Park Operations Community Services Core Service Review Parks

Park Operations Community Services Core Service Review

Parks and Open Spaces Recreation and Parks are not just for children. Parks use is spread almost equally across all ages and involvement in recreation continues strong until late in life. Eight in every 10 households use public parks. Nearly every Ontario household realizes benefits from local public parks, including those who never use parks. Source - Harper, J. , Godbey, Geoffrey, Greenslade, Loreley, et al. (2009). Recreation and Parks - Essential for Quality of Life. Use and Benefits of Local Government Recreation and Parks Services: An Ontario Perspective - Research Summary. Toronto, Ontario: Parks and Recreation Ontario. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 2

Maps of Trails and Parks city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 3

Maps of Trails and Parks city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 4

Maps of Trails and Parks city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 5

Maps of Trails and Parks city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 6

What are we doing now? Park Maintenance Currently there are 135 Parks throughout the City including Activity based, Passive and Green Space Parkland. The Parks Division also maintains another 50 non-Parks properties across the City (ie Vacant lots, Public Works Depots, Fire Halls, etc). Functions: -Turf Maintenance practices including fertility, aeration, over-seeding and irrigation. -Turf maintenance is categorized in 3 levels (L 1 – High Priority, L 2 – Medium Priority and L 3 – Low Priority). -Waste collection includes loose litter, waste receptacle servicing. -Inspections for hazards and mitigation measures. -Shoreline management and invasive species removal. -Fencing repairs and maintenance. -Graffiti removal. -Maintenance of drives, recreation pathways and parking lots. -Grass cutting service is provided through a mixture of in-house staff and contracting out. -SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) have been created and implemented for many Parks functions including Beach Maintenance, Waste Receptacle emptying, Inspections, etc. ) city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 7

Sport Fields and Courts The City operates 14 Athletic Fields, services 29 Ball Diamonds, 7 Tennis Courts and numerous multi-use surfaces including Skate Parks and Basketball Courts. Functions: -Field and diamond preparation for user groups (lining of fields and diamonds/dragging of diamond play surfaces). -Associated maintenance practices for playing surfaces. -Amenity maintenance including fencing, lighting, bleachers, parking lots, netting and washrooms. -Turf Maintenance practices including fertility, aeration, over-seeding and irrigation. -Waste collection includes loose litter, waste receptacle empting. -Inspections for hazards and mitigation measures on fields and playing surfaces. -Fencing repairs and maintenance. Playgrounds Currently 60 playground structures are available for public use throughout the City. Functions: -Routine Safety Inspection for risk mitigation, as per legislation and CSA standards. The City struggles to meet this legislation due to resource capacity. -Surface maintenance including tiling of sand based units and surface corrections for Engineered Wood Fiber Surfaces. -Graffiti removal and vandalism repairs. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 8

Trails Community Services currently maintains in excess of 100 kilometers of recreation trails of varying surfaces from paved to natural surface. Functions: -Safety Inspections for compliance. The City struggles to meet this compliance due to resources capacity. -Surface maintenance including calcium applications, grading, surface improvements. -Hazard Tree management. -Culverts and Bridge maintenance functions including rodent control, debris removal and bridge repairs. -Signage and gating maintenance. -Shouldering and brushing functions. -There another 100 Km of natural trails which only receives emergency maintenance. Beaches The City currently offers and maintains 18 beaches. Functions: -Dragging and tilling of surfaces. -Invasive species removal. -Fountain installation and maintenance. -Waste collection includes loose litter, waste receptacle empting. Slide 9 city. kawarthalakes. on. ca

Horticulture Several bedding displays throughout the City are maintain by Parks Staff, floral displays can be found at many of our Parks and Facilities. Functions: -Maintenance and construction of various display bedding throughout the City in our Parks and at our Facilities including annual, perennial and mixed plantings maintenance functions include planting, watering, fertility, weeding and pruning of herbaceous and woody materials. -Partnering with various service groups (ie Horticultural Societies). -Design and implementation of foundation plantings. -Riparian work along our lakes and water courses. Arboriculture Currently our Arborists oversee the Urban Tree Canopies of Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls in addition to any trees located in Parks and at Community Services Facilities throughout the City. Functions: -Tree Inspection and monitoring for condition and health. -Maintenance pruning and removals for hazard mitigation and canopy development. -Integrated Pest Management for control and management of pests and diseases. -Brushing operations for fencing and trails. -Tree replacement and new plantings. -Stumping operations and site restoration. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 10

