sports Park would increase revenue generation.

• Promoting the benefits and aesthetics of resacas can be used to promote business development.

• Expanding communication about the benefits of parks and recreation can help taxpayers understand why their tax dollars are a sound investment. 28 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

• The department should help raise awareness of the gems of the system like Veterans Park, Dean Porter Park, and Sports Park.

• Event marketing in the city is often uncoordinated and lacking a comprehensive strategy. There are numerous short-term announcements that do not allow for advance planning. There does not seem to be a public communication/marketing strategy from the City.

• The community is not taking advantage of all their parks. Events are in similar places and need to be offered in more strategically selected locations.

• The Department should raise awareness of the existence of the Park Board, from meeting announcements, to participation and outcomes of meetings.

IF THERE WERE JUST ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THE MASTER PLAN COVERS, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? Brownsville residents placed strong emphasis on the financial future of their city. Suggestions for the master plan included assessing the true cost of services for parks and recreation, generating more impact for limited funding, the future economic development of the system as a whole and a sustainable budget, as well as attracting new employers to the city. Preferences also gravitated towards the issue of family- oriented activities and events in more community-centered parks. Additional responses from residents included the following points:

• Respondents observed the plan should cover the promotion of health and wellness in the community.

• Some citizens expressed a need to efficiently use the department’s current resources before acquiring more acreage.

• The creation of a maintenance plan and asset management plan was a significant concern of the majority of members in attendance.

• Security should be enhanced in several parks with reputations for misuse and undesirable activity.

• Participants conveyed a desire for an increase in bike/trail connectivity with other providers.

• A number of residents concluded that it was necessary to revisit the mission and vision statement for the Department.

• The department should have a plan for growing staff/resources in tandem with expanding the system.

• An expressed concern was that the ADA accessibility of amenities should be included in the final master plan.

• Residents stated that the master plan needs to contain a business plan in order to convince the people of Brownsville make an investment in the park system.

• The department should address creating a strong partnership with BISD to accomplish goals related to health and wellness, facility management, education and curriculum.

• More diverse programming beyond the traditional sports like soccer, baseball, and softball should be promoted. The growth of volleyball, tennis, disc golf and all of the alternative sports should be addressed, especially because people are traveling to other cities to get these. 29

• The Department should achieve Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) Accreditation.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE ROLE OF THE CONSULTANTS TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE MASTER PLAN’S DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION? Generally, participants expressed a desire for the consultant team to bring their knowledge and expertise of other park systems to this plan in order to help the Department function in accordance with industry best practices. Participants also thought it was important to have a neutral third party like the consulting team serve as an intermediary between the public, community stakeholders, municipal political leaders, and Department staff. It was important to participants that the consulting team conducts thorough public engagement and be transparent and clear with their findings. Multiple people reflected the idea that the master plan should be a plan for everyone, and so everyone should have a chance to be engaged. But because the Department cannot be “all things to all people,” it was also mentioned that the consulting team do their best to prioritize needs and recommendations so as to provide for an equitable and sustainable plan. A few individuals said that it was important for consultants to articulate the impacts, either positive or negative, of reducing or eliminating services.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE THAT I HAVEN’T ASKED YOU? • Key staff in the City should be given the power and accountability to implement the master plan. Someone like the Assistant Director should manage implementation with support from the City’s Planning Department.

• Residents expressed a need to have a policy for use of parkland for private gain.

• Many said the Department and Board need to be able to articulate the parks and recreation pricing policy.

• There remains a high need to avoid managing parks and recreation with a “silo” mindset. This applies to not only the divisions within the Department, but also the Parks and Recreation Department in relationship to other City departments.

• A major recurring theme present in input meetings was a necessity for health and wellness, as well as social equity.

• Participants suggested it would be beneficial to update parkland classifications and conduct a Level of Service analysis.

• The community would like to grow the use of the newly introduced RecDesk/RecTrac system. Training of staff in proper use of the system, reporting, and use of data in making decisions is critical to future endeavors.

• It is important to make parks an anchor for tourism and economic development in the city. There is a need for events, history, and culture that keep people here for an entire weekend.

• There is potential to tap into Brownsville being one of the top birding places in North America. Residents suggested promoting this both in parks and with programs.

• Tourism into Mexico is declining and this has affected Brownsville. The community needs to compensate for it by creating a new draw.

30 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

• The Parks and Recreation Board should be more than an advisory board. It needs to be a policy board with funding. It also needs to have the ability to set and enforce policy.

• The plan should reflect the involvement of more of the community as the process moves forward.

• The Department should consider utilizing the local universities for interns. 3.2 PUBLIC MEETING SUMMARY An initial public meeting was held by the Department and planning team to describe the planning process and collect input from residents on February 10, 2015 at the Central Library. The meeting included an overview of the scope of the planning project, a summary of the demographic analysis for Brownsville, a review of key recreational trends, and a participatory session with attendees to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. The planning team shared their preliminary observations and engaged the audience to expand, elaborate, and add to those findings. The feedback received is summarized below. Within each list, the most frequently mentioned comments and concepts are listed first.

STRENGTHS • Unique parks that represent the heritage of the community • Athletic programs – especially those for youth • Social gathering places • The Brownsville Event Center as a great place to hold functions that represents the essence of Brownsville • Great trail system that is growing • Resacas in many parks

WEAKNESSES • A need for more trails and sidewalks throughout the city, particularly to connect with key destinations like Dean Porter Park, the Sports Park, downtown, schools, etc. • Lack of balanced system; it seems that much of best park/trail development occurs in northern parts of town • Limited adult and senior programs • Passive recreation elements are needed in more parks, especially for seniors or those that have mobility concerns • More trees and beautification needed in parks • Lack of a desirable downtown – could use more inviting spaces or special events • Some portions of the trails are uneven and need repair • Lack of good lighting and lines of sight • Signage and wayfinding could be improved • Emergency phones are needed along trails and in parks • City staff need additional technical expertise and capacity, particularly in park and facility maintenance • No play structure at Washington Park

OPPORTUNITIES • Emphasis on healthy lifestyles in parks, facilities, and programs • Ensure parks are ADA accessible and include elements of universal design • Create options for using the Sports Park more; make it more of a source of pride in the city • Engaging residents more – especially youth and seniors • Develop master plans for older parks to refresh them • Providing more equity in terms of access and condition throughout the system • Develop additional parks as infill where able using impact fees or developer funding • Expanding partnerships, especially with school system and similar providers • Provide more environmental education programs • Expanded marketing with more segment-oriented approach • New programs and facilities to meet emerging recreation trends • Leverage resacas in park design more • Make parks more accessible through better parking and trail/sidewalk connections • Coordination with other planning efforts, especially bike and trails master plan • Additional promotion of recreational, historic, and cultural “gems” • Launch an “Adopt a Park” program to encourage neighborhood care, ownership, and pride in parks • Help youth and adult sports grow with more athletic fields • Use the cable access channel for marketing • Develop a botanical garden

32 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

3.3 WEB-BASED SURVEY FINDINGS A survey was made available to members of the Brownsville community from December 2014 to March 2015, in which time there were 162 responses. This questionnaire was administered via the Parks and Recreation Department website and promoted through social media in order to aid in the planning process. Questions were tailored to focus on residents’ interests, needs, and use patterns of Brownsville Park and Recreation facilities, as well as key issues the Department is facing. This analysis is meant to be utilized as an additional means of collecting information to complement focus group, public, and stakeholder meetings. It is also important to note that this is not a statistically valid survey. All the responses to these questions are anecdotal; the results cannot be generalized to the overall population.

HAVE YOU OR MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD VISITED ANY OF THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS DURING THE PAST YEAR? More than 80% of survey respondents have visited City of Brownsville parks in the past year, while nearly 17% had not and 1% were not sure.

1.2%

16.8%

Yes No

Not sure

82.0%

OVERALL, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF ALL THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS YOU HAVE VISITED? More than half of those surveyed rated the condition of parks as “Good,” and another 12% gave a rating of “Excellent”. Approximately 28% rated the parks as “Fair” and 9% consider parks condition to be “Poor”.

8.6% 11.7%

Excellent 28.1% Good Fair Poor

51.6%

HAVE YOU OR OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD PARTICIPATED IN ANY RECREATION OR SPORTS PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS? Just over 37% of respondents indicated they have participated in programs offered by the Department, while nearly 60% had not participated and an additional 4% were unsure.

3.9%

37.3% Yes No Not Sure

58.8%

34 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE RECREATION PROGRAMS THAT YOU AND MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOD HAVE PARTICIPATED IN? Over 70% of respondent’s rate programs as “Good” or “Excellent”, while 24% consider programs to be “Fair” and 4% rate them as “Poor”.

4.3% 13.0%

23.9% Excellent Good Fair

Poor

58.7%

PLEASE CHECK ALL THE WAYS YOU LEARN ABOUT CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. The most popular marketing methods for programs among survey respondents were the City of Brownsville Website (52%), Friends and Family (47%), and Social Media (46%). The least popular methods were E-mail Bulletins (18%), Conversations with Parks and Rec Staff (24%), and Flyers (27%).

60.0% 52.1% 50.0% 45.5% 47.1%

40.0% 34.7% 27.3% 28.1% 30.0% 24.0% 18.2% 20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

Flyers Newspaper

Social Media Email bulletins Signs and Banners Friends and Family Friends Rec staff

City of Brownsville Website Conversations with Parks and

FROM THE FOLLOWING LIST, PLEASE CHECK ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU OR MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD HAVE USED FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR RECREATION AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS. The most common organizations households have used for indoor / outdoor recreation include City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation (65%), School District Facilities (37%), and County Parks (24%). The least popular were Homeowner Associations / Apartment Complexes (5%), Churches (18%), and Private / Non-Profit Sports Leagues (20%). Just over 17% of respondents reported they do not use any organizations for indoor / outdoor recreation.

70.0% 65.2%

60.0%

50.0%

40.0% 36.5%

30.0% 22.6% 23.5% 20.0% 18.3% 17.4% 20.0%

10.0% 5.2%

0.0% Churches County parks gold) organizations Complex Recreation None. Do not use any use not Do None. School district facilities City of Brownsville Parks and Private Clubs (health, fitness, Homeowners Association/Apt. Private/non-profit sports leagues

36 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

PLEASE CHECK ALL THE REASONS THAT PREVENT YOU OR OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD FROM USING PARKS, RECREATION AND SPORTS FACILITIES OR PROGRAMS OF THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT MORE OFTEN. The most common deterrents for using facilities or participating in programming offered by the Department for respondents include “I do not know what is being offered” (43%), “security is insufficient” (35%), and “facilities not well maintained” (35%). The least common responses were “use facilities in other cities” (3%), “class full” (5%), and “use services of other agencies/organizations” (7%).

I do not know what is being offered 43.4% Security is insufficient 34.9%

Facilities are not well maintained 34.9%

Lack of quality programs 23.6% Too far from our residence 22.6% Program or facility not offered 22.6% Facilities lack the right equipment 18.9%

Program times are not convenient 17.0%

I do not know locations of facilities 14.2% Lack of parking at facilities and parks 13.2% Registration of programs is difficult 13.2% Facility operation hours not convenient 13.2% Poor customer service by staff 12.3% Fees are too high 11.3% Not accessible for people with disabilities 7.5% Lack of Transportation 7.5% Use services of other agencies/organizations 6.6% Class full 4.7% Use facilities in others cities 2.8%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

IF AN ADDITIONAL $100 WERE AVAILABLE FOR CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS, TRAILS, SPORTS, AND RECREATION FACILITIES, HOW WOULD YOU ALLOCATE THE FUNDS AMONG THE CATEGORIES OF FUNDING LISTED BELOW? (PLEASE BE SURE YOU TOTAL ADDS UP TO $100) Out of an available $100, the average respondent would allocate the most money to “maintenance of existing parks and recreation facilities” ($37.88), “expand existing and/or develop new walking and biking trails” ($21.85), and “development and improvement of indoor facilities” ($13.05). The lowest priority for the average respondent includes “construction of new athletic fields” ($7.68), “acquire new park land and open space” ($9.58), and “provide additional recreation programs” ($9.95).

$40 $37.88

$35 $30

$25 $21.85 $20

$15 $13.05 $9.58 $9.95 $10 $7.68

$0 Maintenance of Acquire new park Construction of Expand existing Development and Provide additional existing parks and land and open new athletic fields and/or develop improvement of recreation recreation space (softball, baseball new walking and indoor facilities programs facilities soccer, kickball, biking trails (fitness center, football etc.) gyms, activity spaces, etc.)

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE OVERALL VALUE YOUR HOUSEHOLD RECEIVES FROM THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT? Approximately 46% of survey respondents indicated they are “somewhat satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the value their household receives from the Department. Only 23% reported they are “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied”, while 28% were “neutral” and 1% was “not sure”.

1.0%

10.8% 11.8%

Very Satisfied 11.8% Somewhat Satisfied Neutral Somewhat Dissatisfied

36.3% Very Dissatisfied Not sure

28.4%

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COMPARED TO OTHER PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE SUCH AS POLICE, FIRE AND STREETS, HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS TO FUND PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES? Nearly 90% of respondents consider funding of parks and recreation services “very important” or “somewhat important” when compared to other city services, while 9% consider funding “not important” and 3% were “not sure”.

2.9%

8.7%

Very Important Somewhat Important

Not Important 31.7% 56.7% Not Sure

WHAT IS YOUR GENDER? Survey respondents were fairly evenly split between males (50.5%) and females (49.5%).

49.5% Male 50.5% Female

PLEASE SHARE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT COULD ASSIST THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN IMPROVING PARKS, TRAILS, OPEN SPACE, OR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS. 1. The city needs to make the parks a safe place to be no matter what time of day, they all need to be well lit and an inviting place for the whole family. 2. The basketball courts are no well-maintained! There are no lights for visibility in the evening 3. I love going to the Convention Center's walking trails to train. I believe we need more biking and running trails in Brownsville. 4. allow online registration for recreational programs like swimming 5. My elderly parents go to walk every morning in Lincoln Park (next to University). The restrooms have yet to be cleaned in years. There's never toilet paper, floors are filthy, they reek of ugly smell, and trash cans are never disposed of on trash day. Employees just show up and leave for no reason, they are never around to place complaints. 6. Need to work on existing parks!! 7. Please give the residents an opportunity to voice their opinions do not let ccrma interfere with your master plan no highway nor Blvd. 8. provide map of parks more variety of use 9. need water fountain maintenance 10. I would like a bike/walking trail extended from the belden trail to the soon to be vacated 8 mile stretch of land (right of way) railroad that of union pacific from the 77 flea market area down to the b and m bridge 11. Security is important. parks at riverside are local hangouts for couples, young kids just hanging out 12. Cleaning on the over pass on north end of bike trail park also on side of overpass mud and gravel 13. Emphasize that self-policing is important in maintaining facilities. City should purchase nice, tree covered average next to a resaca for studies of native plant life. 14. ACTIVITIES FOR THE ELDERLY, VETERANS AND DISABLED. TALKING TO THE ARTS MUSEUM, THEY ARE WILLING TO ASSIST WITH ART CLASSES 15. City walkability is key. Increasing the walkability of our city would stimulate the economy, slim our waistlines and make us better, more involved citizens. 16. Fix, repair and maintain playground equipment at Dean Porter Park, Edelstein Park, and St. Charles Park. Maintenance and repairs are horrible at these 3 locations. Dean Porter park playground has become a liability than a safe playground w/ all the faulty playground equipment, the padding is full of holes and I've personally seen 6 small kids trip, fall and cry because of these holes. Also is the parks dept. too busy to remove Xmas lights from Dean Porter Park and Washington Park? Waste of taxpayer monies. Sloppy coordination of park director and maint Supervisors. 17. Please work to improve all parks to ADA compliance, so all may continue to access them. 18. Additional security and continued maintenance of existing parks 19. We need sidewalks on coffee Rd/Jaime Zapata. There is no sidewalk on either side of the road and people are always walking/riding their bikes. It's a two lane street which makes it extremely unsafe for cars and bikes to ride together. Fix the road by the Brownsville Zoo. Ringgold Park is great but the main road is horrible. It give a really bad first impression to visitors. The zoo is one of Brownsville's family attractions; before building new parks concentrate on making what we do have accessible and better.

