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Recreation and Parks audit: city agency outlines playbook, pool renovations and QAQC improvements
Summary
A follow-up audit found mixed progress in Baltimore City Recreation and Parks' equity, inspection and data-security recommendations; agency leaders described a near-final 'playbook' and an expansion of pool openings this summer.
The Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) answered a biannual follow-up audit on March 5 that assessed whether the department equitably distributes operational and capital budgets and maintains routine inspections.
Deputy City Auditor Lending Mau summarized the audit findings: of four recommendations followed up, two were implemented, one partially implemented and one not implemented. The audit flagged four main issues: absence of a formal methodology to evaluate equity in the operational budget; lack of defined benchmarks for scoring equity points on capital projects; nonstandardized QA/QC park inspection practices; and previously unsecured capital project worksheets. The audit also followed up on a longstanding finding about annual pool operating permits and found that the permit issue had been resolved.
Jasia Smith, chief of staff for Recreation and Parks, told the Board the agency has hired an equity coordinator and has nearly finalized a “playbook” — a comprehensive plan developed over two years with outside consultants that scores community investment need and overlays asset condition with community factors (youth metrics, income, education, violent crime, population density and extreme heat). “The plan will prioritize for us based on that criteria and data,” Smith said, and she said the playbook produces a heat map that will guide capital prioritization.
Smith and the mayor’s office described recent investments: more than $120 million in capital projects over Director Reginald Moore’s tenure, targeted playground, rec center and pool renovations, and ARPA dollars that enabled concentrated rec and parks investments. Smith said the QA/QC process for park maintenance is now centralized and the agency is building a dashboard to show inspection results in real time.
On pools, Smith said the department will open “more neighborhood pools online than we've had in the last decade” this coming season, that staff recruitment for lifeguards is underway, and that the aquatics team has worked with the Department of Health to secure required permits. The City Administrator noted last year 16 of 23 city pools and splash pads were open; the administration listed a set of pools in active construction or design, with a mix of seasonal timelines.
Why it matters: the audit addresses equity and the condition of parks, recreation centers and pools used by many neighborhoods. The department’s playbook and capital investments will shape where future dollars go; the QA/QC and dashboard work affect maintenance responsiveness and transparency.
The Board noted the item; no formal vote was taken on the audit presentation.