Forest Management The Forest consists of 4164 Hectares comprised of 4 separate tracts with the forest being made up of 60% Deciduous and 40%Coniferous. Functions: -Coordinate and Sustainably Manage Municipally own forests including tree planting, timber harvests and regeneration as per the Council approved Forest Management Plan. Winter Maintenance The Parks, Recreation and Culture Division provides winter maintenance operations for 16 City venues. Functions: -Routine inspection and monitoring. -Snow clearing both manually and mechanically. -Application of de-icing compounds. -Record keeping for risk mitigation. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 11

Trailer Parks Currently there are two (2) City managed Trailer Park Facilities providing 212 sites for seasonal rental. Functions: -Grounds maintenance of the sites, including turf maintenance, service and amenity maintenance i. e. docking/launches, utilities, beaches, service roads and washrooms. -administration for contracts, resident complaints/conflicts. -waste management. Boat Docks and Launches Currently the City operates and maintains 41 Sanctioned boat launches, 16 of which have available docking. There are 4 additional sites with docking available to the public. Some Docking is set up for overnight use. Functions: -Inspection and repair of docking as required, including tie downs, decking and float replacements. -Seasonal removal and installation. -Surface repairs for launches and erosion mitigation. -Ongoing litter and waste management. -Turf, tree and washroom maintenance of adjacent lands. -Fee Collection. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 12

Picnic Shelters/Special Events The Parks and Recreation Department operates and maintains 24 permanent pavilion structures located in various Parks. Some are equipped with hydro servicing. These venues host an array of Events and Functions: -Cleaning and setup for event bookings, including washing of furniture and pavilion floors -Waste handling involving waste receptacle checks/change and loose litter clean-up. -Associated envelope maintenance, gutters, painting utility issues. Splash Pads There are two (2) seasonal Splash Pads operated by the Parks, Recreation and Culture Division. Functions: -Seasonal start-up and shut down. -Daily inspections and record keeping for compliance. -Cleaning and sanitation as required involving pressure washing of surfaces and debris removal. -Maintenance requirements including painting, furniture and amenity repairs. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 13

Park Furniture Kawartha Lakes Parks contain a vast array of standardized furniture to enhance the visitor experience. This includes benching, receptacles, planters and bike racking. Functions: -Seasonal installation and removal for some locations. -Associated maintenance includes cleaning, painting and component repairs due to damage and vandalism. -Site selection for dedication purposes and inventory. Washroom Facilities Currently there are 17 washroom facilities located in various parks and numerous portable units (over 50) where required. Functions: -Seasonal start-up and shut down. -Daily monitoring and cleaning/sanitation. -Seasonal maintenance including painting and amenity maintenance. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 14

Cemeteries Community Services currently operates and maintains 44 Cemeteries of which 15 are active cemeteries and 29 abandoned cemeteries. Functions: -Sale and layout of plots for interments. -Open and closing of niches and plots cremation interments. -Assist with vault operations. -Grounds maintenance including turf mowing, topdressing, over-seeding and tree maintenance. -Maintenance of service roads both summer and winter operations. -Decoration Day preparations. -Monument restoration and resealing. -Fence maintenance and repair. Outdoor Rinks The Parks and recreation department offer 11 sites throughout the City for volunteers to create and maintain natural ice surfaces in our Parks. Functions: -Prepare and maintain necessary equipment for rink operation. -Surface preparations. -Clearing of rink surfaces after significant snowfall. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 15

Cartegraph Issues Functions: • In 2015 Parks, Recreation and Culture Staff handled 496 Public Concerns or issues, 254 relating to Parks and Trails and 242 relating to Trees and Beautification. • These concerns range from public washroom concerns, turf maintenance issues, waste collection concerns, trail surface concerns, hazard tree issues, etc. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 16