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20. I believe that the City of Brownsville needs to maintain and patrol its current parks and especially bike trails before adding additional ones. It is a shame that in my neighborhood crimes, such a small burglaries of outdoor property items and car theft attempts, have risen due to the addition of the Belden trail. I hardly see any activity on it except for the rare city sponsored event. there is not sufficient lighting and it is used more at night to ease the 21. Way for individuals out for less than honest means. We had been assured that bike patrol would be provided yet it has been over a year and I have yet to see a single police officer that wasn't here as a result of being called to file a report. As a matter of fact I myself will be calling to file as my property has been yet again targeted. 22. Increase security, increase web and social media presence. Websites are outdated with little information. Create YouTube videos of what each park has to offer. 23. The facilities are overall adequate, but there is room for improvement. More hike and bike trails should be an important part of the Master Plan. 24. The Parks & Rec. Dept. are doing an excellent job!! Keep it up!! 25. Too much accent on hike & bike trails. Use some moneys for the entertainment or use of elderly people without children. 26. Have personal all week cleaning and maintaining the park! 27. Walking/biking trails are extremely important here in the city and should be developed quickly. Also other rec programs and the time able to play seasons longer are important. Maintenance for current parks needs to be maintained properly and more frequently. 28. Curb appeal, cleanliness in the space and bathrooms make it inviting, so improvement in these areas are important. 29. always ensure there are no architectural barriers for people with disabilities 30. No more bike trails...maintain what we have. 31. Would love to see more programs geared toward Seniors (Art classes, dancing classes, Exercise classes 32. Would like to see more safe walking and cycling trails. They are facilities all families can use, and are relatively low cost once constructed. Would also be good to promote people getting out by having "walk and talk" events where guides explain local history, natural history (geology, birds, plants, etc.), architecture and so forth. This is better than spending money keeping up sports fields that may be only used by relatively few people. (Not that you should get rid of all of the baseball/basketball fields.) 33. Late hours for those who work really late. Outdoor cinema show like the one Port Isabel does on the lighthouse. 34. Lack of swimming opportunities for the public 35. Bathroom facilities should have an intendant during open hours. Parks should incorporate a maintenance plan for all parks and follow thru. Dean Porter Park is a well-attended park but yet, the playground equipment is outdated, needs painting or repair, the flooring is missing or cracking. Other parks I have visited, the playground equipment is vandalized and it seems it’s not a priority to repair. I'm talking months and it has the same damages. When was the last time the playgrounds have been washed down? 36. When asked how much would I spend for "Construction of new athletic fields (softball, baseball soccer, kickball, football etc.)??” I wrote 20 -for new tennis courts or anything other than the standard field.... It wouldn't let me click next so I had to delete the words and with it I lowered my number to 10. My point is that I don't think more money needs to go to more fields, but maybe something different. We have one public tennis court that I am aware of, no areas for disc golf

and no pump tracks. I think the PARD could spend money on the construction of new types of facilities. There are plenty of fields for what was listed as examples. 37. Our concern is too much sun exposure increase the risk for cancer. Older residence will benefit from physical activities that are held inside cool areas. 38. Security would be the most important improvement for me. But not just any type of security. Off duty police officers would be best. The company that the city had in the past "American Surveillance", the securities would just be sitting inside their personal vehicle or meeting with a boyfriend/girlfriend etc... 39. Bathroom facilities need to be available all the time ex: the Gonzalez Park, the bathroom facility gets locked after a certain hour. there are no benches in the chachalaca park 40. If possible add lighting on the bike trail 41. Take care of what we have now before buying other property. Our current properties are being neglected. 42. Requests have been made to do general maintenance work at Oliveira Park. The response is always "no manpower" or "no money". Yet, we are always adding to the hike a bike trail, which by my own experience, has less use. A skate park was added to Oliveria Park, yet we can’t maintain what we already have. I try to stay positive and teach my children the value of staying positive; but the Parks Department really upsets me. I have given up trying! Unfortunately, monies goes to Commissioner's pet projects, such as the Hike and Bike Trail. Once again, I GIVE UP! 43. Build new parks in communities that are far away from the currents parks. 44. I did not know that were recreational activities offered by the city until I read about them in this survey. I think it would be nice to expand upon the existing bicycle trails, so that they go further and connect to each other. 45. The City of Brownsville needs an indoor facility with multiple courts like larger cities. The courts are mulit purpose; volleyball, basketball, indoor soccer. The facility provides space for more teams to play at one time, could generate revenue when holding tournaments, renting practice space by the hour. There are many "club" teams in basketball, volleyball boys and girls that do not have anywhere to practice. Brings teams from across the state to tournaments, hotel revenue, and restaurant revenue. The City will not have a limit of teams for volleyball, basketball programs 46. The programs need to be marketed more effectively. The addition of pocket parks in neighborhoods that do not have access to nearby parks would be great. 47. More gyms should be built, especially that teenagers like playing volleyball and basketball, not enough gyms around Brownsville. 48. How you inform communities and individuals of what services and parks are available to them needs to be reassessed. 49. The restrooms need to be better maintained. 50. I wish the public pools were open during other times of the year in addition to summer. Other cities of similar size (and much cooler climates) keep their public pools open for a greater part of the year. In addition, the lap swim hours at the public pools should be expanded so that people can access this great way to exercise. I used Sam's Pool about 2-3 times a week the last two summers when they had lap swim at 630 AM. I would appreciate having this program available for more than one month, and I know others who would as well. I would also like to see more trails developed, including a "green belt" through and around the city. Brownsville would benefit greatly from more green space in terms of quality of life and eco-tourism, so I would like to see

42 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

more open space, parks, and trails acquired. I would also like to see a splash pad in more city parks where children can get wet and play, especially in the sweltering heat of summer. The heat keeps me and my children indoors for much of the summer and this would get us out. They have a splash pad park, as well as a dog park, in McAllen and I think it would get a lot of use in Brownsville. Finally, I'd like to see more trees and landscaping wherever possible to make our city more beautiful. Thanks for your work. 51. Indoor soccer facility 52. Sports Park is a beautiful park. 53. Emplear un Director con mas capasidad mental que sepa manejar el presupuesto y le de prioridad a los parques que ya existen, renobar y reestructurar los que ya existen pues son obsoletos y que requiere de mas cuidado en los gyms existen baños solo para tres personas a la ves y su capasidad es de 300 personas hay que ampliarlos y mejor servicio [Employ a Director with more capacity who can handle the budget and give priority to parks that already exist, and redo existing parks because they are obsolete and require more care; in gyms bathrooms hold only three people to but should accommodate up to 300 persons, so need to expand and provide better service] 54. sin comentarios [no comments] 55. nos gustaria una biblioteca cerca del Puerto o por la 511 [We would like a library near the Port or for 511]

PARK ASSESSMENT 4.1 METHODOLOGY In November 2014, the planning team performed an assessment of the parks of Brownsville. This assessment establishes a base-line understanding and “snapshot” of the existing conditions of the parks and amenities in the system, and support the foundation, or reference point, from which recommendations of the Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan can be developed.

The condition of parks and assets evaluated and assessed by the planning team are noted in the tables associated with the park. For purposes of this project and site assessment, park assets are developed amenities within parks that enhance the recreational experience of users. Specific examples of park assets include picnic areas, playgrounds, shelters or pavilions, ball fields, sport courts, etc. Park and asset conditions were rated using a scale of excellent, good, fair or poor. The description of conditions that are attributed to each of these assessment findings are provided below.

‘EXCELLENT’ CONDITION Park/amenities are in excellent condition with little or no maintenance problems noted. Park/amenities do not feature any major design issues that contribute to diminished use or maintenance.

‘GOOD’ CONDITION Park/amenities are in good condition and feature only minor maintenance problems. Generally, most maintenance issues with these park/amenities appear to be the result of age and/or heavy use. Park/amenities may only feature minor design issues that contribute to diminished use or maintenance (i.e. drainage, structural, utilities, etc.)

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‘FAIR’ CONDITION Park/amenities are in fair condition and indicate ongoing maintenance problems. Generally, most maintenance issues with these park/amenities appear to be the result of age and heavy use. Some maintenance issues may be compounded over time due to being deferred because of budget and/or resource limitations.

‘POOR’ CONDITION Park/amenities are in poor condition and clearly show ongoing maintenance problems that ultimately may result in suspended use for repair/replacement. Maintenance issues with these park/amenities are the result of age and heavy use, and generally are compounded over time due to deferred maintenance as a result of budget and/or resource limitations. Park/amenities may feature major design issues that contribute to diminished use or maintenance (i.e. drainage, structural, utilities, etc.)

4.2 SUMMARY OF THE SYSTEM The Brownsville Parks and Recreation System offers a diverse mix of recreational opportunities for the surrounding community. Several signature sites such as Dean Porter Park, the Southern Pacific Linear Park, and the Historic Battlefield Trail possess unique features and celebrate the history and culture of the Brownsville community. Other parks within the system displayed opportunities for improvements, but had yet to realize their full potential within the parks system.

Parks were assessed regarding to their existing facilities, programs, and community/ contextual relationship. The following table summarizes the overall condition of each park.

Summary of Conditions

Park Classification Overall Condition Dean Porter Park City Park Excellent/Good North Brownsville Park and Tennis Center Regional Park Excellent/Good Veterans Park Mini Park Excellent/Good Brownsville Sports Park Regional Park Good Charles Martin Cabler Park Neighborhood Park Good Historic Battlefield Trail Community Park / Trail Good Lincoln Park Community Park Good Monte Bella Trails Park Community Park Good Morningside Park Community Park Good Oliveira Park Community Park Good Portaway Acres Park Mini Park Good Southern Pacific Linear Park Community Park Good Gonzalez Park Community Park Good/Fair La Galaxia / La Lomita Park Mini Park Good/Fair Washington Plaza Mini Park Good/Fair 14th Street Plaza Mini Park Fair Alice Wilson Hope Park Mini Park Fair Central Parkway (Paseo Trails) Community Park / Trail Fair McNair Park Mini Park Fair Riverside Park Neighborhood Fair Rosa Allala Park Mini Park Fair Stillman Dog Park Mini Park Fair Trail of Texas Park (Paseo Trails) Community Park / Trail Fair Windwood Park Neighborhood Fair Central Avenue Park Mini Park Fair/Poor Edelstein Park Mini Park Fair/Poor FM 511 Kickball Field Park Community Park Fair/Poor Garfield Park Mini Park Fair/Poor Ruiz Park Mini Park Fair/Poor West Brownsville Little League Park Mini Park Fair/Poor Prax Orive Jr. Park Mini Park Poor

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STRENGTHS • Diversity Of Park Scale And Programs – Ranging from large regional parks (Brownsville Sports Park) to mini neighborhood parks (Garfield Park), the system offers a diversity of park scales for the community. Issues of distribution notwithstanding, a diversity of scale provides ample opportunity for a varied assortment of programming options. This makes the parks system appealing to a wider audience, expanding its ability to engage with the greater Brownsville community. It is imperative that the future park plan expands upon the already established diversity in park scale and program. • Community Use – It was evident during the site assessments that the Brownsville community embraces their existing parks. All parks visited showed signs of heavy use by the surrounding community. The parks plan should look for opportunities to engage the Brownsville community. • Community Centric Expression – Some parks displayed aspects of community-based art and expressions. The mural/ graffiti wall in Gonzalez Park, the blue trees in Washington Park, and the smokestack in Oliveira Park are all important components that speak to Brownsville’s past, present, and future. Community centric elements, including artistic expressions (graffiti wall), create a stronger engagement with the Brownsville community and should be embraced whenever possible within the plan.

CHALLENGES • Health, Safety, And Welfare – There is a reoccurring theme of park conditions that do not adhere to current health, safety, and welfare standards set forth by local codes, practices recommended by the National Recreation and Park Association, and other industry best practices. Of note, playground equipment, accessible routes, and conditions of many site fixtures (water fountains) and architecture (shade structures) are in poor condition and pose a threat to the safety of park visitors. It is critical that the city bring parks, and park elements, into compliance with health, safety, and welfare standards. • Lack Of Development Standards – Parks within the Brownsville system do not share a common set of development standards. This includes a continuity of architectural and site features utilized within all parks (thereby minimizing maintenance standards and enhancing park continuity and identity). Additionally, development standards do not exist for private developers who may wish to construct private parks (to be adopted by the city at a later date). It is critical that the city adopt a set of development standards to be shared by all parks, including those developed by private entities. • Maintenance Standards – It was observed that several of the parks, such as Brownsville Sports Park and Historic Battlefield Trail, require extensive maintenance efforts (such as mowing of lawn areas). In addition, there is diversity in levels of maintenance standards among parks. The future park system should evaluate new standards for maintenance that require a minimum level of service, as well new operational/ maintenance strategies (reduction of mow zones).

CONTEXT/ CONNECTIVITY • Neighborhood And School Connections – Parks within the Brownsville system should strive to make stronger connections to surrounding neighborhoods and schools. For example, Morningside Park is a large park with opportunities for multiple program offerings, yet there are no connections

to the nearby community and school. It is critical that the future park plan make strong connections between its parks and the surrounding neighborhoods and schools. • Integration with Resacas– Parks, residential areas, and commercial centers could benefit from a greater level of connectivity to resacas that exist within the city. These connections would provide opportunities for additional programs associated with fishing, bird-watching, water ecology as well as introduce storylines associated with the history and formation of Brownsville. The city should create incentives for private developers to incorporate resacas in parks and protected areas, and can develop business improvement districts to help protect and maintain them throughout the city. Integration of existing resacas into Brownsville parks should be made whenever possible to expand programming, economic, and heritage connections. • Connection With Trails Master Plan – It was understood that the Brownsville Trails Master Plan was developed with little or limited input from the PARD. These two initiatives, trails and parks, should be working towards a common goal and therefore should have a stronger integration. It is imperative that both master plans, trails and parks, have a greater level of interaction and relationship.

DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES • Parks As Neighborhood Identity – Parks such as Ruiz Park (island among streets) have opportunities to become greater expressions of the surrounding communities that they serve. For instance, Ruiz Park could have strong crosswalk connections (none currently exist) that grab the road and make it feel more integrated within the park. This would create a greater level of safety because of traffic calming (for this particular park) as well as allow the park to function as a community landmark. Whenever possible, park refinements should strive to celebrate the identity of their surrounding communities. • Interpretive / Educational Story – A common theme that could be introduced within the City of Brownsville’s parks is an interpretive storyline regarding facets of the Brownsville culture (heritage, natural systems, etc.). This will allow the parks to more fully celebrate the communities and city they are intended to serve. Interpretive and educational storylines should be embraced and expressed within the City of Brownsville Parks. • Investment in Native Materials and Sustainable Technologies – Parks within the city could more fully embrace the utilization of a more native and adapted plant palette. In particular, large swaths of lawn (currently mown) could be replaced with native grasses that require less maintenance needs. Additionally, sustainable technologies such as water harvesting, storm water run-off collections, and solar/ alternative power technologies could be utilized within current and future parks. This investment could reduce maintenance loads as well as introduce a deeper storyline of sustainability within parks. The City of Brownsville should integrate native materials and sustainable technologies whenever possible in their parks. 4.3 INDIVIDUAL PARK ASSESSMENTS See Appendix A for individual park assessments.

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4.4 PARK DESIGN PRINCIPLES When developing design principles for parks it is important that each park be programmed, planned, and designed to meet the needs of its service area and classification within the overall park and recreation system. The term programming, when used in the context of planning and developing parkland, refers to a list of uses and facilities and does not always include staff-managed recreation programs. The program for a site can include such elements as ball fields, spray parks, shelters, restrooms, game courts, trails, natural resource stewardship, open meadows, nature preserves, or interpretive areas. These types of amenities are categorized as lead or support amenities. The needs of the park’s population it serves must be considered and accommodated at each type of park.

Park Design Principles in this document will apply to existing and future parks needing Master Plans. Every park, regardless of type, needs to have an established set of outcomes that describe desired experiences for visitors, safety expectations, how the park contributes to overall city goals, and how it will perform financially. Park planners will then design to those outcomes, including operational and maintenance costs associated with the design outcomes.

Each park classification category serves a specific purpose. Features and facilities in the park must be designed for the number of age segments the park is intended to serve, the desired length of stay deemed appropriate, and the uses it has been assigned. Recreation needs and services require different design standards based on the age segments that make up the community that will be using the park. A varying number of age segments will be accommodated with the park program depending on the classification of the park. The age segments are:

• Ages 2-5 • Ages 6-8 • Ages 9-12 • Ages 13-17 • Ages 18-24 • Ages 25-34 • Ages 35-44 • Ages 45-54 • Ages 55-64 • Ages 65-75 • Ages 76+

DEFINITIONS USED IN PARK DESIGN PRINCIPLES Land Use: This term represents the percentage of space identified for either passive use or active use in a park. A park master plan needs to follow land use recommendations.

Recreation Programming: The site can include active programming opportunities or passive use. Active means it is organized and planned with pre-registration by the user. Examples of active programming include sports leagues, day camps, and aquatics. Passive or “drop-in” programming is self-directed by the user at their own pace. Examples of passive programming include playground, picnicking, Disc golf, reading, or dog walking.

