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Davenport parks staff brief board on CAPRA reaccreditation and mandatory ADA transition plan
Summary
City parks staff told the advisory board they will pursue CAPRA reaccreditation and hired WT Group (led by John McGovern) to complete a now-mandatory ADA transition plan; staff invited advisory members to join the steering committee and public engagement process.
Chad, Davenport’s parks director, told the Park and Recreation Advisory Board the department is preparing for CAPRA (Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies) reaccreditation and must complete a newly mandatory ADA transition plan ahead of the next review cycle. "CAPRA accreditation demonstrates that parks and recs departments have verified they meet best practice standards," Chad said during the presentation.
The department described the CAPRA process as a self-assessment, peer site visit and a review/hearing before the commission, with formal reaccreditation on a five-year cycle and annual updates submitted between site reviews. Staff said the ADA transition plan — previously optional — is now a fundamental standard; failure to submit an acceptable plan would jeopardize reaccreditation.
Davenport issued an RFQ and selected WT Group (Hoffman Estates) to conduct site-by-site access audits, prepare recommendations and produce cost estimates. Staff said the City Council approved the WT Group contract at its meeting the night before. Chad said the audit will cover all parks and facilities and is expected to run about six to eight months, with a kickoff slated for late January or early February.
Staff listed an internal accreditation team (Theresa, Becca, Billy and Amanda) and said the department will use PowerDMS software to organize standards and evidence. The department invited advisory board members to take part on the ADA steering committee and in public engagement sessions; Chad said staff will notify board members when the public input schedule is set.
The presentation also covered other CAPRA updates, including revisions to marketing, crisis communication and volunteerism standards. Staff said they will submit annual evidence of progress on items in the transition plan and re-present updated materials at future check-ins leading up to the 2027 formal renewal.
