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Commission approves RFP to update Parks & Recreation master plan
Summary
Shawnee County Parks and Recreation will issue a request for proposals to update its departmentwide master plan, which expired at the end of 2024. Staff said accreditation standards require a current master plan; commissioners asked for cost estimates before committing further funding.
The Shawnee County Commission on April 3 voted to authorize the Parks and Recreation Department to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to update its departmentwide master plan, which expired at the end of 2024.
Tim Laurent, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, told the commission the department is accredited and that accreditation requires a current master plan. Laurent said the department expects to seek a five‑year plan and that the last plan had been 10 years in length. He asked the commission for permission to solicit cost proposals and said he would return with bids for commissioner review.
Commission discussion touched on accreditation’s value and the cost of consultant work. One commissioner said accreditation is held by fewer than 2 percent of agencies nationwide and questioned whether the county should pay large consultant fees for what could be a “glorified PowerPoint.” Laurent said he expected to fund the update from three sources: the department’s operating budget, Gates Park Improvement Authority funds and Parks for All foundation funds, and that no additional county funds would be requested beyond those sources for the RFP phase.
Commissioners voted 3‑0 to approve issuing the RFP. Laurent said the department would likely plan for a five‑year horizon and bring RFP responses and proposed costs back to the commission for a future vote.