Maintenance Standards: Three maintenance levels are generally defined. The difference between the three levels is equal to the frequency of maintenance as determined by funding availability. Maintenance Standards have the following general characteristics:

• Level 1 Maintenance – High profile areas where the entire area is visible to foot traffic such as entrances to community centers, signature facilities, and areas where funding permits a higher level of maintenance. Example of maintenance activities include mowing and edging twice per week, 95% turf coverage at start of season with 5% weeds and 0% bare area, edging once per week, tree pruning cycle once annually, litter pickup twice per week. • Level 2 Maintenance – Moderate to heavy use typical of most parks. Example maintenance activities include mowing and edging once per week, 88% turf coverage at start of season with 8% weeds and 4% bare area, tree pruning cycle every seven years, litter pickup once per week. • Level 3 Maintenance – Typical for low usage parks or when funding is limited. Example maintenance activities include mowing and edging every 10 days, 80% turf coverage at start of season with 20% weeds, edging once per week or every 2 weeks in off-season, tree pruning cycle every 10 years, litter pickup every other week.

In areas where turf does not impact quality of experience (i.e., dog parks) or non-landscaped open space areas, demand-based maintenance is provided according to funding availability.

Park/Facility Classifications: For the purposes of these design principles, classifications referenced include the following: Neighborhood Park, Community Park, Regional Park, Sports Complex Facility, Special Use Park/Facility, Greenbelts/Trails/Paseos, and Open Space/Natural Area.

Revenue Facilities: These include facilities where a fee is assessed to use them. The fee will be in the form of an access fee, player fee, team fee, or permit fee. These could include pools, golf courses, tennis courts, recreation centers, sport field complexes, concession facilities, hospitality centers, shelters that are reserved, outdoor or indoor theatre spaces, and special event spaces.

Signature Facility/Amenity: This is an enhanced facility or amenity viewed by the community as deserving of special recognition due to its design, location, function, natural resources, etc.

NEIGHBORHOOD PARK STANDARDS A neighborhood park is considered to be five to 10 acres; however, some neighborhood parks are determined by use and facilities offered and not by size alone. The service radius for a neighborhood park is one half mile or six blocks. Neighborhood parks will have safe pedestrian access for surrounding residents; parking may or may not be included but if included accounts for less than ten cars and provides for ADA access. Neighborhood parks serve the recreation and social focus of the adjoining neighborhoods and contribute to a distinct neighborhood identity.

• Size of park: Five to 10 acres (usable area measured). Preferred size is eight acres. • Service radius: 0.5-mile radius. • Site Selection: On a local or collector street. If near an arterial street, provide natural or artificial barrier. Where possible, next to a school. Encourage location to link subdivisions and linked by trails to other parks. • Length of stay: One hour experience or less. • Amenities: One signature amenity (i.e., major playground, spray ground park, sport court, gazebo); no restrooms are necessary unless there is a signature amenity; may include one non- programmed sports field; playgrounds for ages 2-5 and 5-12 with some shaded elements; no shelters that can be reserved; loop trails; one type of sport court; no non-producing/unused amenities; benches, small picnic shelters next to play areas. Amenities are ADA compliant. • Landscape Design: Appropriate design to enhance the park theme/use/experience. • Revenue facilities: none. 50 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

• Land use: 85% active/15% passive. • Programming: Typically none, but a signature amenity may be included which is programmed. • Maintenance Standards: Provide the highest-level maintenance standard with available funding. Seek a goal of Level 2 maintenance. Some amenities may require Level 1 maintenance. • Signage: Directional signs and facility/amenity regulations to enhance user experience. • Parking: Design will include widened on-street parking area adjacent to park. Goal is to maximize usable park space. As necessary, provide 5-10 spaces within park including handicap spaces. Traffic calming devices encouraged next to park. • Lighting: Security or amenity only. Lighting on dual system with 50% of lights off at a set time and 50% on all night for security. • Naming: Consistent with the town’s ordinances for naming of parks, or may be named after a prominent or historic person, event, or natural landmark. • Other: Customized to demographics of neighborhood; safety design meets established CPTED standards; integrated color scheme throughout.

COMMUNITY PARK STANDARDS Community parks are intended to be accessible to multiple neighborhoods and will focus on meeting community-based recreation needs, as well as preserving unique landscapes and open spaces. Community parks are generally larger in scale than neighborhood parks, but smaller than regional parks. They are designed typically for residents who live within a three-mile radius. When possible, the park may be developed adjacent to a school. Community parks provide recreation opportunities for the entire family and often contain facilities for specific recreation purposes: athletic fields, swimming pool, tennis courts, an extreme sports amenity, recreation center, loop trails, picnic areas, picnic shelters that can be reserved, sports courts, permanent restrooms, large turfed and landscaped areas, and a playground or spray ground. Passive outdoor recreation activities such as meditation, quiet reflection, and wildlife watching also take place in community parks.

Community parks generally range from 20 to 100 acres depending on the community. Community parks serve a larger area – radius of one to three miles and contain more recreation amenities than a neighborhood park.

• Size of park: 20 to 60 acres normally. Can be up to 100 acres (usable area measured). • Service radius: One to three mile radius. • Site Selection: On two collector streets minimum and preferably one arterial street. If near an arterial street, a natural or artificial barrier is provided. Minimal number of residences abutting site. Preference is streets on four sides, or three sides with school or municipal use on the fourth side. Encourage trail linkage to other parks. • Length of stay: Two to three hour experience. • Amenities: Four signature amenities at a minimum: (i.e., trails, sports fields, large shelters/ pavilions, community playground for ages 2-5 and 5-12 with some shaded elements, recreation center, pool or family aquatic center, sports courts, water feature); public restrooms, ample parking, and security lighting. Amenities are ADA compliant. Sport fields and sport complexes are typical at this park. • Revenue facilities: One or more (i.e., pool, sports complex, pavilion). • Land use: 65% active and 35% passive. • Programming: Minimum of four essential program services (i.e., sports, day camps, aquatics).

• Maintenance Standards: Provide the highest-level maintenance with available funding. Seek a goal of Level 2 maintenance. Some amenities may require Level 1 maintenance. • Parking: Sufficient to support the amenities; occupies no more than 10% of the park. Design will include widened on-street parking area adjacent to park. Goal is to maximize usable park space. Traffic calming devices encouraged within and next to the park. • Lighting: Amenity lighting includes sport field light standards. Security lighting on dual system with 50% of lights off at a set time and 50% on all night for security. • Signage: Directional signs and facility/amenity regulations to enhance user experience. May include kiosks in easily identified areas of the facility. • Landscape Design: Appropriate design to enhance the park theme/use/experience. Enhanced landscaping at park entrances and throughout the park. • Naming: Consistent with the town’s naming right ordinance, may be named after a prominent or historic person, event, or natural landmark. • Other: Strong appeal to surrounding neighborhoods; integrated color scheme throughout the park; partnerships developed with support groups, schools, and other organizations; loop trail connectivity; linked to Regional Park, trail or recreation facility; safety design meets established CPTED standards. Telephone/cable TV conduit.

REGIONAL PARK STANDARDS A regional park serves a large area of several communities, residents within a town, city or county, or across multiple counties. Depending on activities within a regional park, users may travel as many as 60 miles for a visit. Regional parks include recreation opportunities such as soccer, softball, golf, boating, camping, conservation-wildlife viewing, and fishing. Although regional parks usually have a combination of passive areas and active facilities, they are likely to be predominantly natural resource-based parks.

A common size for a regional park is 100 to 1,000 acres but some parks can be 2,000 to 5,000 acres in size. A regional park will focus on activities and natural features not included in most types of parks and often based on a specific scenic or recreation opportunity. Facilities could include those found in a community park and have specialized amenities such as an art center, amphitheater, boating facility, golf course, or natural area with interpretive trails. Regional parks can and most time will promote tourism and economic development. Regional parks can enhance the economic vitality and identity of the entire region.

• Size of park: 100 to 1,000 acres. • Service radius: Three miles or greater. • Site Selection: Prefer location that can preserve natural resources on-site such as wetlands, streams, and other geographic features or sites with significant cultural or historic features. Significantly large parcel of land. Access from public roads capable of handling anticipated traffic. • Length of stay: All day experience. • Amenities: 10 to 12 amenities to create a signature facility (i.e., golf course, tennis complex, sports complex, lake, regional playground, 3+ picnic shelters available to reserve, camping, outdoor recreation/extreme sports, recreation center, pool, gardens, trails, zoo, restaurant, specialty facilities) with public restrooms, concessions, ample parking, and special event site. Sport fields and sport complexes are typical at this park. • Revenue facilities: More than two; park designed to produce revenue to offset operational costs. • Land use: Up to 50% active/50% passive. 52 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

• Programming: More than four recreation experiences per age segment with at least four core programs provided. • Maintenance Standards: Provide the highest-level maintenance with available funding. Seek a goal of Level 2 maintenance. Some amenities may require Level 1 maintenance. • Parking: Sufficient for all amenities. Traffic calming devices encouraged within and next to park. • Lighting: Amenity lighting includes sport field light standards. Security lighting on dual system with 50% of lights off at a set time and 50% on all night for security. • Signage: Directional signs and facility/amenity regulations to enhance user experience, may include kiosks in easily identified areas of the facility. • Landscape Design: Appropriate design to enhance the park theme/use/experience. Enhanced landscaping at park entrances and throughout park. • Naming: Consistent with the jurisdictional naming ordinance, may be named after a prominent or historic person, event, or natural landmark. • Other: Safety design may meet CPTED safety standards; integrated color scheme throughout the park; linked to major trails systems, public transportation available, concessions, food and retail sales available, dedicated site managers on duty. Telephone/cable TV conduit.

SPORTS COMPLEX STANDARDS Sports complexes at community parks, regional parks, and stand-alone sports complexes are developed to provide four to 16 fields or courts in one setting. A sports complex may also support extreme sports facilities, such as BMX and skateboarding. Sports complexes can be single or multi-focused and can include indoor or outdoor facilities to serve the needs of both youth and adults. Outdoor fields are lighted to maximize value and productivity of the complex. Agencies developing sports complexes focus on meeting the needs of residents while also attracting sport tournaments for economic purposes to the community.

Sport field design includes appropriate field distances for each sport’s governing body and support amenities designed to produce revenue to offset operational costs.

Signature sports complexes include enhanced amenities such as artificial turf, multipurpose field benches and bleachers, scoreboards, amplified sound, scorer’s booths, etc. Enhanced amenities would be identified through discussion between town and schools and or sports associations and dependent upon adequate funding.

• Size of park: Preferably 40 or more acres for stand-alone complexes. • Service radius: Determined by community demand. • Site Selection: Stand-alone sports complexes are strategically located on or near arterial streets. Refer to community or regional park sections if sport complex located within a park. Preference is streets on four sides, or three sides with school or municipal use on fourth side. • Length of stay: Two to three hours experience for single activities. Can be all day for tournaments or special events. • Amenities: Four to sixteen fields or sports courts in one setting; public restrooms, ample parking, turf types appropriate for the facility and anticipated usage, and field lighting. Amenities are ADA compliant. • Revenue facilities: Four or more (i.e., fields, concession stand, picnic pavilion). • Land use: 95% active and 5% passive. • Programming: Focus on active programming of all amenities.

• Maintenance Standards: Provide the highest-level maintenance with available funding. Plan for Level 1 and sometimes 2 level maintenance at signature facility. • Parking: Sufficient to support the amenities. Traffic calming devices encouraged within and next to park. • Lighting: Amenity lighting includes sport field light standards. Security lighting on dual system with 50% of lights off at a set time and 50% on all night for security. • Signage: Directional signs and facility/amenity regulations to enhance user experience. May include kiosks in easily identified areas of the facility. • Landscape Design: Appropriate design to enhance the park theme/use/experience. Enhanced landscaping at entrances and throughout complex. • Naming: Consistent with the town’s naming ordinance, may be named after a prominent or historic person, event, or natural landmark. • Other: Integrated color scheme throughout the park; safety design meets established CPTED standards. Telephone/cable TV conduit.

SPECIAL USE PARK/FACILITY STANDARDS Special use facilities are those spaces that do not fall within a typical park classification. A major difference between a special use facility and other parks is that they usually serve a single purpose whereas other park classifications are designed to offer multiple recreation opportunities. It is possible for a special use facility to be located inside another park. Special use facilities generally fall into three categories:

Historic/Cultural/Social Sites – unique local resources offering historical, educational, and cultural opportunities. Examples include historic downtown areas, commercial zones, plaza parks, performing arts parks, arboretums, display gardens, performing arts facilities, indoor theaters, churches, and amphitheaters. Frequently these are located in community or regional parks.

Golf Courses – Nine and 18-hole complexes with ancillary facilities such as clubhouses, driving ranges, program space, and learning centers. These facilities are highly maintained and support a wide age level of males and females. Programs are targeted for daily use play, tournaments, leagues, clinics, and special events. Operational costs come from daily play, season pass holders, concessions, driving range fees, earned income opportunities, and sale of pro shop items.

Indoor Recreation Facilities – specialized or single purpose facilities. Examples include community centers, senior centers and community theaters. Frequently these are located in community or regional parks.

Outdoor Recreation Facilities – Examples include aquatic parks, disk golf, skateboard, BMX, and dog parks, which may be located in a park.

• Size of park: Depends upon facilities and activities included. Their diverse character makes it impossible to apply acreage standards. • Service radius: Depends upon facilities and activities included. Typically serves special user groups while a few serve the entire population. • Site Selection: Given the variety of potential uses, no specific standards are defined for site selection. As with all park types, the site will be located where it is appropriate for its use. • Length of stay: varies by facility. • Amenities: Varies by facility.

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• Revenue facilities: Due to nature of certain facilities, revenue may be required for construction and/or annual maintenance. This strategy needs to be determined at a policy level before the facility is planned and constructed. • Land usage: Varies by facility. • Programming: Varies by facility. • Maintenance Standards: Provide the highest-level maintenance with available funding. Seek a goal of Level 2 maintenance. Some amenities (i.e., rose gardens) will require Level 1 maintenance. • Parking: On-street or off-street parking is provided as appropriate. On street parking will include widened on-street parking areas adjacent to park. Goal is to maximize usable park space. As necessary, provide five to 10 spaces within park including handicap spaces. Traffic calming devices encouraged next to park. • Lighting: Security or amenity only. Lighting on dual system with 50% of lights off at a set time and 50% on all night for security. • Signage: Directional signs and facility/amenity regulations to enhance user experience. • Landscape Design: Appropriate design to enhance the park theme/use/experience. • Naming: Follows town ordinance for naming or may be named after a prominent or historic person, event, or natural landmark. • Other: Integrated color scheme throughout the park; safety design meets established CPTED standards. Telephone/cable TV conduit as appropriate.

GREENBELT, TRAIL, AND PASEO STANDARDS Greenbelts/trails/paseos are recognized for their ability to connect people and place and often include either paved or natural trails. Trails can also be loop trails in parks. Linking neighborhoods, parks, recreation facilities, attractions, and natural areas with a multi-use trail fulfills two guiding principles simultaneously: protecting natural areas along river and open space areas, and providing people with a way to access and enjoy them. Multi-use trails also offer a safe, alternative form of transportation; provide substantial health benefits, habitat enhancements for plants and wildlife, and unique opportunities for outdoor education and cultural interpretation.

• Size: Typically at least 30-foot width of unencumbered land for a greenbelt or paseo. May include a trail to support walk, bike, run, and equestrian type activities. Typically, an urban trail is 10- foot wide to support pedestrian and bicycle uses. In open space areas, trails include 2-feet of decomposed granite on both sides of the trail for walkers and bicyclists. Trails incorporate signage to designate where a user is located and where the trails connect in the town.

Equestrian uses can occur in both urban and open space settings by adding 10 more feet of space to separate equestrian use from pedestrian/bike use. In urban settings, equestrian use includes five feet of decomposed granite plus a five-foot landscaped separation from the pedestrian/bike trail. In open space settings, equestrian use includes five foot of harrowed soil plus a five-foot natural separation from the pedestrian/bike trail.

• Site Selection: Located consistent with approved Trails Master Plan. • Amenities: Parking and restrooms at major trailheads. May include small parks along the trail. • Maintenance Standards: Demand based maintenance with available funding. • Lighting: Security lighting at trailheads and high use areas. Lighting on dual system with 50% of lights off at a set time and 50% on all night for security.

• Signage: Mileage markers at half-mile intervals. Interpretive kiosks as deemed appropriate. • Landscape Design: Coordinated planting scheme in urban areas. Limited or no planting in open space areas. • Other: Connectivity to parks or other town attractions and facilities is desirable.

OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL AREA STANDARDS Open space/natural areas are undeveloped but may include natural or paved trails. Grasslands under power line corridors are one example; creek areas are another. Open space contain natural resources that can be managed for recreation and natural resource conservation values such as a desire to protect wildlife habitat, water quality, and endangered species. Open space also can provide opportunities for nature based, unstructured, low-impact recreation opportunities such as walking and nature viewing.

