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Parks and Rec annual report highlights revenues, programming and SilverSneakers coverage loss
Summary
The department reviewed its 2024 annual report showing boat-launch and facility revenue, programming participation, capital projects and flagged a potential loss of hundreds of insured SilverSneakers members as private insurers change vendors.
The New London Park and Recreation Committee reviewed its 2024 annual report on Feb. 4, which summarized permit revenue, special events, facility use, capital projects and a concern about seniors losing SilverSneakers coverage.
The report, prepared with staff assistance from Chris Clark, lists $8,690 in revenue from annual boat-launch permits and $7,319 in daily launch fees; 54 dock and river-raft permits were issued. Parks shelter reservations generated about $8,000 in revenue over 107 billable reservation days, with Shelter 2 the most-used site. The department reported a mix of special events at Hatton Park, including a May festival, car show, Rock and Thorn Festival and a disc-golf tournament (the Snowblown Open) that the presentation said typically draws more than 100 participants.
Capital projects noted include renovations at Pfeiffer Middle and Hatton Stadium seating (funded in part by the school district, the Hatton Stadium Foundation and the city), restroom updates at Memorial Park, and the recently approved Bluestem tree-inventory contract. The department purchased a new senior-center bus listed in the report as "$53.10 grand," and staff said the vehicle is in service and has logged community transportation miles.
The staff report also described recreation programming and participation: roughly 366 SilverSneakers members were listed in the department’s membership data; staff said they lost 15 SilverSneakers members in the previous week and that about 50 more members were at risk of losing coverage due to changes by an insurer (Network Health) that the report said had shifted to other vendors. Committee discussion included the local impacts for seniors on fixed incomes; Ginger said the department will contact affected members and explore options.
Other highlights: 107 shelter reservation days, 128 participants in the daddy–daughter dance, 740 enrollments in swim lessons and several recurring community partnerships with local swim, track and wrestling groups. Staff said some programming is funded by sponsorships (including Festival Foods) to keep participant fees low.
Committee members requested that the presentation materials be posted on the city website; staff agreed to make the PowerPoint and report available online. No formal committee action was required on the annual report itself.