What is it costing us? Operating: (2015 figures not final figures) Parks and Tree Management - Net Annual Operating Costs - 2011 - 2015 $ 600 000, 00 $ 400 000, 00 $ 200 000, 00 t ee M gm il ra il T Ra ile ai le Tr ct or ia ra $ 76 934, 00$ 376 995, 00$ 2 474, 00 $ 21 754, 00 nt. T Tr b. $- r. P ar ar k k g tin Gr a s. F rk Pa Sp or rti Ho No Ce Ea ut h W 2011 Revenue $ 7 893, 00 $ 20 959, 00$ 70 001, 00$ 25 666, 00 $ 6 884, 00 $ 27 791, 00$ 10 473, 00 ut h Grass Bob. Trailer Cent. Victoria Rail Tree Mgmt Cutting Park Trailer Park Trail ut ss C ilit ie s ld ie ac cu Pa ts F ltu re s rk ks ar rth st nt ra Pa ar t. P es Central North Parks Horticultur Sports Field Parks e Facilities l. P rk s South West South East Parks ks $- 2012 Revenue $ 24 227, 00$ 26 784, 00$ 70 000, 00$ 25 716, 00 $ 1 847, 00 $ 26 744, 00$ 10 626, 00 $- Vi Ce Bo So So 2011 Expense $ 68 028, 00$ 74 445, 00$ 159 947, 00$ 319 033, 00$ 102 895, 00$ 66 292, 00$ 25 184, 00$ 129 342, 00$ 62 031, 00$ 150 726, 00$ 9 743, 00$ 179 006, 00 $ 76 027, 00$ 372 973, 00 $- $ 180 147, 00 2012 Expense $ 117 119, 00$ 88 815, 00$ 267 332, 00$ 355 167, 00$ 121 992, 00$ 69 087, 00$ 31 056, 00$ 188 931, 00$ 63 816, 00$ 164 771, 00$ 12 280, 00$ 356 855, 00 2013 Revenue $ 11 212, 00$ 27 214, 00$ 70 000, 00$ 37 764, 00 $ 811, 00 $ 28 461, 00$ 11 876, 00 $- $ 67 113, 00$ 375 374, 00$ 5 880, 00$ 336 426, 00 2013 Expense $ 87 484, 00$ 105 254, 00$ 310 815, 00$ 397 051, 00$ 113 018, 00$ 95 166, 00$ 25 899, 00$ 128 889, 00$ 68 028, 00$ 177 016, 00$ 22 728, 00$ 479 666, 00 2014 Revenue $ 10 356, 00$ 29 596, 00$ 70 000, 00$ 26 767, 00$ 45 987, 00$ 28 248, 00$ 10 942, 00 $- $ 82 478, 00$ 383 652, 00$ 50 490, 00$ 132 996, 00 2014 Expense $ 72 818, 00$ 114 173, 00$ 325 334, 00$ 400 041, 00$ 177 440, 00$ 76 747, 00$ 30 176, 00$ 133 090, 00$ 63 016, 00$ 187 185, 00$ 56 620, 00$ 223 917, 00 2015 Revenue $ 12 160, 00$ 31 927, 00$ 70 075, 00$ 29 226, 00 $ 1 200, 00 $ 30 166, 00$ 12 936, 00 $- $ 79 202, 00$ 284 437, 00 $ 440, 00 $ 76 128, 00 2015 Expense $ 55 376, 00$ 87 380, 00$ 229 477, 00$ 248 874, 00$ 108 723, 00$ 93 086, 00$ 26 781, 00$ 142 002, 00$ 66 427, 00$ 190 352, 00$ 17 872, 00$ 124 060, 00 city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 17

What is it costing us? Operating: Cemeteries - Net Annual Operating Costs - 2011 - 2015 $ 120 000, 00 $ 100 000, 00 $ 80 000, 00 $ 60 000, 00 $ 40 000, 00 $ 20 000, 00 $2011 Revenue Cemetery Administration $- Fenelon Falls Cemetery $ 60 691, 00 Active Cemeteries $ 256, 00 Abandoned Cemeteries $- 2011 Expense $ 60 829, 00 $ 69 308, 00 $ 2 451, 00 $ 5 847, 00 2012 Revenue $- $ 50 012, 00 $ 93 399, 00 $- 2012 Expense $ 90 768, 00 $ 56 960, 00 $ 95 201, 00 $ 4 790, 00 2013 Revenue $- $ 62 007, 00 $ 78 525, 00 $- 2013 Expense $ 86 338, 00 $ 62 434, 00 $ 101 188, 00 $ 8 213, 00 2014 Revenue $- $ 62 991, 00 $ 72 721, 00 $- 2014 Expense $ 102 214, 00 $ 72 999, 00 $ 84 670, 00 $ 4 937, 00 2015 Revenue $- $ 57 646, 00 $ 87 758, 00 $- 2015 Expense $ 103 966, 00 $ 81 818, 00 $ 53 741, 00 $ 2 658, 00 city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 18