• Amenities: May include paved or natural trails, wildlife viewing areas, mountain biking, disc golf, interpretation and education facilities. • Maintenance standards: Demand-based maintenance with available funding. Biological management practices observed. • Lighting: None. • Signage: Interpretive kiosks as deemed appropriate. • Landscape Design: Generally none. Some areas may include landscaping, such as entryways or around buildings. In these situations, sustainable design is appropriate.

SPORTS FIELD STANDARDS BASEBALL FIELD AMENITIES – YOUTH SIZE • Field size: Preferred: 225-foot outfield fence with 10-foot warning track with 4-foot high outfield fence. Alternate: 215-foot outfield fence with 8-foot high outfield fence. • Baselines and infield: 60-foot and 70-foot skinned baseline w/ base sleeves w/ grass infield. Ball field mix extends from backstop down sidelines to fence opening at end of dugout. Home plate included. Bases specified by town and provided by user groups. • Permanent backstop. 2-foot high concrete block w/ safety padding and 18-foot vertical fence (black vinyl coated chain link). • Fencing: 8-foot high fence (black vinyl coated chain link) from backstop to end of skinned infield. On 225-foot field, 4-foot high sideline and outfield fence (black vinyl coated chain link). On 215- foot field, outfield fence increases to 8-foot high. Yellow safety top on outfield fence. Foul poles at outfield fence. 12-foot wide dual-gate opening on one sideline fence for field maintenance equipment access. • Concrete block bin: 6-foot by 6-foot for ball field mix located adjacent to 12-foot fence opening. • Dugout: 21-foot by 7-foot including 15-foot long players bench with backrest. 8-foot high fencing around dugout. Dugout opens onto field at home base side of dugout. 2-foot safety wing fencing inside dugout to prevent foul ball entry. Slatted roof over dugout. • Raised pitching mound with two pitching rubbers (46-foot and 50-foot to home plate). Equipment installed by town maintenance staff. • Interior warm up/practice pitching mound along sideline fences backing up to outfield fence (46- foot distance from pitching rubber to plate). Slats or padding in fence to maintain fence longevity. • Three row bleachers (21-foot long) on concrete pad both baselines.

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• 12-foot by 8-foot concrete pad for storage box. Equipment storage unit funded by user group – approved and installed by town maintenance staff on same side as field mix bin. • Conduit and pull boxes from power source to backstop, and from backstop to outfield field for future scoreboard. Scoreboard/controller provided by user group. • Field lighting at community and regional parks. • Concrete behind dugouts and in dugouts connected to park walkways on all fields. • Quick disconnect for water behind pitcher’s mound. BASEBALL FIELD AMENITIES – ADULT SIZE • Field size: 320-foot down the foul line and 385-foot in center field. Includes 10-foot warning track, • Baselines and infield: 90-foot skinned baseline w/ base sleeves w/ grass infield. Ball field mix extends from backstop down sidelines to fence opening at end of dugout. Home plate included. Bases specified by town and provided by user groups. • Permanent backstop. 2-foot high concrete block w/ safety padding and 18-foot vertical fence (black vinyl coated chain link). • Fencing: 8-foot high fence (black vinyl coated chain link) from backstop to end of skinned infield. 4-foot high sideline and outfield fence (black vinyl coated chain link). Yellow safety top on outfield fence. Foul poles at outfield fence. 12-foot wide dual-gate opening on one sideline fence for field maintenance equipment access. • Concrete block bin: 6-foot by 6-foot for ball field mix located adjacent to 12-foot fence opening. • Dugout: 27-foot by 9-foot including 21-foot long players bench with backrest. 8-foot high fencing around dugout. Dugout opens onto field at home base side of dugout. 2-foot safety wing fencing inside dugout to prevent foul ball entry. Slatted roof over dugout. • Raised pitching mound with pitching rubbers 60-foot, 6-inches to home plate). Equipment installed by town maintenance staff. • Interior warm up/practice pitching mound along sideline fences near outfield fence (60-foot, 6- inches to home plate). Slats or padding in fence to maintain fence longevity. • Three row bleachers (21-foot long) on concrete pad both baselines. • 12-foot by 8-foot concrete pad for storage box. Equipment storage unit funded by user group – approved and installed by town maintenance staff on same side as field mix bin. • Conduit and pull boxes from power source to backstop, and from backstop to outfield field for future scoreboard. Scoreboard/controller provided by user group. • Field lighting at community and regional parks. • Concrete behind dugouts and in dugouts connected to park walkways on all fields. • Quick disconnect for water behind pitcher’s mound. SOFTBALL FIELD AMENITIES – YOUTH SIZE • Field size: Preferred: 225-foot outfield fence with 10-foot warning track with 4-foot high outfield fence. Alternate: 215-foot outfield fence with 8-foot high outfield fence. • Baselines and infield: 50-foot and 60-foot baseline w/ base sleeves on completely skinned infield. Home plate included. Bases specified by town and provided by user groups. • Permanent backstop. 2-foot high concrete block w/ safety padding and 18-foot vertical fence (black vinyl coated chain link). • Fencing: 8-foot high fence (black vinyl coated chain link) from backstop to end of skinned infield. On 225-foot field, 4-foot high sideline and outfield fence (black vinyl coated chain link). On 215- foot field, outfield fence increases to 8-foot high. Yellow safety top on outfield fence. Foul poles

at outfield fence. 12-foot wide dual-gate opening on one sideline fence for field maintenance equipment access. • Concrete block bin: 6-foot by 6-foot for ball field mix located adjacent to 12-foot fence opening. • Dugout: 21-foot by 7-foot including 15-foot long players bench with backrest. 8-foot high fencing around dugout. Dugout opens onto field at home base side of dugout. 2-foot safety wing fencing inside dugout to prevent foul ball entry. Slatted roof over dugout. • No pitching mound. Three pitching rubbers (30-foot/35-foot/40-foot to home plate). Equipment installed by town maintenance staff. • Interior warm up/practice pitching area along sideline fences backing up to outfield fence (30- foot/35-foot/40-foot to home plate distance from pitching rubber to plate). Slats or padding in fence to maintain fence longevity. • Three row bleachers (21-foot long) on concrete pad both baselines. • 12-foot by 8-foot concrete pad for storage box. Equipment storage unit funded by user group – approved and installed by town maintenance staff on same side as field mix bin. • Conduit and pull boxes from power source to backstop, and from backstop to outfield field for future scoreboard. Scoreboard/controller provided by user group. • Field lighting at community and regional parks. • Concrete behind dugouts and in dugouts connected to park walkways on all fields. • Quick disconnect for water behind pitcher’s mound. • Bomber system for watering infield preferred. SOFTBALL FIELD AMENITIES – ADULT SIZE • Field size: 300-foot outfield fence with 10-foot warning track and 8-foot high outfield fence. • Baselines and infield: 60-foot/ 65-foot/ 70-foot/ 80-foot baseline w/ base sleeves on skinned infield. Home plate included. Bases specified by town and provided by user groups. • Permanent backstop. 2-foot high concrete block w/ safety padding and 18-foot vertical fence (black vinyl coated chain link). • Fencing: 8-foot high fence (black vinyl coated chain link) from backstop to end of skinned infield. 8-foot high sideline & outfield fence (black vinyl coated chain link). Foul poles at outfield fence. 12-foot wide dual-gate opening on one sideline fence for field maintenance equipment access. • Concrete block bin: 6-foot by 6-foot for ball field mix located adjacent to 12-foot fence opening. • Dugout: 27-foot by 9-foot including 21-foot long players bench with backrest. 8-foot high fencing around dugout. Dugout opens onto field at home base side of dugout. 2-foot safety wing fencing inside dugout to prevent foul ball entry. Slatted roof over dugout. • No pitching mound. Two pitching rubbers (50-foot /54-foot to home plate). Equipment installed by Town maintenance staff. • Three row bleachers (21-foot long) on concrete pad both baselines. • 12-foot by 8-foot concrete pad for storage box. Equipment storage unit funded by user group – approved and installed by town maintenance staff on same side as field mix bin. • Conduit and pull boxes from power source to backstop, and from backstop to outfield field for future scoreboard. Scoreboard/controller provided by user group. • Field lighting at community and regional parks. • Concrete behind dugouts and in dugouts connected to park walkways on all fields. • Quick disconnect for water behind pitcher’s mound. • Bomber system for watering infield preferred.

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MULTIPURPOSE FIELDS (SOCCER/FOOTBALL/LACROSSE/FIELD HOCKEY) • Field size: Regulation field – 360-foot by 240-foot. Limited space field– 210-foot by 150-foot. 25- foot buffer on same plane as field with no obstructions or drainage fixtures. Buffer applies to both field sizes. • Goals: Portable, with size specified by user group and provided by town. • No bleachers or players benches. • Field lighting at community and regional parks. RESTROOMS AND CONCESSION BUILDINGS • Restroom: typically installed at 1 per 20 acres of community park, regional park, or sports complex. Minimum of one restroom at parks with programmed fields. • Concession Building: Provided when three or more fields exist at a community park or regional park. Owned by town. Rental agreement required for user group use of facility, which includes cost of building depreciation, building upkeep, and utilities. Building includes shelving, electrical, three-partition sink with hot water, and separate sink for hand washing. Facility built to health code requirements. Equipment supplied by user group.

STRATEGIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE PARKS To conclude this section on design principles, consider the following fifteen core strategies. Implementation of these strategies on a system-wide level will help ensure financial, ecological, and social sustainability and relevance of the park and recreation system to the community overall.

1. Design to mission and community values 2. Design within the authority of the Park and Recreation Board and based on what is desired by the community based on community input from surveys, focus groups and public forums 3. Design for revenue operations, return on investment, value of the build and cost benefit and cost recovery goal 4. Design to core programs to be provided on site and desired capacity 5. Design to the systems level of capacity and capability 6. Design for specific population segments 7. Consider designing for Length of stay, age segments and experiences 8. Design for the system and regional specific themes 9. Design for cross promoting regional attractions or other elements of the system 10. Design for partnership compatibility 11. Design to your organizational and operational standards as well as to maintenance and landscape standards 12. Design within the capital cost to build and the ongoing maintenance and operational budgets 13. Design to transportation levels and ease of access recognizing multiple transportation modes 14. Design for sustainable and conservation principles 15. Design for clean, safe and natural experiences

RECREATION PROGRAM ASSESSMENT 5.1 INTRODUCTION As part of the master planning process, the consulting team performed a Program Assessment of the programs and services offered by the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD or Department). The assessment offers an analytical perspective of program and service offerings and helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities regarding programs and their management. The assessment also assists in identifying core programs, program gaps within the community, key system- wide issues, and areas of improvement and in determining future programs and services for residents. The consulting team based these program findings and comments from a review of available information provided by the department including program descriptions, management practices, financial data, website content, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and discussions with staff. This report addresses the program offerings from a systems perspective for the entire portfolio of programs, as well as core program information. It identifies key issues and presents recommendations for these issues, summarized at the end of this section. 5.2 OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS BPRD provides a variety of activities and services to the residents of Brownsville, Texas. Department staff are responsible for the management and implementation of recreation programs, special community-wide events, and the operation of multiple facilities. Employees are engaged year round in planning, implementing, conducting, and periodically evaluating programs and events.

All functions within the Department combine to provide hundreds of programs in the areas of fitness, athletics, aquatics, sports, nature, youth camps, and special events. The Department also operates specialized facilities such as the Downtown Recreation Center, Oliveira Park Community Center, Gonzalez Park Urban Center, the Ringgold Civic Pavilion, Brownsville Events Center, Brownsville Golf Center, Brownsville Sports Park, three public pools, two splash pads, and a mobile recreation unit.

In addition to the provision of services provided directly by BPRD, partnerships with other organizations are utilized throughout the service area. Through formal and informal cooperative relationships, partners assist with operating facilities such as the Camille Playhouse, the Children’s Museum, and Gladys Porter Zoo. Partners also assist with delivering select programs, training staff, and providing support to programs with supplies and materials.

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5.3 FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS As part of the process for developing the Master Plan, PROS Consulting and department staff offered focus groups representing the various residents, stakeholders, foundation and staff members from Brownsville. In addition, the consulting team offered public forums to collect information from the general public. Participants provided the following insights about recreation programs and services provided by the Department (a full report of public input findings can be found earlier in this Master Plan).

RECREATION PROGRAM STRENGTHS • Dedicated, capable, and service-oriented staff • Quality of offerings in the area of wellness and wellness • Existing youth programs and services • Sports leagues for both youth and adults, particularly soccer

RECREATION PROGRAM WEAKNESSES • No comprehensive program guide • Need better communication of program offerings using more outlets • More low- or no-cost programs to families with low socio-economic status, especially for afterschool programs and summer camps • Lack of an established process to evaluate program effectiveness or track costs • Lack of a pricing policy

RECREATION PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES • Enhancing senior programming in the areas of water aerobics, Zumba, socials, trips, and therapeutic recreation/rehab programming • Building off of the strengths of current partnerships • Affordable city-sponsored overnight summer camps • Increased level of economic impact through additional sports tourism and the potential for growth • Promotion of more diverse programming beyond the traditional sports like soccer, baseball, and softball • Grow the use of the newly introduced RecDesk/RecTrac system

RECREATION PROGRAM THREATS • Not understanding the true or full cost of providing programs • No YMCA or Boys and Girls Club so the Department is stepping in to provide those services, which is stretching resources 5.4 CORE PROGRAM AREAS The mission of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department is to “provide quality recreational services, facilities, and programs necessary for the positive development and well-being of the community and the improvement of the quality of life for all residents." To help achieve this mission, it is important to identify core program areas based on current and future needs to create a sense of focus around specific program areas of greatest importance to the community. Public recreation is challenged by the premise of being all things to all people, especially in a community such as Brownsville. The 61

philosophy of the core program area assists staff, policy makers, and the public focus on what is most important. Program areas are considered as core if they meet a majority of the following categories:

• The program area has been provided for a long period of time (over 4-5 years) and/or is expected by the community. • The program area consumes a large portion (5% or more) of the agency’s overall budget. • The program area is offered 3-4 seasons per year. • The program area has wide demographic appeal. • There is a tiered level of skill development available within the programs area’s offerings. • There is full-time staff responsible for the program area. • There are facilities designed specifically to support the program area. • The agency controls a significant percentage (20% or more) of the local market. In consultation with Department staff, PROS identified the following core program areas:

• Aquatics • Athletics • Golf • Special Events • Youth Enrichment Moving forward, the Department should consider expanding its Core Program Areas to include programming in Outdoor Adventure, Senior Programs, and Health & Wellness. Feedback collected through public engagement, along with local demographic trends and national recreation programming best practices, suggest that these program areas would help meet unmet needs in the community and growing demand in Brownsville. 5.5 RECREATION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT The relationship between meeting the needs of the community, achieving the agency mission, and executing service delivery is of critical importance. With an understanding of this important dynamic, the following section provides an analysis of the service system and includes building on the service foundation that already exists within the agency.

As observed from the discussions with and data from the staff, the community seems to exhibit a high level of satisfaction with the offerings provided by BPRD. Based on the consulting team’s observations, operations and programs offered by the Department are strong, but enhancements to performance management practices would yield significant overall improvements to the services provided to the community. This section is intended to move BPRD to a higher level of program management and into the realm of state- and national-level best practices.

KEY PRACTICES AND STANDARDS The practice of using program standards is essential for agencies desiring to perform at high levels and aspiring to be community and industry leaders. The implementation of basic program management standards should be a priority for BPRD. There is a lack of consistent, formalized methods used across the department and Recreation Division for program management. Key management standards and practices that should be implemented first include:

• Maintaining an inventory of all programs, including program descriptions and objectives • Determining goals and objectives for each core program area

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• Identifying primary and secondary audiences for each program • Tracking participation and attendance by program and by facility • Establishing a program evaluation process • Classifying each program as Essential, Important, or Value-Added (see section on Cost Recovery Strategies below) One of the most significant issues in managing a recreation program system includes the challenges faced with the complexity associated with thousands of service transactions, in-person and through technology, from multiple staff members dealing with a diverse audience at a variety of facilities within the system. Furthermore, the heavy reliance on part-time and seasonal staff in the service delivery process creates even greater challenges. These dynamics result in significant program and service quality variation. The following measures should be used to ensure high-quality programs are being delivered and maintained:

• Total participants • Participant to staff ratios • Customer satisfaction level • Programmatic benchmarking with comparable providers • Staff performance training and performance management Staff indicate that some select performance measures are used across all core program areas, and several others are used only for particular program types. This is acceptable, as long as the universal measures are reflective of core performance outcomes applicable across all departmental programming, and that specific/specialized measures are used to track critical attributes unique to certain programs. According to the consulting team’s observations of other agencies, however, there is a danger of using performance measurement in excess, creating a situation wherein staff are hampered by the bureaucratic process of tracking performance rather than benefiting from it. Again, this issue can be mitigated by identifying critical program outcomes, developing a limited yet comprehensive set of performance metrics, and deploying them across the agency with an emphasis on efficient measurement by staff.

