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Davenport Parks reports tighter programming, higher participation and staffing gains
Summary
Parks staff told the advisory board that program offerings were consolidated to match community demand, reducing cancellations while increasing participation; staff also highlighted expanded swim and league offerings, revenue from sports programs and efforts to build neighborhood-level programming.
Davenport Parks & Recreation staff reported at the April 16 advisory-board meeting that the department has tightened its class schedule to better match community demand, a change they say has cut cancellations and boosted participation.
Amanda, presenting on behalf of the recreation division, said the number of programs offered in FY25 fell slightly from FY24 after staff consolidated classes around times and offerings the community prefers. "We tightened up our classes, gave them to the program times and offerings that the community wanted," she said, and added that cancellations "have also gone down" while participation has risen.
The report to the board covered multiple program areas. Cole Mloud, sports and league supervisor, said youth offerings include basketball, spring soccer, T-ball, coach pitch and track and field, and that soccer participation is up to about 1,000 participants — the highest since before the COVID period. Cole also described adult leagues for volleyball, softball and adult soccer and reported that sports programming generates roughly $153,000 in program revenue (excluding facility rentals).
Aquatics staff reported a large increase in class offerings: about 293 swim classes are scheduled for the year compared with 212 last year. The supervisor said registrations have started strong and could push annual participant totals toward the department’s historical highs if current trends continue.
Staff described efforts to expand neighborhood-focused programming after recent work with the newly seated city council. The director told members that consultants for an ADA transition plan will be conducting site assessments and stakeholder input sessions in coming weeks as part of an effort to make facilities more accessible.
Board members praised staff work and asked questions about volunteer support and outreach. The advisory board approved the March 26 minutes and adjourned with a July park tour planned.