/5 0 T au ra tif ils ica tio n Pi Tree cn ic s T& Fe B W n Sp at cing or er Pl tsf W ay ie el ld l g Sp rou Im or nd p. ts Fie Equ ip l Te d Eq nn ui is p C Bl our W eac t il h Di son ers am Es on tat d e Bo Lig M at hts c. D La on un ne ch ll P a Ol rk d B Ce oar Mil nt dw l en a n lk No ial s rth Par Ru lin k P s Ki s B ark nm ap ou tist nt e T So Pa rain m rk Ac ervi Imp c. lle Pl Tr. ay ai gr ls ou L Bo og nd Na b. ie s P y B Sh oro eac ark or & h P el in Riv ark e e Sc Res rvie ug to w og ra M tio ea n do A La sh ws ke T Da ree lry s m pl e Be 50 What is it costing us? Capital: Parks and Tree Management - 5 Year Capital Costs 500 000, 00 450 000, 00 400 000, 00 350 000, 00 Slide 19 2015 Capital Projects - Spending as at December 31, 2015. 2011 2012 Includes Non PSAB Projects (Special Projects) 300 000, 00 250 000, 00 200 000, 00 150 000, 00 100 000, 00 50 000, 00 - 2013 2014 2015 city. kawarthalakes. on. ca

What is it costing us? Capital: Cemeteries - 5 Year Capital Costs $ 45 000, 00 No capital projects requested in 2012 $ 40 000, 00 2011 Includes Non PSAB Projects (Special $ 35 000, 00 2013 $ 30 000, 00 2014 $ 25 000, 00 2015 $ 20 000, 00 $ 15 000, 00 $ 10 000, 00 $ 5 000, 00 $Cemetery Safety & Restoration Roadway Improvements Cemetery Sign Replacement & Landscaping Lower Device city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 20

Slide 21 2017 2018 2019 gin on ar Bo ts Lig h m Ce dw Pa ah a rk am Up lk m Pa et gr er y S rk W ade s af as et y & hro om Re s C st Ce em or m e at et te io er n y S ry R oa ign dw Re ay pl ac em en t Gr El n oo hr ld s s 400 000, 00 gt so er as W Fie ee Tr 450 000, 00 et rn Ga ic on n io nc h La u As h ils W nd y. A bl Pu lin el W m ee m To em Om at Bo ds p ui un or at st Re gr o p. Im l el g in W Eq ld nd ay Pl e el in or Sh Ac c. ou gr ay Pl ts fie er at nc Fe s &B ee Tr c. T cn i Pi W Tr ai ls tif ica tio n au or Sp Be 0 /5 50 What is it costing us? Future Capital: 3 Year Projected Capital Costs - Parks and Tree Management 500 000, 00 Includes Non PSAB Projects 350 000, 00 300 000, 00 250 000, 00 200 000, 00 150 000, 00 100 000, 00 50 000, 00 - city. kawarthalakes. on. ca

What is Being Used? Parks and Greenspace Permitted/Rented Usage Hours Booked 4100 3600 3100 2600 2100 1600 1100 600 100 2012 2013 Ball Diamond Use Athletic Field Use 2014 Shelter Use 2015 Green Space/Special Event city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 22

Assumptions made in analysis • • • City is the main provider of public green space. (school board, provincial parks). Contracting out – some grass cutting needs to be contracted out in order to meet service level – due to geographic location (so broad, inefficient to have CKL staff to travel to these locations). The City is over supplied with park land as a result when new developments/subdivisions are occurring the City is strongly encouraging 5% cash-in-lieu as opposed to additional parkland space, unless extenuating circumstances exist. Rental fees are increased according to the CPI and a previous review and comparison of Parks associated fees with neighbouring municipalities shows that we are charging appropriate and market rates. Research on provincial guidelines (cost per km of trail development/maintenance, cost per acre of parkland, MPMP data) shows that the City’s cost of maintenance /Km of trail and /acre of parkspace is significantly lower than Provincial average. This can be directly related to the number of acres of Parkspace that the City has in its inventory. The annual average cost per resident to maintain our City-wide Parks system is $13. 88. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 23

