Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gahanna races to meet demand as recreation division reports rising participation, new workforce training
Summary
City recreation officials told Gahanna City Council on March 17 that program participation rose in 2024 across aquatics, camps, golf and senior programming and outlined a new ‘‘Future Leaders’’ workforce program and grants to expand boat and education assets.
Gahanna’s recreation director and staff told City Council Monday that participation across the department’s programs grew in 2024, and officials outlined steps they say will expand offerings and stabilize the seasonal workforce ahead of the 2025 season.
“That vision is to increase programming for everybody in the city of Gahanna in order to establish a lifetime learner and a lifetime user of parks,” said Stephanie Farrell, director of parks and recreation, summing up the division’s stated priorities as she and Recreation Superintendent Brian Gill reviewed participation numbers and new initiatives.
The department reported higher participation in 2024 than in 2023 in most areas: aquatics, golf, senior programming, youth camps and special events. Farrell said swim lessons were moved in-house following a pre-COVID outsourcing model and that the city now offers expanded learn-to-swim opportunities and higher lifeguard training. She said 30 families received recreation scholarships in 2024 through the Parsons Recreation Foundation and that seasonal staff retention is at about 58–59% so far this season, with additional hires still underway.
Brian Gill described the Future Leaders program, a voluntary professional-development track for seasonal staff that documents hours and pays participants for program meetings. The two-year program has grown from 15 participants in its first year to 23 this year, officials said. Gill said year-two participants receive one-on-one mentoring with year-round staff from multiple departments and present program proposals as a practicum exercise.
Camp registration figures drew particular attention: Camp Friendship is sold out for 2025, officials said, with wait lists for several weeks. Officials attributed past enrollment caps to staff-to-camper ratio requirements tied to accreditation; improved staffing in 2024 allowed more slots. Teen programs that were small in 2023 grew to sellouts in 2024 (from six participants in 2023 to 52 in 2024 for the teen rec destination) and remain popular this year.
Farrell and Gill also highlighted new and returning adult and senior offerings. The department won awards—first- and second-place honors from the Ohio Park and Recreation Association—for special events and programming, and received an ODNR grant for education and assets tied to a boat program. Golf course improvements, including cart-path replacement completed in 2024, and a 50th-anniversary slate of promotions were also noted.
Council members asked operational questions. Councilwoman Padova confirmed the counselor-in-training (CIT) program begins at 15 years old and that CITs are paid; Farrell clarified CITs and other entry-level seasonal positions begin at 15 and the Future Leaders program is open to seasonal staff who opt in. Councilman Weaver asked whether participation growth represented new users or returning participants; Farrell said the pattern varies by program but the city is seeing new faces as well as repeat participants and is using surveys to target new offerings.
Farrell said the department will maximize available space during the upcoming senior-center move to avoid service disruption. She also described a shift in CPR training to “CPR for the professional rescuer” for event and camp staff, aligning training with lifeguards and emergency-response needs.
The presentation included several operational notes for council: the department has a volunteer portal and plans to formalize volunteer recruitment; a recreation coordinator hired in mid-2024 has expanded capacity; and the department will continue to use partner sites (for example, Peace Lutheran and Gahanna Library) to expand indoor programming.
Officials said they will continue tracking retention and program demand to guide staffing and facility use for 2025 and beyond.
Ending — Next steps and context
Council members and staff said they will follow up on staffing, facility logistics for the senior-center move, and continued evaluation of program demand. The department said it will publish registration and program updates on the city website and social channels as the season approaches.