Additional performance metrics for BPRD staff to consider for department-wide implementation, if they align with desired organizational outcomes, include the following:

• Program cancelation rate • Cost per participant or resident • Program and facility availability by geography • Household percentage of program participation • Program availability distribution by age group • Percentage of local schools reached

QUALITY MANAGEMENT METHODS Given the organizational goals of the Department, trends in the park and recreation profession, and the level of performance reflected by BPRD staff in the area of programming, the consulting team recommends the following methods and best practices in order to maintain a culture of quality management in program delivery. These overall approaches reflect some of the observations presented previously and also include additional considerations based upon best practices and the organizational goals of the Department. Some practices are already undertaken by the Department in conjunction with other organizational processes and are re-emphasized here due to their criticality. Others represent new practices to be implemented.

ANNUAL REVIEW PROCESS Staff present their yearly goals for program areas to senior leadership and/or an advisory board. This would include policy reviews, financial and registration performance, customer issues, and plans for the future. This process helps to ensure good communication and cooperation for supporting departments, such as parks, administration and technology as well. LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS A lifecycle analysis involves recreation program staff reviewing every program to determine the stage of growth or decline for each as a way of informing strategic decisions about the overall program portfolio managed by the agency. This analysis is not based on strict quantitative data, but rather is based on staff members’ knowledge of their program areas. Table XX below shows the different lifecycle stages, a description of each, and the recommended percentage distribution for the Department’s programs.

Lifecycle Recommended Description Stage Distribution

Introduction New program; modest participation

50-60% Take-Off Rapid participation growth total

Growth Moderate, but consistent population growth

Mature Slow participation growth 40%

Saturation Minimal to no participation growth; extreme competition 0-10% total Decline Declining participation

A combined total of 50-60% of programs should fall into the Introduction, Take-Off, and Growth stages. While it is important to provide new programs to align with trends and help meet the evolving needs of the community, it is also important to have a stable core segment of programs that are in the Mature stage. The consulting team recommends this be about 40% so as to provide stability to the overall program portfolio, but without dominating the portfolio with programs that are advancing to the later stages of the lifecycle. Programs in the Mature stage should be tracked for signs they are entering the Saturation or Decline stages. The consulting team recommends keeping as few programs as possible in these two stages, but it is understood that programs eventually evolve into saturation and decline. If programs never reach these stages, it is an indication that staff may be “over-tweaking” their offerings and abbreviating the natural evolution of programs. This prevents programs from reaching their maximum participation, efficiency, and effectiveness. For departments challenged with doing the most they can with limited resources, this has the potential to be an area of concern.

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As programs enter into the Decline stage, they must be closely reviewed and evaluated for repositioning or elimination. When this occurs, the Department should modify these programs to begin a new lifecycle with the Introductory stage or to add new programs based upon community needs and trends.

Staff should complete a lifecycle review on an annual basis and ensure that the percentage distribution closely aligns with desired performance. Furthermore, the Department could include an annual performance measure for each program area to track the percentage of new programs offered as an incentive for additional innovation and alignment with community trends.

DOCUMENTED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS This is required in order to reduce service variation and assist in training new staff. A common approach is to use a process map that provides guidance to staff for consistently developing new programs. It can help to diminish the learning curve for new staff and reinforce program development as a core competency. This is created in a flow chart format showing the steps in the process for program development including writing class descriptions, process steps, hiring staff, using contractual employees, and the list of standards.

INSTRUCTOR/CONTRACTOR TOOL KIT Kits should be created by Department staff that outline information about the department for contract recreation program instructors. This will help ensure that customers receive a high-quality experience consistent with the BPRD brand from any/every contractor, and that all contractors have at least a basic understanding and comprehension of the agency, similar programs, and city protocols. The tool kit can take the form of a resource guide and supply box including the following materials:

• Department mission, vision, values, and goals • Organizational structure • Comprehensive program guide (when developed) • Roster of users • Program standards • Program evaluation forms • Program learning objectives • User program registration forms • Important phone numbers • Name tags • Thank you cards.

ON-GOING CONNECTIONS WITH PART-TIME AND SEASONAL STAFF There should be on-going processes and events to connect part-time and seasonal programming staff, as well as some contractors, with full-time personnel through meetings, email, newsletters, staff recognition, and random visits by management. This also assists with determining and managing job satisfaction of these employees. ONGOING IDENTIFICATION OF CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS Staff identify customer requirements for core program areas on an ongoing basis. This is important to emphasize with staff that directly interface with customers. Requirements relate to those service attributes that are most important to a customer, and requirements should be developed with customer input. Each core program area should include a listing of approximately five key customer requirements. For example, in a sports skills program, key requirements could include: overall safety of the program, instructional quality, convenience and ease of registration, cost of the program, and skill development.

ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF BEST PRACTICES Staff identify key competitors or similar providers, both locally and nationally, of core program areas. Every year staff should develop a matrix of information to compare services in areas that have the greatest importance to customers. Benchmarking other nationally renowned agencies also can provide a process to continuously improve programming. 5.6 COST RECOVERY AND PRICING Finding ways to sustain cost recovery and improve service pricing strategies are priorities for BPRD. To that end, the consulting team assessed program cost recovery and pricing strategies based upon information provided by staff.

COST RECOVERY STRATEGIES According to information provided to the consulting team, cost recovery performance is currently tracked for some core programs areas, but not all. Cost recovery, revenue, and participation standards exist for several programs, but methodologies for calculating cost recovery do not appear to be consistent.

Cost recovery is tracked at the Department level, but in addition to this, the consulting team recommends using core programs areas as an additional basis for categorization. Cost recovery targets should be identified for each program area, at least, and for specific programs or events as necessary. The previously identified core programs areas (i.e., Aquatics, Athletics, Golf, Special Events, and Youth Enrichment) would serve as an effective breakdown for tracking cost recovery metrics, which would theoretically group programs with similar cost recovery and subsidy goals.

Targets should reflect the degree to which the program area provides a public versus private good. Programs providing public benefits should be subsidized more by the Department; programs providing private benefits should seek to recover costs and/or generate revenue for other services.

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To assist with the planning and implementation of cost recovery policies, PROS Consulting has developed the following definitions presented in Table XX to help classify specific programs within program areas.

Essential Important Value-Added Description • Part of the organizational • Important to the • Enhanced community mission community offerings • Serves a majority of the • Serves large portions of • Serves niche groups community the community • “It is nice to offer this • “We must offer this • “We should offer this program” program” program” Desired Cost • None to Moderate • Moderate • High to Complete Recovery Desired • High to Complete • Moderate • Little to None Subsidy

Programs in the Essential category are critical to achieving the departmental mission and providing community-wide benefits, and therefore generally receive priority for tax-dollar subsidization. Programs falling into the Important or Value-Added classifications generally represent programs that receive lower priority for subsidization. Important programs contribute to the organizational mission but are not essential to it; therefore, cost recovery for these programs should be high (i.e., at least 80% overall). Value-Added programs are not critical to the mission and should be prevented from drawing upon limited public funding, so overall cost recovery for these programs should be near to or in excess of 100%.

To develop specific cost recovery targets, full cost accounting analyses should be conducted on each program that accurately calculates direct (i.e., program-specific) and indirect (i.e., comprehensive, including administrative overhead) costs. Cost recovery goals are established once these numbers are in place, and BPRD staff should be trained on this process.

PRICING STRATEGIES The pricing of programs and services should be established based on the cost of services, overlaid onto programs areas or specific events, and strategically adjusted according to market factors and/or policy goals. Best practices in pricing involve establishing prices and fees using the following strategies:

• Age Segment – Different prices are offered for different ages. • Family/Household Status – Different prices are offered for family or household groups. • Residency – Different prices are offered for residents (i.e., jurisdictional tax payers) versus non- residents. • Weekday/Weekend – Different prices are offered for different days of the week. • Prime/Non-Prime Time – Differed prices are offered for different times of the day. • Group Discounts – Different prices are offered for groups versus individuals. • Location – Different prices are offered at different locations. • Competition (Market Rate) – Competitors’ prices influence your price. • Cost Recovery Goals – Department cost recovery goals influence your price • Customers’ Ability to Pay – Scholarships, subsidies, discounted rates, etc. are offered for participants needing financial assistance.

Currently, BPRD uses some of these pricing strategies as depicted in Table XX. It is a recommendation of the consulting team that the additional strategies of pricing by Competition, Cost Recovery Goals, and Customers’ Ability to Pay be implemented for all core program areas. In addition to those:

• Aquatics programming should consider pricing by Family/Household Status, Weekday/Weekend, Prime/Non-Prime Time, Group Discounts, and Location. • Athletics should consider pricing by Residency. • Golf should consider pricing by Weekday/Weekend. • Special Events should consider pricing by Family/Household Status, Prime/Non-Prime Time, and Group Discounts. • Youth Enrichment should consider pricing by Group Discounts and Location.

Prime Time Ability to Pay -

’

Discounts Group Location Rate) (Market Competition Cost Recovery Goals Customer Age Segment Family / Household Status Residency Weekday Weekend / Non / Prime

Aquatics  R R R R R R R R Athletics R R R R Golf R    R R Special Events R R R R R R Youth Enrichment  R R R  R  = Currently implemented R = Recommended for implementation

Overall, the degree to which pricing strategies are used currently is limited and could be much stronger with the adoption of a policy to set prices explicitly based upon cost recovery goals. Staff should continue to monitor the effectiveness of the various pricing strategies they employ and make adjustments as necessary within the policy frameworks that guide the overall pricing philosophies of BPRD. It is also important for yearly competitor and other service providers to be benchmarked, shopped, and evaluated, in order to monitor changes and track how those other providers compare with BPRD programs.

MINI BUSINESS PLANS To adequately develop an approved strategy and establish cost financial and operational management goals, the consulting team recommends that mini business plans (3-5 pages) be created for each core program area on a yearly basis. These plans should evaluate the program area based on meeting the outcomes desired for participants, cost recovery, percentage of the market and business controls, cost of service, pricing strategy for the next year, and marketing strategies that are to be implemented. If 68 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

developed regularly and consistently, they can be effective tools for budget construction and justification processes outside of the marketing and communication planning process. 5.7 VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT Today’s economic climate and political realities require most public park and recreation departments to seek productive and meaningful partnerships with both community organizations and individuals to deliver quality and seamless services to their residents. These relationships should be mutually beneficial to each party to better meet overall community needs and expand the positive impact of the agency’s mission. Because of the constraints facing BPRD, effective partnerships and meaningful volunteerism are a key strategy areas for the agency to meet the needs of the community in the years to come.

VOLUNTEERS When managed with respect and used strategically, volunteers can serve as the primary advocates for the Department and its offerings. Best practices that BPRD employees should be aware of in managing volunteers include the following. • Involve volunteers in cross-training to expose them to various Departmental functions and increase their skill. This can also increase their utility, allowing for more flexibility in making work assignments, and can increase their appreciation and understanding of the Department. • Ensure a Volunteer Coordinator and associated staff stay fully informed about the strategic direction of the Department overall, including strategic initiatives for all divisions. Periodically identify, evaluate, or revise specific tactics the volunteer services program should undertake to support the larger organizational mission. • A key part of maintaining the desirability of volunteerism in the Department is developing a good reward and recognition system. The consultant team recommends using tactics similar to those found in frequent flier programs, wherein volunteers can use their volunteer hours to obtain early registration at programs, or discounted pricing at certain programs, rentals or events, or any other Department function. Identify and summarize volunteer recognition policies in a Volunteer Policy document. • Regularly update volunteer position descriptions. Include an overview of the volunteer position lifecycle in the Volunteer Policy, including the procedure for creating a new position. • Add end-of-lifecycle process steps to the Volunteer Policy to ensure that there is formal documentation of resignation or termination of volunteers. Also include ways to monitor and track reasons for resignation/termination and perform exit interviews with outgoing volunteers when able. • Categorize and track volunteerism by type and extent of work, such as: o Regular volunteers - Those volunteers whose work is considered to be continuous, provided their work performance is satisfactory and there is a continuing need for their services. o Special event volunteers - Volunteers who help out with a particular event with no expectation that they will return after the event is complete. o Episodic volunteers - Volunteers who help out with a particular project type on a recurring or irregular basis with no expectation that they will return for other duties. o Volunteer interns - Volunteers who have committed to work for the agency to fulfill a specific higher-level educational learning requirement. o Community service volunteers - Volunteers who are volunteering over a specified period of time to fulfill a community service requirement. 69

• Encourage employees to volunteer themselves in the community. Exposure of BPRD staff to the community in different roles (including those not related to parks and recreation) will raise awareness of the agency and its volunteer program. It also helps staff understand the role and expectations of a volunteer if they can experience it for themselves.

PARTNERSHIPS BPRD has a strong partnership network that shows strong signs of further growth. Current partners include other agencies, the school district, private businesses, civic groups, and nonprofit organizations. A community and organizational goal for BPRD is to further expand and formalize partnerships, and the initial step in developing multiple partnerships in Brownsville that expand upon existing relationships is to have an overall partnership philosophy that is supported by a policy framework for managing these relationships. Many times partnerships are inequitable to a public agency and do not produce reasonable shared benefits between parties. The recommended policies will promote fairness and equity within existing relationships and future partnerships while helping staff to manage against potential internal and external conflicts. Certain partnership principles must be adopted by BPRD for existing and future partnerships to work effectively. There are three key partnership principles that BPRD and the Parks and Recreation Board should consider moving forward:

1. All partnerships require a working agreement with measurable outcomes and will be evaluated on a regular basis. This should include reports to the Department and Board on the performance and outcomes of the partnership. 2. All partnerships should track and report costs associated with the partnership investment to demonstrate the shared level of equity. Period reports should be made to the Department and Board. 3. All partnerships should maintain a culture that focuses on collaborative planning on a regular basis, regular communications, and annual reporting on performance and outcomes.

Partnerships can be pursued and developed with other public entities such as neighboring cities, schools, colleges, state or federal agencies; nonprofit organizations; as well as with private, for-profit organizations. There are recommended standard policies and practices that will apply to any partnership, and those that are unique to relationships with private, for-profit entities.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL PARTNERSHIPS All partnerships developed and maintained by BPRD should adhere to common policy requirements. These include:

• Each partner will meet with or report to Department staff on a regular basis to plan and share activity-based costs and equity invested. • Partners will establish measurable outcomes and work through key issues to focus on for the coming year to meet the desired outcomes. • Each partner will focus on meeting a balance of equity agreed to and track investment costs accordingly. • Measurable outcomes will be reviewed quarterly and shared with each partner, with adjustments made as needed. • A working partnership agreement will be developed and monitored together on a quarterly or as- needed basis.

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• Each partner will assign a liaison to serve each partnership agency for communication and planning purposes. • If conflicts arise between partners, the BPRD Director, along with the other partner’s highest ranking officer assigned to the agreement, will meet to resolve the issue(s) in a timely manner. Any exchange of money or traded resources will be made based on the terms of the partnership agreement. • Each partner will meet with the other partner’s respective board or managing representatives annually, to share updates and outcomes of the partnership agreement. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS The recommended policies and practices for public/private partnerships that may include businesses, private groups, private associations, or individuals who desire to make a profit from use of BPRD facilities or programs are detailed below. These can also apply to partnerships where a private party wishes to develop a facility on park property, to provide a service on publically-owned property, or who has a contract with the agency to provide a task or service on the agency’s behalf at public facilities. These unique partnership principles are as follows:

• Upon entering into an agreement with a private business, group, association or individual, BPRD staff and political leadership must recognize that they must allow the private entity to meet their financial objectives within reasonable parameters that protect the mission, goals and integrity of the Department. • As an outcome of the partnership, BPRD must receive a designated fee that may include a percentage of gross revenue dollars less sales tax on a regular basis, as outlined in the contract agreement. • The working agreement of the partnership must establish a set of measurable outcomes to be achieved, as well as the tracking method of how those outcomes will be monitored by the agency. The outcomes will include standards of quality, financial reports, customer satisfaction, payments to the agency, and overall coordination with the Department for the services rendered. • Depending on the level of investment made by the private contractor, the partnership agreement can be limited to months, a year or multiple years. • If applicable, the private contractor will provide a working management plan annually they will follow to ensure the outcomes desired by BPRD. The management plan can and will be negotiated, if necessary. Monitoring of the management plan will be the responsibility of both partners. The agency must allow the contractor to operate freely in their best interest, as long as the outcomes are achieved and the terms of the partnership agreement are adhered to. • The private contractor cannot lobby agency advisory or governing boards for renewal of a contract. Any such action will be cause for termination. All negotiations must be with the BPRD Director or their designee. • The agency has the right to advertise for private contracted partnership services, or negotiate on an individual basis with a bid process based on the professional level of the service to be provided. • If conflicts arise between both partners, the highest-ranking officers from both sides will try to resolve the issue before going to each partner’s legal counsels. If none can be achieved, the partnership shall be dissolved.

