Parks department seeks organizational assessment; committee prepares for chair rotation

Parks staff told the Parks, Recreation & Harbor Advisory Committee on Dec. 12 that the department will issue a request for proposals for a comprehensive operational and management assessment and asked committee members for input on issues to include in the scope.

Tracey Wolat, director, said the assessment will examine service levels, infrastructure management, organizational structure and staffing benchmarks compared to similarly sized departments. "We're gonna be asking for proposals from consultants to conduct a comprehensive, operational and management assessment of the department," Wolat said. She added the study will look at how divisions are organized, whether responsibilities (for example, trail and open space management) should be reallocated, and how the department should be structured to operate newer, larger facilities contemplated in recent feasibility studies.

Why it matters: staff and the recent feasibility study identified gaps between the department’s current structure and the staffing needed to operate larger facilities such as Mansfield Stadium or expanded community venues. Wolat said the review will help plan staffing and service levels for the next 10–20 years.

Committee governance: members were reminded that some current committee members are termed out and that the body will nominate a new chair at the January meeting (members serve three‑year terms and may serve two consecutive full terms per ordinance). The committee discussed ensuring good attendance and that nominations will be taken from the floor next month.

Ending: staff asked committee members to email suggestions for the assessment scope and to be prepared to discuss nominations for chair at the next scheduled meeting.