Options 1. 2. 3. 4. Status Quo. Dispose of Properties. Reduce maintenance/service levels. Increase resources to improve service levels to meet legislative and CSA requirements (playgrounds/trails). city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 24

Option 1 – Status Quo • Maintain existing inventory of park and greenspace. • Maintain existing service levels for maintenance operations. • Continue to hone schedules to maximize efficiencies in operations. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 25

Option 1 - Benefits • Continue to promote and recognize the impact and importance of Parks and Open Greenspaces on healthy lifestyles. • Continue to work provide wide spread community access across the City to Parks and Open Greenspaces for all residents and with a wide variety of Parks amenities. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 26

Option 1 - Risks • Continue to subsidize the operations/maintenance/development of the City-wide parks system which currently is over-supplied. • Continue to invest in capital assets related to Parks. • Struggle to maintain minimum standards from legislations and CSA standards. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 27

Option 1 – Costs 2015 Budget • Costs would remain consistent with what they currently are and have been in this model. • This would represent a net cost of approximately $1, 000 for City-wide parks operations. • And an approximate $1, 000 annually in parks related Capital projects. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 28

Option 2 – Dispose of Properties • Review existing Parks and Open Greenspaces properties inventory to determine if any properties are surplus to City needs (continue with existing program – many properties are vacant lands or undevelopable lots). • Review to determine if any such properties can be used for other City purposes. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 29

Option 2 - Benefits • Reduce City land inventory thereby reducing liability issues. • Reduce operating costs resulting from required property maintenance. • Potential one-time revenue generation from sale of surplus lands. • Potential reduction in need for acquiring new lands by re-purposing parkland greenspace. • Free up staff resources to focus on “high priority” parkland. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 30

Option 2 - Risks • Potential loss of identity for local community if existing local park is deemed surplus. • Potential for loss of needed future parkspace if that specific area is developed in the future. • Potential NIMBY response from local communities. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 31

Option 2 - Costs • Fully dependent on the properties (and number of properties) which are declared surplus and disposed of or re-purposed. • If this option is chosen staff would report back on properties and have more definitive financial impacts associated with those options at that time. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 32

Option 3 – Reduce Maintenance/Service Levels • Maintain existing inventory of park and greenspace but lessen the service levels. • Grass-cutting levels could be reduced. • Sportsfields service levels could be limited. • Portable washroom provisions could be reduced. • Number of recognized boat launches could be reduced. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 33

Option 3 - Benefits • Continue to promote and recognize the impact and importance of Parks and Open Greenspaces on healthy lifestyles. • Continue to work provide wide spread community access across the City to Parks and Open Greenspaces for all residents and with a wide variety of Parks amenities. • Reduce operating costs by reducing the service levels. • Standardize service levels across the City. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 34

Option 3 - Risks • Lessening of service levels in Parks may lessen the positive impact that they have on our communities, both in a healthy lifestyle and a destination of choice perspective. • Potential for greater future need of Capital funding due to lessening annual maintenance levels. • Lessening of service levels and maintenance standards may increase graffiti/vandalism. • Some risk of higher liability if service levels such as grass cutting is reduced. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 35

Option 3 - Costs • Fully dependent on the service levels chosen for potential reduction. • For example reducing the frequency of grass cutting in the L 1, L 2 and L 3 levels could result in a 30% savings in grass cutting costs. • If this option is chosen staff would report back on specific services and have more definitive financial impacts associated with those options at that time. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 36

Option 4 – Increase resources to improve service levels to meet legislative and CSA requirements (playgrounds/trails). • Currently the City barely maintains current industry and CSA standards in regards to playground maintenance/inspections and trails inspections. • This leads to significant liability concerns. • Proposal would see the addition of City resource to ensure the City was meeting standards. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 37

Option 4 - Benefits • City would ensure that CSA standards and industry standards are being met. • Reduced potential for liability and incident claims. • Safer playspaces which would lead to better used parkspaces. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 38

Option 4 - Risks • Increased costs based on resource needs. • Potential for greater future Capital needs based on inspection results. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 39

Option 4 - Costs • Need for increased operational funds for increased resources. • Potential for reduction in future liability and incident claims by better responding to CSA and Health and Safety needs. • If this option is chosen staff would report back on specific services and have more definitive financial impacts associated with those options at that time. city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 40

Conclusion Next Steps • Continue to investigate benefit/risks/costs of various Options • Report back to Council with recommendations city. kawarthalakes. on. ca Slide 41