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES These recommendations are an overview of existing partnership opportunities available to BPRD, as well as a suggested approach to organizing partnership pursuits. This is not an exhaustive list of all potential partnerships that can be developed, but can be used as a tool of reference for the agency to develop its own priorities in partnership development. The following five areas of focus are recommended:

1. Operational Partners: Other entities and organizations that can support the efforts of BPRD to maintain facilities and assets, promote amenities and park usage, support site needs, provide programs and events, and/or maintain the integrity of natural/cultural resources through in-kind labor, equipment, or materials.

2. Vendor Partners: Service providers and/or contractors that can gain brand association and notoriety as a preferred vendor or supporter of BPRD in exchange for reduced rates, services, or some other agreed upon benefit.

3. Service Partners: Nonprofit organizations and/or friends groups that support the efforts of the agency to provide programs and events, and/or serve specific constituents in the community collaboratively.

4. Co-branding Partners: Private, for-profit organizations that can gain brand association and notoriety as a supporter of BPRD in exchange for sponsorship or co-branded programs, events, marketing and promotional campaigns, and/or advertising opportunities.

5. Resource Development Partner: A private, nonprofit organization with the primary purpose to leverage private sector resources, grants, other public funding opportunities, and resources from individuals and groups within the community to support the goals and objectives of the agency on mutually agreed strategic initiatives. 5.8 MARKETING AND PROMOTION BPRD staff are engaged in marketing and promotion to varying degrees. While the department does not have a dedicated marketing coordinator position, many staff are involved in marketing and public communication. Additionally, BPRD receives support from other city departments to design, develop, and distribute marketing material. The Assistant Director facilitates most marketing efforts and is involved in the overall management of marketing and communication activities such as the production of news releases, media requests, website maintenance, and other promotion tasks. Various program supervisors and coordinators oversee maintenance of the department’s Facebook page to help keep residents engaged and informed.

Despite these efforts and accomplishments, it is a stated priority of the department to enhance communication and establish marketing plans/assessments to increase public awareness of department programs and services. These goals were also articulated by focus groups, and are prevalent throughout the organization.

Effective communication strategies require striking an appropriate balance between the content with the volume of messaging while utilizing the “right” methods of delivery. The department has multiple subjects and areas of focus that needs to be addressed in communications. There needs to be a reliance upon multiple types of media to deliver those messages. Similarly, the community must perceive the interconnectedness of the whole messaging process so that it is not received as fragmented and overwhelming.

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A strategic marketing plan is recommended that addresses the following:

• Target audiences/markets identification • Key messages for each target market • Communication channels/media for each target market • Graphic identity and use protocols • Style handbook for all marketing material • Social media strategies and tactics • Communication schedule • Marketing roles and responsibilities An effective marketing plan must build upon and integrate with supporting plans, such as this master plan, and directly coordinate with organization priorities. The marketing plan will also provide specific guidance as to how the Department’s identity and brand needs to be consistently portrayed across the multiple methods and deliverables used for communication.

Templates and best practices for developing a strategic marketing plan can be found in Appendix B. Other recommendations for marketing and promotion include:

• Designating one staff member as a Business Development Coordinator to plan and coordinate all marketing, promotional efforts (including social media and websites), partnerships, and sponsorships. This should be a dedicated position, at 0.5-1.0 FTE. • Developing a comprehensive seasonal program guide describing programs, facilities, events, registration, pricing, and initiatives. • Using community input from survey results, focus group meetings, program assessments, on-site surveys, etc. to inform marketing efforts. • Establishing priority segments to target in terms of new program/service development and communication tactics. • Building volunteerism to serve marketing and communication efforts. Recruit new volunteers with new skills as the marketing program grows. • Establishing and review regularly performance measures for marketing. • Enhancing relationships with partners that can leverage marketing efforts through cross- promotion.

LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS AND PRIORITIES 6.1 LEVEL OF SERVICE STANDARDS OVERVIEW Level of Service (LOS) standards are guidelines that define service areas based on population that support investment decisions related to parks, facilities and amenities. LOS standards can and will change over time as the program lifecycles change and demographics of a community change. PROS evaluated park facility standards using a combination of resources. These resources included: National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) guidelines; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) 2012 Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan; recreation activity participation rates reported by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2014 Study of Sports, Fitness, and Leisure Participation as it applies to activities that occur in the United States and the Brownsville area; community and stakeholder input; and general observations. This information allowed standards to be customized to the Brownsville PARD. These LOS standards should be viewed as a guide. The standards are to be coupled with conventional wisdom and judgment related to the particular situation and needs of the community. By applying these standards to the population of Brownsville, gaps and surpluses in park and facility/amenity types are revealed.

Currently, there are multiple needs to be met in Brownsville to properly serve the community now and in the future. The existing level of service is critically low compared to comparable communities, let alone national best practices. As can be seen on the following page, the City of Brownsville currently provides a total LOS of 4.44 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Cities similar to Brownsville generally offer approximately 14.00 acres/1,000 population. Recognizing the resource limitations of Brownsville, however, the planning team has recommended a very conservative LOS standard of 8.00 acres/1,000 population as a goal. This means that as of today, the City is deficient by 631.75 acres. To keep up with the projected population growth, the City would need to add a total of 695.02 acres to the parks and recreation system by the year 2019 in order to achieve the recommended, yet conservative, standard. (If the City wished to achieve the LOS of 14.00 acres/1,000 population that is typical of similar communities, an additional 1,832.11 acres would be required by 2019.)

The standards that follow are shown for the entire Brownsville system, including facilities within the city limits managed by Cameron County, to show where gaps and surplus lie within the community. These standards should be used to inform decisions when planning to develop new parks, facilities, and amenities.

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2014 Inventory - Developed Facilities 2014 Facility Standards 2019 Facility Standards

City of Cameron Brownsville County Total Current Service Levels Typical Service Levels for Recommended Service Levels Meet Standard/ Additional Facilities/ Meet Standard/ Additional Facilities/ T ype Inventory Inventory Inventory for Brownsville Comparable Communities for Brownsville Need Exists Amenities Needed Need Exists Amenities Needed PARKS: Mini Parks (5 acres or less) 15.60 15.60 0.09 acres per 1,000 1.50 acres per 1,000 0.25 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 29.80 Acre(s) Need Exists 31.78 Acre(s) Neighborhood Parks (5-20 acres) 33.00 33.00 0.18 acres per 1,000 2.00 acres per 1,000 1.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 148.61 Acre(s) Need Exists 156.52 Acre(s) Community Parks (over 20 acres) 249.20 249.20 1.37 acres per 1,000 3.00 acres per 1,000 2.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 114.01 Acre(s) Need Exists 129.83 Acre(s) City Parks (acres varies) 25.00 25.00 0.14 acres per 1,000 3.00 acres per 1,000 0.75 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 111.20 Acre(s) Need Exists 117.14 Acre(s) Regional Parks (100+ acres) 488.00 488.00 2.69 acres per 1,000 3.00 acres per 1,000 3.50 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 147.62 Acre(s) Need Exists 175.30 Acre(s) Special Facilities 10.30 10.30 0.06 acres per 1,000 3.00 acres per 1,000 0.50 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 80.50 Acre(s) Need Exists 84.46 Acre(s) Total Park Acres 821.10 - 821.10 4.44 acres per 1,000 14.00 acres per 1,000 8.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 631.75 Acre(s) Need Exists 695.02 Acre(s) OUTDOOR AMENITIES: Picnic Pavilions (Small) - 3 3 1 site per 60,535 1 site per 15,000 1 site per 15,000 Need Exists 9 Sites(s) Need Exists 10 Sites(s) Picnic Pavilions (Medium) - - 1 site per - 1 site per 15,000 1 site per 15,000 Need Exists 12 Sites(s) Need Exists 13 Sites(s) Pavilions (Large & Indoor) 24 24 1 site per 7,567 1 site per 10,000 1 site per 10,000 Meets Standard - Sites(s) Meets Standard - Sites(s) Baseball and Softball Fields 24 24 1 field per 7,567 1 field per 5,000 1 field per 6,000 Need Exists 6 Field(s) Need Exists 8 Field(s) Multi-Use Field 39 1 40 1 field per 4,540 1 field per 4,000 1 field per 5,000 Meets Standard - Field(s) Meets Standard - Field(s) (Soccer/Lacrosse/Football/Rugby) Outdoor Basketball Courts 30 30 1 court per 6,054 1 court per 3,500 1 court per 7,000 Meets Standard - Court(s) Meets Standard - Court(s) Tennis Courts 18 18 1 court per 10,089 1 court per 4,000 1 court per 10,000 Need Exists 0 Court(s) Need Exists 1 Court(s) Playgrounds (Youth & Tot) 24 2 26 1 site per 6,985 1 site per 4,000 1 site per 4,000 Need Exists 19 Site(s) Need Exists 21 Site(s) Dog Parks 1 1 1 site per 181,606 1 site per 50,000 1 site per 50,000 Need Exists 3 Site(s) Need Exists 3 Site(s) Volleyball Pit 1 1 1 site per 181,606 1 site per 20,000 1 site per 75,000 Need Exists 1 Site(s) Need Exists 2 Site(s) Skate Board Area 2 2 1 site per 90,803 1 site per 50,000 1 site per 50,000 Need Exists 2 Site(s) Need Exists 2 Site(s) Multi-Use Trails (Miles) 32.00 32.00 0.22 miles per 25,796 0.40 miles per 1,000 0.35 miles per 1,000 Need Exists 31.56 Mile(s) Need Exists 34.33 Mile(s) Golf Courses 1 1 1 site per 181,606 1 site per 200,000 1 site per 200,000 Meets Standard - Site(s) Meets Standard Site(s) Disc Golf Courses 1 1 1 site per 181,606 1 site per 100,000 1 site per 100,000 Need Exists 1 Site(s) Need Exists 1 Site(s) Outdoor Pools 3 3 1 site per 60,535 1 site per 35,000 1 site per 45,000 Need Exists 1 Sites(s) Need Exists 1 Sites(s) INDOOR AMENITIES: Community Centers (Sq. Ft.) 43,225 43,225 0.24 SF per person 1.50 SF per person 1.00 SF per person Need Exists 138,381 Sq. Ft. Need Exists 146,290 Sq. Ft. 2014 Estimated Population 181,606 2019 Estimated Population 189,515

Notes: Figure 12 - Overall Brownsville Level of Service Standards Cameron County inventory includes facilities at Pete Binavidez and Cameron Parks Parks and facilities provided by public schools not included

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6.2 SERVICE AREA AND EQUITY ANALYSIS Service area maps (equity maps) and standards assist staff and key leadership in assessing where services are offered, how equitable the service distribution and delivery is across the City’s service area and how effective the service is as it compares to the demographic densities.

In addition, looking at guidelines with reference to population enables the Department to assess gaps in services, where there are gaps or overlaps with respect to a specific facility or amenity. This allows the department to make appropriate capital improvement/development decisions based upon need for a system as a whole and the consequences that may have on a specific area. Service area maps were developed for each of the following major assets:

• Mini Parks • Multi-Use Fields • Neighborhood Parks • Outdoor Basketball Courts • Community Parks • Tennis Courts • City Parks • Playgrounds • Regional Parks • Golf Courses • Pavilions • Outdoor Pools • Baseball and Softball Fields • Community Centers

The shaded areas in the equity maps indicate the service level (e.g. the population being served by that park type/amenity) as outlined in the facility/amenity levels of service matrix. Thus, the central point inside the ring indicates the location of the facility or amenity while the ring extends out to how far that amenity serves the population based on the number of amenities at that location, the levels of service standards established and the density of population in that place. The service areas depicted on the maps include U.S. population only and do not take into account individuals residing in Mexico.

As was shown in the Level of Service standards in the previous section, the Service Area and Equity Analysis depicts significantly deficient service areas currently throughout the community. Of particular note are the following needs:

• Mini parks north of FM-802. • Neighborhood parks north of Alton Gloor Blvd, in the central portion of the city in the vicinity of the US-77/83 corridor, and in the south central portion of the city. • Community parks in the northwest portion of the city in the vicinity of W Alton Gloor Blvd, in the west portion of the city near Palm Blvd and Central Blvd, and in the east portion of the city in the vicinity of TX-48. • Regional parks in the east and north east portions of the city. • Pavilions in the northwest portion of the city in the vicinity of W Alton Gloor Blvd and in the vicinity of the FM-511 corridor as growth continues. • Baseball and softball diamonds east of US-77/83 between Boca Chica Blvd and FM-802, and in the southwest portion of the city west of Business US-77 (Central Blvd and Elizabeth St). • Playgrounds throughout the city in residential areas not currently served by PARD or school playgrounds, especially in the north portion of the city as growth continues. • Indoor recreation/community center space throughout the city, especially east of the US-77/83 corridor and north of Boca Chica Blvd.

MINI PARKS

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NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS

COMMUNITY PARKS

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CITY PARKS

REGIONAL PARKS

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SUMMARY OF ALL PARK TYPES

PAVILIONS

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BASEBALL & SOFTBALL FIELDS

MULTI USE FIELDS

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OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURTS

TENNIS COURTS

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PLAYGROUNDS

GOLF COURSES

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OUTDOOR POOLS

COMMUNITY CENTERS

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6.3 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a five-year projection of planned physical improvements to the park and recreation system. The CIP provides revenue projections and a “blueprint” for spending priorities to support the desired outcomes of the Department and the community. A CIP should be viewed as a working document, updated annually or semi-annually to reflect actual revenue collections, refined cost projections, and potential changes in community or park system needs.

One of the core functions of the Department is to preserve and protect existing park system assets. The public and stakeholder engagement conducted as part of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan found that residents expect the park system to be well maintained and that existing facilities and amenities should be improved. With this in mind, it is a strong recommendation of this master plan for the PARD to initiate a rolling five-year CIP process to identify project priorities and provide necessary funding for the ongoing deferred capital maintenance and/or replacement of existing assets while also allocating funds for new parks and recreation facilities.

TYPES OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Capital improvements are generally defined as projects that have a monetary value of at least $10,000, a useful life of at least three years, and result in the creation or renovation of a fixed asset that allows the Department to serve the park and recreation needs of the community. Examples of capital improvements include construction, remodeling, equipment replacements, or purchase of parkland, park fixtures, buildings, vehicles, and equipment. Planning efforts associated with capital improvements, including architectural, engineering, and legal services, are also considered capital expenditures and incorporated within the CIP.

Capital improvements within this CIP are typically divided into categories, such as:

• Mandated/Obligated Projects – Projects that must be completed to comply with a written agreement, state or federal directive, or municipal ordinance. • Leveraged Projects – Projects for which the Department has matching funds from a source other than City revenue. • Capital Maintenance Projects – Projects which provide for the restoration and renovation of existing infrastructure. • Right-of-Way Maintenance Projects – Projects which provide for the maintenance of City owned rights-of-way, including trails. • Other Projects – Any additional projects requiring City funding.

PRIORITIZATION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Continued investment in the park system is critical to providing quality park and recreation experiences for the residents of Brownsville. Since funding for capital improvements is finite, projects should be prioritized based on the following criteria:

• All Improvements – All capital improvements must support the goals and objectives of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan as approved or amended by the City. • Priority 1 – Capital maintenance needs of revenue generating facilities mandated to be self- sufficient. Since the condition of these facilities has a direct impact on operational costs and revenue generation, capital maintenance needs of revenue facilities receive the highest priority.

Currently this includes capital maintenance for sport complexes, community centers, water parks and pools, and new facilities that can help offset operational costs. • Priority 2 – Capital maintenance needs of existing parks, recreation facilities, and equipment. During public and stakeholder engagement activities, residents expressed what parks and recreation services should receive the most attention. Most participants identified the maintenance and cleanliness of existing parks, trails, and recreational facilities as their preference. There was also acknowledgement of the need to selectively add additional parks and facilities to the system in areas of most need; however, given the reality of finite resources, ensuring the sustainable maintenance of existing assets should receive priority. • Priority 3 - New projects requiring the acquisition of new parkland or facilities to serve areas of the city with an identified need, with consideration given for revenue generation and operational expenses. • Priority 4 - New projects enhancing existing parkland or community assets with consideration given for revenue generation and operational expenses. • Priority 5 – New projects requiring the purchase of new parkland or facilities in areas that do not have an identified need.

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FUNDING AND REVENUE STRATEGIES Park and Recreation systems across the United States today have learned to develop a clear understanding of how to manage revenue options to support parks and recreation services in a municipality based on the limited availability of tax dollars. Park and Recreation systems no longer rely on taxes as their sole revenue option but have developed new sources of revenue options to help support capital and operational needs.

