Dallas Parks & Recreation System

Strategic Blueprint

Presented to Park Board by Mike Rawlings, Park Board President

November 18, 2010
Dallas Park System Strategic Blueprint

• Three Year Vision:

– Top five park system in U.S.

• Annual Objective:
– Increase park participation by 5%

• Our Key Challenge:

– Increase awareness and knowledge of park products to Dallas citizens that are unaware of our
offerings

• Five Strategic Planks:

1. What are we? Ensure we have the right facilities and system.

2. What do we do? We must provide real benefits.

3. How do we fund? Provide system with optimal financial support.

4. How do we govern? Streamline to be more effective.

5. How do we operate? We must execute for our customers.

Confidential
Strategic Blueprint: #1 What Are We?

• Clean
– Our number one priority

• Accessible
– Every citizen should be within five minutes of a park facility

• The Right System

– Rationalize the number of recreation centers and pools with a plan for new and improved aquatic
and recreation centers

• Re-establish City Wide Parks

– Commit to a major Fair Park initiative

• Introduce New Products

– Woodall Rogers Park, Elm Fork Soccer Complex

Confidential
Strategic Blueprint: #2 What Do We Do?

• Make Us Healthier
– Introduce Mayor’s Youth Fitness Initiative (MYFI) as a city wide, multiple stakeholder program to
fight youth obesity

• Make Us More Beautiful

– Increase horticulture plantings
– Create signature aesthetics in key parks

• Make Us More Fun

– Increase community events
– Plan for all major holidays

Confidential
Strategic Blueprint: #3 How Do We Fund?

• Public City Budgets

– Basic, core and operating services

• Private Money
– Make us more special
• Woodall Rogers Park

• Private Management
– Build on our successes: zoo, arboretum, Elm Fork gun range

• Re-invent Foundation Community

– Ensure we have a strong and active Park Foundation tied in to site specific groups

• Corporate Sponsorships
– Explore corporate sponsorships for park facilities
• Begin with new soccer complex

• Bond Programs
– Focus on city wide strategic initiatives
– Bring back committed operating costs when vetting ideas

Confidential
Strategic Blueprint: #4 How Do We Govern?

• Clarify Roles
– Clearly define City Council and Park Board differentiation

• Board Strategy Role

– Create stronger advocacy role for Park Board
• Accountability for council member education

• Minimize Bureaucracy
– Senior staff spends too much time reacting to questions, not enough time on operating for citizens

• City Charter
– Modify appropriately to sunset antiquated procedures

Confidential
Strategic Blueprint: #5 How Do We Operate?

• Like A Business
– Create clear metrics for success/failure
– Use research as a key tool

• Customer Centric Culture

– Train all employees on customer service
– Dial up awareness of Park Ambassadors

• Know Our Customers

– Create robust database for customer feedback and communication

• Partner With Friend Groups

– Institutionalize “Love Your Parks” summit

• Marketing Communication Plan

– Tell our story more aggressively to our customers with all forms of communication

Confidential
City Of Dallas Parks: Overall Satisfaction

City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Study, October 24, 2010