Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Recreation division moves to impact-based programming as revenue and facility use lag
Loading...
Summary
The recreation division reported a 4.5% revenue decline and a 6.1% drop in facility usage year-over-year; staff described a shift from volume-driven programming to an impact-based model, pilot audits, and plans to reintroduce SilverSneakers.
Mr. Dalton, a recreation-division presenter, told the Parks Board that recent data show modest declines in revenue and facility usage but signs that program changes are beginning to pay off. “We're down 4.5% from last year… facility usage, we're down about 6.1%,” Dalton said and linked those trends in part to weather-related closures that reduced rentable pavilion days.
Dalton said the division intentionally reduced the sheer number of programs to prioritize impact and cost recovery: “Last year we offered 513 [programs]; the national average is 250. By moving to an impact-based model, program participation is up about 10%.” He described the change as a shift away from measuring success by volume toward prioritizing programs that show consistent registration and attendance.
The division highlighted several successful initiatives: an award for inclusive skating programming (Texas Recreation and Park Society East Region), a noon New Year's Eve family event that attracted roughly 100 attendees, and a Valentine’s Day fit expo (“Love at First Flex”) that drew about 700 participants and produced membership upticks.
Dalton outlined operational pilots and service improvements: a citizen-facing recreation and tennis center audit form to surface customer observations, a planned recreation-software migration to simplify pavilion and facility reservations, and a digital tool to track room counts, inspections and maintenance (Connect reimplementation).
On customer service, Dalton said the recreation call-answer rate averages about 96% weekly while the Community Center answer rate is lower (~57%), and staff have identified a need for additional coverage. He also said staff logged roughly 56 professional development hours in the past three months.
Dalton said the department is evaluating cost-recovery targets for programs and exploring new revenue streams such as birthday-party add-ons and tightened reservation systems.
Board members asked about outreach to older residents for the SilverSneakers program and requested copies of Dalton's slides. Dalton said staff will produce a communication plan and work through senior networks to publicize benefits once enrollment is approved.
No formal votes were taken on these operational proposals; staff will return with follow-up on software changes, SilverSneakers implementation and detailed cost-recovery targets.