A growing number of municipalities have developed policies on pricing of services, cost recovery rates and partnership agreements for programs and facilities provided to the community. They also have developed strong partnerships that are fair and equitable in the delivery of services based on whom receives the service, for what purpose, for what benefit and for what costs. In addition, agencies have learned to use parks and recreation facilities, amenities, programs and events to create economic development as it applies to keeping property values high around parks and along trails through increased maintenance, adding sports facilities and events to drive tournaments into the region that create hotel room nights and increase expenditures in restaurants and retail areas. They have learned to recognize that people will drive into their community for good recreation facilities such as sports complexes, pools, and for special events if presented correctly and are well managed.

In Brownsville some of these policies, revenue sources and management practices are not in place and should be considered for the future. PROS has outlined several options for the City to consider. In any event PROS feels that some if not all of these sources should be considered as an option to support the capital and operational needs of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department and should be outlined in the Master Plan. 7.1 FUNDING SOURCES FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT DOLLARS & OPERATIONS The following financial options outline opportunities for the City to consider in supporting the recommended capital improvements that will be outlined in the Master Plan as well as operational costs associated with managing the system for the future. Many of these funding sources may not be allowed now by the City or have never been used but should be pursued through legislative means should the City see the value in pursuing these funding sources.

General Obligation Bond: A general obligation bond is a municipal bond secured by a taxing authority such as the City of Brownsville to improve public assets that benefits the municipal agency involved that oversee the parks and recreation facilities. The City of Brownsville has not done a General Obligation Bond for parks and recreation facilities for a very long time and based on the values that the community holds for parks and recreation facilities it should be considered to promote economic sustainability and livability in Brownsville. The City however has B-4 funds to help build the sports complex on the north side of the city.

General Obligation Bonds should be considered for the park and recreation facility projects; such as an updates to a community or regional park, trails, recreation centers, aquatic centers, or a sports complex. Improvements to parks should also be covered by these funding sources because there is very little operational revenues associated with these parks to draw from and some of the city parks improvements are in need of upgrades and renovations limiting the uses of other revenue sources. These parks help frame the City image and benefit a wide age segment of users and updating these parks will benefit the community as a whole and stabilize neighborhoods and other areas of the city. Over the last 10 years across the United States over 90% of park and recreation bond issues have passed in cities when offered

to the community to vote to support the community needs for parks and recreation. This is according to Trust for Public Land research.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING SOURCES Governmental Funding Programs: A variety of funding sources are available from federal and state government for park-related projects. For example, the Land and Water Conservation Fund funding program has been reinstated for 2014 levels at 150 million and can provide capital funds to state and local governments to acquire, develop, and improve outdoor recreation areas. Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are used to support open space related improvements including redevelopment and new development of parks and recreation facilities. Transportation Enhancement Funds available through SAFETELU, the current federal transportation bill, can be used for trail and related green space development, AmeriCorps Grants can be used to fund support for park maintenance. The city has a strong grant team that should pursue these funding sources for the future.

SAFETULU Funds as well as Safe Routes to School Funds should be pursued for the trail improvements that will be outlined in the plan. SAFETULU monies require a 20% match by the City and Safe Routes to School Funds require no match by the City.

CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) funds are used by many cities to enhance parks. These funds should be used to support the re-development of major facilities based on its location in the City and what it will do to enhance the neighborhood and schools surrounding the park which is the purpose for CDBG monies.

AmeriCorps Grants should be pursued by the Parks Division of the City to support park maintenance and cleanup of drainage areas where trails are located and small neighborhood parks in the City.

Federal Housing Grants can also help support parks near federal housing areas and should be pursued if appropriate. Several communities have used HUD funds to develop greenways, including the Boscobel Heights’ “Safe Walk” Greenway in Nashville, Tennessee.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grants: This federal funding source was established in 1965 to provide “close-to-home” park and recreation opportunities to residents throughout the United States. Money for the fund comes from the sale or lease of nonrenewable resources, primarily federal offshore oil and gas leases and surplus federal land sales. LWCF grants can be used by communities to build a variety of parks and recreation facilities, including trails and greenways. LWCF funds are annually distributed by the National Park Service to the states. Communities must match LWCF grants with 50-percent of the local project costs through in-kind services or cash. All projects funded by LWCF grants must be used exclusively for recreation purposes, in perpetuity. LWCF funds are created to preserve, develop, and renovate outdoor recreation facilities. Focus is on America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. New or renovation of pavilions, playgrounds or play areas, ball fields, bleachers, golf course meeting rooms, multi-purpose courts, parking facilities, pathways and trails, roads, signs, ski areas, snowmobile facilities, and tennis courts. Federal Funds-Average Award is $70,000.

Conservation Reserve Program: The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, provides payments to farm owners and operators to place highly erodible or environmentally sensitive landscapes into a 10-15 year conservation contract. The participant, in return for annual payments during this period, agrees to implement a conservation plan

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approved by the local conservation district for converting sensitive lands to less intensive uses. Individuals, associations, corporations, estates, trusts, cities, counties and other entities are eligible for this program. Funds from this program can be used to fund the maintenance of open space and non- public-use greenways along bodies of water and ridgelines.

Wetlands Reserve Program: The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides direct payments to private landowners who agree to place sensitive wetlands under permanent easements. This program can be used to fund the protection of open space and greenways within riparian corridors.

Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (Small Watersheds) Grants: The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides funding to state and local agencies or nonprofit organizations authorized to carry out, maintain, and operate watershed improvements involving less than 250,000 acres. The NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to eligible projects to improve watershed protection, flood prevention, sedimentation control, public water-based fish and wildlife enhancements, and recreation planning. The NRCS requires a 50-percent local match for public recreation, and fish and wildlife projects.

Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program: The USDA provides small grants of up to $10,000 to communities for the purchase of trees to plant along city streets and for greenways and parks. To qualify for this program, a community must pledge to develop a street-tree inventory, a municipal tree ordinance, a tree commission, committee or department, and an urban forestry-management plan.

Small Business Tree-Planting Program: The Small Business Administration provides small grants of up to $10,000 to purchase trees for planting along streets and within parks or greenways. Grants are used to develop contracts with local businesses for the plantings.

Economic Development Grants for Public Works and Development of Facilities: The U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), provides grants to states, counties, and cities designated as redevelopment areas by EDA for public works projects that can include developing trails and greenway facilities. There is a 30-percent local match required, except in severely distressed areas where federal contribution can reach 80 percent.

National Recreational Trails Program: These grants are available to government and nonprofit agencies, for amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, for the building of a trail or piece of a trail. It is a reimbursement grant program (sponsor must fund 100% of the project up front) and requires a 20% local match. This is an annual program with an application deadline at the end of January. The available funds are split such that 30% goes toward motorized trails, 30% to non-motorized trails, and 40% is discretionary for trail construction.

Design Arts Program: The National Endowment for the Arts provides grants to states and local agencies, individuals and nonprofit organizations for projects that incorporate urban design, historic preservation, planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and other community improvement activities, including greenway development. Grants to organizations and agencies must be matched by a 50-percent local contribution. Agencies can receive up to $50,000.

TAX PAYER OR DEVELOPER SOURCES OF REVENUE Recreation and Park Impact Fees: The City has not implemented park and recreation impact fees in the past and could if the City wanted to pursue these funds from developers. PROS will be evaluating current deficiencies in park land and trails as part of the Master Plan. PROS understands that the current Comprehensive Plan for the city of Brownsville is being updated and future funds being collected could 97

help support the Department’s capital improvements for playgrounds, shelters, restrooms, land, trails, sports fields, recreation centers and tennis courts. Impact fees generally provide some capital funds but rarely are they sufficient to provide full funding of large projects.

Tax Abatement. The governing body of a political subdivision may grant a current or prospective abatement, by contract or otherwise, of the taxes imposed by the political subdivision on a parcel of property, which may include personal property and machinery, or defer the payments of the taxes and abate the interest and penalty that otherwise would apply, if:

1. it expects the benefits to the political subdivision of the proposed abatement agreement to at least equal the costs to the political subdivision of the proposed agreement or intends the abatement to phase in a property tax increase, and 2. it finds that doing so is in the public interest because it will: a. increase or preserve tax base; b. provide employment opportunities in the political subdivision; c. provide or help acquire or construct public facilities; d. help redevelop or renew blighted areas; e. help provide access to services for residents of the political subdivision; f. finance or provide public infrastructure; g. phase in a property tax increase on the parcel resulting from an increase of 50 percent or more in one year on the estimated market value of the parcel, other than increase attributable to improvement of the parcel; or h. stabilize the tax base through equalization of property tax revenues for a specified period of time with respect to a taxpayer whose real and personal property is subject to valuation

Internal Park Improvement Fund: This funding source is created from a percentage of the overall park admissions to attractions such as sport complexes, golf courses, special events in a park and would allow a percentage usually in the 3-5% of gross revenues to be dedicate to the park or recreation facility for existing and future capital improvements. This funding source is used for sports complexes, aquatic parks, campgrounds, and fee based parks. This type of user fee generally does not require voter approval but is set up in a dedicated fund to support the existing attraction for future maintenance and improvements.

Tax Allocation or Tax Increment District: Commonly used for financing redevelopment projects. A Tax Allocation District (TAD) involves the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to pay front-end infrastructure and eligible development costs in partnership with private developers. As redevelopment occurs in the City, the “tax increment” resulting from redevelopment projects is used to retire the debt issued to fund the eligible redevelopment costs. The public portion of the redevelopment project funds itself using the additional taxes generated by the project. TADs can be used to fund park improvements and development as an essential infrastructure cost. These funds would work well in the downtown park redevelopment and in trail development.

Developer Cash-in-Lieu of meeting the Open Space Requirement: Ordinances requiring the dedication of open space within developments to meet the park and recreation needs of the new residents often have provisions allowing cash contribution to substitute for the land requirement.

Facility Authority: A Facility Authority is sometimes used by park and recreation agencies to improve a specific park or develop a specific improvement such as a stadium, large recreation center, large aquatic

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center, or sports venue for competitive events. Repayment of bonds to fund the project usually comes from a sales tax in the form of food and beverage. A facility Authority could oversee improvements for the large facilities; such as an aquatic center and sports field complex. The City could seek out a private developer to design build a field house facility for the City with the City paying back these costs over a 20 year period. The Facility Authority would include representation from the schools, the City and private developers.

Utility Lease Fee: Utility lease fees have been used to support parks in the form of utility companies supporting a park from utility easements, storm water runoff and paying for development rights below the ground. This funding source is derived from fees on property own by the city based on measures such as the amount of impervious surfacing as well as fees from utility companies having access through the park. It is used by many cities to acquire and develop greenways and other open space resources that provide improvements in the park or development of trails. Improvements can include trails, drainage areas, and retention ponds that serve multiple purposes such as recreation, environmental protection, and storm water management. This could be a source for the utilities to make a contribution to support the parks and trails in the future. This has been very successful in Houston along their bayous.

Transient Occupancy Tax (Bed Tax): This funding source is used by many cities to fund improvements to parks from hotels that benefit from the parks in the form of sporting events where participants stay in hotels when they use city owned sports complexes or competitive facilities. The Transient Occupancy Taxes are typically set at 3-5% on the value of a hotel room a 1% sales tax that can be dedicated for park and recreation improvement purposes as well. Because of the value that parks could provide in the way of events, sports, entertainment and cultural events hotels in the area that benefit could be set up with a portion of their occupancy funds going to support park and recreation related improvements. This funding source should be implemented progressively as the City increases the number of events it sponsors or develops. Tracking the economic value back to the hotels is important to build trust with the Hotel business community.

Food and Beverage Tax: This 1/8% sales tax is currently used by cities across the United States and usually requires voter approval. These dollars can come from the local community as well as visitors to the city to help pay for a bond to finance future park and recreation related improvements. Food and Beverage Taxes are very well accepted in most communities.

Accumulated Building Funds: In Indiana under code 36-10-3 cities and counties can establish a Cumulative Building fund for the Parks and Recreation Department. These funds can provide money for building, remodeling and repairing park and recreation facilities. In addition the city can purchase land with these funds for park and recreation purposes. The Cumulative Building Fund must be proposed by a Park Board and then approved by the city council in order to levy the tax. The Cumulative Building Fund can provide capital funds that are best utilized for improvements to existing park and recreation amenities and facilities in the system.

Capital Improvement Fee: A capital improvement fee can be added to an admission fee to a recreation facility or park attraction to help pay back the cost of developing the facility or attraction. This fee is usually applied to golf courses, aquatic facilities, recreation centers, stadiums, amphitheaters, and special use facilities such as sports complexes. The funds generated can be used either to pay back the cost of the capital improvement on a revenue bond that was used to develop the facility. Capital improvement fees normally are $5 per person for playing on the improved site or can be collected as a parking fee or admission fee.

Lease Back: Lease backs are a source of capital funding in which a private sector entity such as a development company buys the park land site or leases the park land and develops a facility such as a park, recreation attraction, recreation center, pool, or sports complex; and leases the facility back to the municipality to pay off the capital costs over a 20 to 30 year period. This approach takes advantage of the efficiencies of private sector development while relieving the burden on the municipality to raise upfront capital funds. This funding source is typically used for recreation and aquatic type facilities, stadiums, civic buildings, and fire stations.

Park Income Tax Issue: This would require local residents to vote on an income tax issue to develop or enhance existing and new parks from income taxes of residents and people who work in the area. 7.2 FUNDING SOURCES FOR OPERATIONAL DOLLARS Land Leases/Concessions: Land leases and concessions are public/private partnerships in which the municipality provides land or space for private commercial operations that will enhance the park and recreational experience in exchange for payments to help reduce operating costs. They can range from food service restaurant operations, Cell Towers, hotels, to full management of recreation attractions. Leases usually pay back to the city a percentage of the value of the land each year in the 15% category and a percentage of gross from the restaurant or attractions. They also pay sales tax and employee income tax to the city.

Admission to the Park: Many park and recreation systems in the United States have admission fees on a per car, per bike and per person basis to access a park that can be used to help support operational costs. Car costs range from $3 to $5 a car and $2 dollars a bicycle or $2 dollars a person. This would really only apply to regional parks or special use sports complexes in the city if it is considered. This fee may be useful for large events and festivals that have the capability to be set up as a fee based park at least on weekends.

Parking Fee: Many parks that do not charge an admission fee will charge a parking fee. Parking rates range from $3 to $4 dollars a day. This funding source could work for helping to support special events, festivals and sports tournaments.

User Fees: User fees are fees paid by a user of recreational facilities or programs to offset the costs of services provided by the Department in operating a park, a recreation facility or in delivering programs and services. A perception of “value” has to be instilled in the community by the parks and recreation staff for what benefits the city is providing to the user. As the Department continues to develop new programs, all future fees should be charged based on cost recovery goals developed in a future Pricing Policy. The fees for the parks and/or core recreation services are based on the level of exclusivity the user receives compared to the general taxpayer. It is recommended that user fees for programs be charged at market rate for services to create value and operational revenue for the Parks and Recreation Department. For services where the City feels that they cannot move forward on adequate user fees to obtain the required cost recovery, consideration of contracting with a not-for-profit and/or private company to help offset service costs should be pursued. This would save the City dollars in their operational budgets while still ensuring the community receives the service to keep the quality of life at a high standard.

Corporate Naming Rights: In this arrangement, corporations invest in the right to name an event, facility, or product within a park or recreation facility in exchange for an annual fee, typically over a ten-year period. The cost of the naming right is based on the impression points the facility or event will receive from the newspapers, TV, websites, and visitors or users to the park. Naming rights for park and

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recreation facilities are typically attached to sports complexes, amphitheaters, recreation centers, aquatic facilities, stadiums, and events. Naming rights are a good use of outside revenue for parks, recreation facilities or special attractions in the City.

Corporate Sponsorships: Corporations can also underwrite a portion or all of the cost of an event, program, or activity based on their name being associated with the service. Sponsorships typically are title sponsors, presenting sponsors, associate sponsors, product sponsors, or in-kind sponsors. Many agencies seek corporate support for these types of activities.

Advertising sales on sports complexes, scoreboards, gym floors, trash cans, playgrounds, in locker rooms, at dog parks, along trails, flower pots, and as part of special events held in the City to help support operational costs have been an acceptable practice in parks and recreation systems for a long time and should be considered by the City to support operational costs.

Maintenance Endowment Fund: This is a fund dedicated exclusively for a park’s maintenance, funded by a percentage of user fees from programs, events, and rentals and is dedicated to protect the asset where the activity is occurring.

Park and Recreation Revenue Revolving Fund: This is a dedicated fund to be used for park purposes only that is replenished on an ongoing basis from various funding sources such as grants, sponsorships, advertising, program user fees and rental fees within the park system. The City could established a revolving fund supported by all of the funding sources identified in this section and kept separate from the tax general fund. This has worked well in many cities across the United States.

