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Parks staff brief board on new master plan process, consultant engagement
Summary
Parks Deputy Director Valerie Derrick told the advisory board the city selected consulting firm BerryDunn to create a 5–10 year parks and recreation master plan, including a facility assessment, statistically valid survey and stakeholder engagement. The contract cost was not specified at the meeting.
Valerie Derrick, deputy director of Parks and Recreation, updated the Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture Advisory Board on the department’s new master plan project at the Sept. 9 meeting, saying the city completed a procurement and selected consultant BerryDunn to lead the work.
Derrick said BerryDunn — a national consulting firm — conducted an on-site kickoff July 23–25 that included staff discovery sessions, interviews with city leadership and an unannounced public walk-through of parks and facilities. The firm is developing a public engagement strategy that will include a statistically valid survey, in-person outreach at large events and targeted meetings with stakeholders and the advisory board.
Derrick described the plan’s anticipated scope: a facility assessment, recommendations for capital investments, programming guidance and a 5–10 year master plan that can inform coordination with planning and public-works departments and position the city for possible accreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association. She said the consultant will also produce a public-facing web landing page and regular status updates.
When asked about contract cost and duration, Derrick said she did not have the exact dollar amount at the meeting and asked to confirm the figure later; she described the engagement as roughly a yearlong process. ‘‘It’s a year process,’’ she said, adding the firm will deliver guidance for the next five to 10 years. Board member Ian Brown asked whether the consultant is working for any other city departments; Derrick said the contract is specific to parks and recreation but will involve interviews with staff across departments.
Derrick said BerryDunn will perform a facility inventory and assessment to identify structural needs and capital-investment priorities, and she asked board members to submit ideas for survey questions or stakeholders. She recommended sending suggestions to Viviana Rodriguez, parks staff, and said the department aims to collect board input and post engagement materials to a project landing page before October outreach events.
Derrick also described early branding for the effort — ‘‘Plan today, play tomorrow’’ — and listed locations BerryDunn visited, including Craig Ranch Regional Park and Skyview Recreation Center. She said the department meets biweekly with the consultant and will return to the board with regular updates and opportunities for focused stakeholder input.
