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Recreation staff report rising participation, ask to boost permanent staff hours
Summary
Recreation staff reviewed programs and events, highlighted growth in Little Trout Play Park and community walks, and requested increasing a permanent staff member's hours from 20 to 24 per week to strengthen administrative capacity and program delivery.
Recreation staff presented a year-in-review slideshow to the Troutdale City Council on Jan. 13, highlighting steady program growth and a request to increase staff hours for administrative capacity.
The presenter described core offerings and partnerships: Little Trout Play Park resumed weekly sessions with more than 40 attendees, community walks expanded (temporarily paused for winter), wilderness camp and lifeguard-training programs ran at full participation, and partnerships with Reynolds School District and Rock Haven climbing gym helped broaden offerings. The presenter said roughly two-thirds of program registrants live in Troutdale and about one-third come from surrounding communities.
Staff introduced a permanent recreation employee, Anne, who the presenter said started Feb. 5 last year and currently works approximately 20 hours per week. The presenter asked the council to approve increasing that employee's weekly hours to 24 to allow more desk time for administration, program planning and data work. "She's 20 right now and so really the request is... to 24," the presenter said. Anne told the council that the community "really values the program" and noted repeat families and weekly new attendees.
Council members expressed appreciation for the department's work, discussed the request for additional hours and asked about regional participation. Staff said they would continue to monitor program demand and bring any formal staffing changes through the budget and personnel processes as required.
The presentation included outreach items (a new general recreation phone line and Facebook page) and upcoming pilot efforts for teen engagement, including a planned "Wednesdays in the Park" drop-in program and an adult free-agent sports league idea to reduce isolation and build community connections.