Permit Fees: This fee is incorporated for exclusive reservations for picnic shelters, sports fields, special events that are provided by the City, and competition tournaments held in the City by other organizations who make a profit off of City owned facilities. Permit fees include a base fee for all direct and indirect costs for the City to provide the space on an exclusive basis plus a percentage of the gross for major special events and tournaments held on City owned permitted facilities. Alcohol permits should be explored and if determined worthwhile, added to these permits which would generate more dollars for the City for these special use areas. These dollars could be applied to the Recreation and Park Revolving Fund if developed to help support park improvements and operations.

Tipping Fees. In Michigan some land fill tipping fees collected at city and county owned landfills are redirected back to parks to help pay for the cost of litter pick up in city parks. 7.3 PRIVATE FUNDING SOURCES Business/Citizen Donations: Individual donations from corporations and citizens can be sought to support specific improvements and amenities.

Private Foundation Funds: Nonprofit community foundations can be strong sources of support for the Department and should be pursued for specific park and recreation amenities. The Department should consider developing a good parks foundation.

Nonprofit Organizations: Nonprofit organizations can provide support for green space and parks in various ways. Examples include:

• Conservancy or Friends Organization: This type of nonprofit is devoted to supporting a specific park like the Sports Complex or Downtown Park. These Park Conservancy’s or Friends Groups are a major funding source for parks in the United States and should be considered for the parks and recreation facilities in Brownsville.

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• Greenway Foundations: Greenway foundations focus on developing and maintaining trails and green corridors on a City-wide basis. The City could seek land leases along their trails as a funding source, in addition to selling miles of trails to community corporations and nonprofits in the city. The development rights along the trails can also be sold to local utilities for water, sewer, fiber optic, and cable lines on a per mile basis to support development and management of these corridors. Indianapolis Greenway Foundation has a specific Greenway Trail license plate they have had in place for over 20 years to help support the development and maintenance of trails in the city. 7.4 VOLUNTEER SOURCES Adopt-a- Area of a Park: In this approach local neighborhood groups or businesses make a volunteer commitment to maintaining a specific area of a park. Adopt-a- area of a Park arrangements are particularly well-suited for the Department.

Adopt-a-Trail: This is similar to Adopt-a-Park but involves sponsorship of a segment of a trail (e.g., one mile) for maintenance purposes.

Community Service Workers: Community service workers are assigned by the court to pay off some of their sentence through maintenance activities in parks, such as picking up litter, removing graffiti, and assisting in painting or fix up activities. Most workers are assigned 30 to 60 hours of work. This would seem to be a good opportunity for the parks to work with the sheriff’s or city police department on using community service workers.

Greenway Trail Land Leases: Many communities across the United States have allowed land leases for commercial retail operations along trails as a source of funding. The communities that have used land leases look for retail operations that support the needs of recreation users of the trails. This includes coffee shops, grill and food concessions, small restaurants, ice cream shops, bicycle shops, farmers markets and small local business. The land leases provide revenue to maintain the trails and/or to be used for in-kind matching.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF Funds): The concept behind the tax increment financing is that taxes in a designated area are frozen and the redevelopment that occurs in the blighted, conservation, or economic development area will increase the assessed valuation of the property and generate new property tax revenues. The increase can be used on an annual basis to retire revenue bonds issued to finance redevelopment costs. A great deal of development is required to generate sufficient revenues to make it work.

Greenway Foundations: Greenway Foundations have been developing across the United States over the last 15 years to support greenway matching monies for cities and counties. Greenway Foundations raise money for capital monies and operational money.

Greenway Trust Fund: Another strategy used by several communities is the creation of a trust fund for land acquisition and facility development that is administered by a private greenway advocacy group, or by a local greenway commission. A trust fund can aid in the acquisition of large parcels of high-priority properties that may be lost if not acquired by private sector initiative. Money may be contributed to the trust fund from a variety of sources, including the municipal and city general funds, private grants, and gifts.

Greenway Fundraising Programs: Agencies across the United States have used greenways for not-for- profit fundraisers in the form of walks, runs, bicycle races, and special events. The local managing

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agency usually gets $2-$5 per participants in the events to go back to support the operations and maintenance costs.

Greenways Conservation Groups: Conservation groups adopt green corridors to support the operations and capital costs for specific greenway corridors. These groups raise needed money for designated greenways for capital and operations costs.

Local Private-Sector Funding: Local industries and private businesses may agree to provide support for greenway development through one or more of the following methods: • Donations of cash to a specific greenway segment. • Donations of services by businesses and corporations to reduce the cost of greenway implementation, including equipment and labor to construct and install elements of a specific greenway. • Reductions in the cost of materials purchased from local businesses that support greenway implementation and can supply essential products for facility development.

Adopt-A-Foot Program: These are typically small grant programs that fund new construction, repair/renovation, maps, trail brochures, facilities (bike racks, picnic areas, birding equipment) as well as provide maintenance support. The Adopt-A-Foot program is in the form of cash contributions that range from $2,640 to $26,400 over a five-year period.

State Water Management Funds: Funds established to protect or improve water quality could apply to a greenways/trails project if a strong link exists between the development of a greenway and the adjacent/nearby water quality. Possible uses of these funds include the purchase of critical strips of land along rivers and streams for protection, which could then also be used for greenways; develop educational materials, displays; or for storm water management.

VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE AND SMALL-SCALE DONATION PROGRAMS Greenway Sponsors: A sponsorship program for greenway amenities allows for smaller donations to be received both from individuals and businesses. The program must be well planned and organized, with design standards and associated costs established for each amenity. Project elements that may be funded can include mile markers, call boxes, benches, trash receptacles, entry signage and bollards, and picnic areas.

Volunteer Work: Community volunteers may help with greenway construction, as well as conduct fundraisers. Organizations that might be mobilized for volunteer work include the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Estate Donations: Wills, estates, and trusts may be also dedicated to the appropriate agency for use in developing and/or operating the greenway system. 7.5 GRANTS THROUGH PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS Many communities have solicited greenway funding from a variety of private foundations and other conservation-minded benefactors. Some of these grants include:

American Greenways Eastman Kodak Awards: The Conservation Fund’s American Greenways Program has teamed with the Eastman Kodak Corporation and the National Geographic Society to award small grants ($250 to $2000) to stimulate the planning, design, and development of greenways.

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REI Environmental Grants: Recreational Equipment Incorporated awards grants to nonprofit organizations interested in protecting and enhancing natural resources for outdoor recreation. The company calls on its employees to nominate organizations for these grants, ranging from $500 to $8,000, which can be used for the following: • Protect lands and waterways and make these resources accessible to more people. • Better utilize or preserve natural resources for recreation. • Increase access to outdoor activities. • Encourage involvement in muscle-powered recreation. • Promote safe participation in outdoor muscle-powered recreation, and proper care for outdoor resources.

Coors Pure Water 2000 Grants: Coors Brewing Company and its affiliated distributors provide funding and in-kind services to grassroots organizations that are working to solve local, regional and national water-related problems. Coors provides grants, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $50,000, for projects such as river cleanups, aquatic habitat improvements, water quality monitoring, wetlands protection, pollution prevention, water education efforts, groundwater protection, water conservation and fisheries.

World Wildlife Fund Innovative Grants Program: This organization awards small grants to local, regional and statewide nonprofit organizations to help implement innovative strategies for the conservation of natural resources. Grants are offered to support projects that accomplish one or more of the following: (1) conserve wetlands; (2) protect endangered species; (3) preserve migratory birds; (4) conserve coastal resources; and (5) establish and sustain protected natural areas, such as greenways.

Innovative grants can help pay for the administrative costs for projects including planning, technical assistance, legal and other costs to facilitate the acquisition of critical lands; retaining consultants and other experts; and preparing visual presentations and brochures or other conservation activities. The maximum award for a single grant is $10,000.

Bikes Belong: Bikes Belong coalition is sponsored by members of the American Bicycle Industry. The grant program is a national discretionary program with a small budget, to help communities build TEA- 21-funded projects. They like to fund high-profile projects and like regional coalitions. An application must be supported by the local bicycle dealers (letters of support should be attached). Bikes Belong also offers advice and information on how to get more people on bikes. Government and nonprofit agencies are eligible and no match is required. The maximum amount for a grant proposal is $10,000. Applications may be submitted at any time and are reviewed as they are received.

Steelcase Foundation: Steelcase Foundation grants are restricted to locally sponsored projects in areas where there are Steelcase Inc. manufacturing plants. In general, Steelcase does not wish to be the sole funder supporting a program. Grants are also only made to nonprofit organizations. It does support educational and environmental projects, and is particularly interested in helping the disadvantaged; disabled, young and elderly improve the quality of their lives. Applications may be submitted anytime and are considered by the Trustees four times a year.

Wal-Mart Foundation: This foundation supports local community and environmental activities and educational programs for children (among other things). An organization needs to work with the local store manager to discuss application. Wal-Mart Foundation only funds 501(c)3 organizations.

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Partnership Development Agreement: Each partner would develop their respective facilities based on set design guidelines with the city managing all the site elements. Partners would work collectively to promote the site as a whole versus individual amenities. This process was successful for Papago Park, located in the City of Phoenix, Arizona. The site included a major league spring training facility and minor league baseball complex, zoo, botanical gardens, history museum, and other attractions on site.

Community Forest and Open Space Program: Federal Grant with Estimated Total Program Funding of $3,150,000. Individual grant applications may not exceed $400,000. The program pays up to 50% of the project costs and requires a 50% non-federal match. Eligible lands for grants funded under this program are private forests that are at least five acres in size, suitable to sustain natural vegetation, and at least 75% forested.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program-fund: This source is for transportation projects that improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. Projects can include bicycle and pedestrian projects, trails, links to communities, bike rack facilities. Average grant size $50-$100,000.

Texas Community Foundations: In the area are some very large community foundations that the city should pursue for elements of the park systems needs to support economic development for the area.

Community Facilities Grant and Loan Program-Grant Program: This source is established to assist communities with grant and loan funding for the expansion, renovation and or remodeling of former school facilities and or existing surplus government facilities that have an existing or future community use. Facilities may be space for community gatherings and functions, recreational athletic facilities for community members, particularly youth. These include space for non-for-profit offices, childcare, community education, theater, senior centers, youth centers, and after school programs. CFP match requirements for requests up to $250,000 are 10-% eligible project costs. For requests over $250,000 to $1 million, the match is 15%.

American Hiking Society: Fund on a national basis for promoting and protecting foot trails and the hiking experience.

The Helen R. Buck Foundation: This foundation provides funding for playground equipment and recreational activities.

Deupree Family Foundation: The Deupree Family Foundation provides grants for Recreation, parks/playgrounds, and children/youth, on a national basis. This foundation supports building/renovation, equipment, general/operating support, program development, and seed money.

The John P. Ellbogen Foundation: Children/youth services grants as well as support for capital campaigns, general/operating support, and program development.

Economic Development Grants for Public Works and Development of Facilities: The U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), provides grants to states, counties, and cities designated as redevelopment areas by EDA for public works projects that can include developing trails and greenway facilities. There is a 30% local match required, except in severely distressed areas where the federal contribution can reach 80%.

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7.6 OPERATIONAL FUNDING COSTS OPPORTUNITIES There are numerous revenue sources to draw from to support operational and management costs that include long term capital replacement costs. The following are funding options to consider in operations of the system.

User fees: User fees to access or use elements of parks exist currently but could be expanded to include fees to access recreation and education programs, a dog park, nature center, sport leagues, winter sports area, ice skating.

Concessions: Concessions can be leased out to a private operator for a percentage of gross profits. Typically, 15%-18% of gross profits for concessions of a profit operator, or a managing agency over a park site could manage concessions.

Field Permits: The city can issue recreational use permits for activities, practice or games. Permits should cover the operational cost of each field and management costs. If a private operator desires to rent the site for a sporting tournament for private gain, the city should provide a permit fee plus a percentage of gross from the event for the exclusive use of the fields.

Food and Equipment Sponsors: Official drink and food sponsors can be utilized for the city. Each official drink and food sponsor pays back to the city a set percentage of gross. Typically, this is 15%-20% of costs for being the official product and receiving exclusive pouring and food rights to the complex. Likewise official equipment sponsors work well for trucks, mowers, and tractors.

Advertising Revenue: Advertising revenue can come from the sale of ads on banners in the parks. The advertising could include trashcans, trail markers, visitor pull trailers, tee boxes, scorecards, and in restrooms.

Wi-Fi Revenue: The city can set up a Wi-Fi area whereby a Wi-Fi vendor is able to sell the advertising on the Wi-Fi access banner to local businesses targeting the users of the site. This revenue has amounted to $20,000-$50,000 in revenue for similar systems.

Cell Tower: Cell tower leases can be used. This revenue source would support $35,000-$50,000 annually for the site if cell towers in areas needing cell towers.

Volunteerism: The revenue source is an indirect revenue source in that persons donate time to the city to assist in providing a product or service on an hourly basis. This reduces the city’s cost in providing the service plus it builds advocacy for the city.

Special Fundraiser: Many agencies hold special fundraisers on an annual basis to help cover specific programs and capital projects to be dedicated to a facility or the city as a whole.

Catering: The city has many sites that set up well to have high, medium and low level caterers on contract that groups can use. Caterers usually provide the parks with a fixed gross rate on food and beverage at 12%-15% of the cost of food and 18% of drink back to the city.

Web-page Revenue: The city could advertise on its web page to help support online media.

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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The Implementation Plan provides a summary of the key action items recommended throughout the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Items are organized into five major sections:

• Parkland & Trails • Maintenance • Recreation Facilities • Recreation Programs • Administration, Finance, & Governance In addition to these three sections, the Departmental Mission Statement is included at the beginning of the Implementation Plan to provide a framework and filter for all of the items contained within. If it becomes necessary to make trade-off decisions about when to implement certain tactics given limited resources, items that most support the mission statement should be prioritized. Vision Statements specific to Parkland & Trails, Maintenance, Recreation Facilities, Recreation Programs, and Administration are also provided to assist with prioritization and decision-making.

Within each section, key Strategies for implementation are listed. These strategies represent the major ideas or philosophies recommended by the consulting team that are required by the Department to implement the master plan. To help achieve each Strategy, Tactics are identified along with recommendations for the Group Responsible, Start Date (i.e., when to initiate the tactic, not necessarily complete it), and Performance Measures.

The Implementation Plan is intended to serve as a dynamic document, reviewed on a regular basis by Department staff and the Parks and Recreation Board, to plan work tasks and support decision-making in order to carry out the master plan. By reviewing the Implementation Plan quarterly or annually, accomplishments can be noted, adjustments can be made, and new items can be added.

The following section outlines the Vision and Specific Strategies for the five major sections of the implementation plan. These are broad strategies, while the detailed tactics to fulfill them are provided in Appendix C of this Master Plan. The recommendations are meant to serve as a guide and should be flexible to adapt to changing trends and needs over time. This will ensure that the Master Plan truly serves as a living document, which is dynamic and proactively meeting community needs and vision over time. 8.1 MISSION The mission statement for the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department was revised through the master planning process and is as follows: “The mission of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department is to directly contribute to the City’s quality of life by providing exceptional programs, facilities, parks, and trails while celebrating and preserving the community’s natural and cultural heritage.”

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8.2 PARKLAND & TRAILS

COMMUNITY VISION FOR PARKLAND & TRAILS “PARD acquires, plans and appropriately develops the right amount of parkland and trails to create equitable access levels desired by the community for neighborhood parks, community parks, trail corridors, greenways, and athletic fields given available resources.”

COMMUNITY VISION FOR MAINTENANCE “PARD provides clean, safe, memorable environments in accordance with maintenance standards that exceed users' expectations and provide an enjoyable experience.”

COMMUNITY VISION FOR RECREATION FACILITIES “PARD designs and maintains destination facilities that support neighborhood and community needs while meeting a cost recovery goal that keeps the facilities productive, adaptable, and financially sustainable.”

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8.5 RECREATION PROGRAMS

COMMUNITY VISION FOR RECREATION PROGRAMS “PARD develops, provides, and manages recreation programs that are fully accessible to the community and support health and wellness, family values, social equity, economic vitality, and overall quality of life in safe and enjoyable environments.”

COMMUNITY VISION FOR ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, & GOVERNANCE “PARD maximizes every available resource to fully support the Department's operations and mission to provide parks, facilities, and services that enhance Brownsville's quality of life.”

STRATEGIES FOR ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, & GOVERNANCE • Restructure BPARD's leadership and administrative functions to provide the additional needed staffing levels to move the Department forward. • Update policies and procedures on an annual basis. Ensure all staff in all Divisions have access to them, and that they create maximum flexibility for staff in the field to do their work in a timely manner. • Develop a long term financial plan for PARD this is consistent with the goals and objectives of the City and support the initiatives and strategies as reflected in this Master Plan. • Develop a stronger and more strategic approach to marketing programs, services, facilities, and events. • Leverage partnerships to achieve business outcomes and enhance service delivery.

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