Joint Beautification and Lake, Parks and Recreation committees refine survey, outreach for Random Lake recreation plan

Lydia Bernhoft, environmental planner with the Bay Lake Regional Planning Commission, presented a draft Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) and a companion public survey to the Joint Beautification and Lake, Parks and Recreation committees of Random Lake at their April 28 meeting.

Bernhoft asked the committees to draft the plan’s goals and objectives for review at the next meeting and said she will supply a template to populate capital projects and a five-year priority schedule. Co-Chairman Rachel Fuller said she prefers a layout split by main goals with a mission statement.

Committee members reviewed the draft survey and requested several specific edits. They asked that the question “In general, what feature do you think make a park, enjoyable to use?” include example features for context; that a map be added showing the village’s parks and properties; that the question asking which trails respondents have used be changed to ask which trails they would use; and that an explanatory box be added to the question “Overall, how safe do you feel in the Village’s parks?” The committee asked that the travel-distance question (“How far are you willing to travel to outdoor recreation spots/facilities, in general?”) and an open-ended prompt about ideas for converting village-owned open space be removed. Bernhoft agreed to revise the draft survey per these requests.

The committees discussed administration and outreach. Member Blaine Werner asked whether the survey could distinguish residents from visitors; Bernhoft said an option can be added but cautioned that historically there is limited outside input. Bernhoft said the online survey can limit responses by email (that setting may be turned off), printed versions will be available, QR codes can be distributed at parks, and respondents will be able to edit their original submissions. She said the survey will be available by Memorial Day weekend and that she will provide a midway update to the committees during the survey window.

Bernhoft described workshop plans that include activity stations, a SWOT analysis and a listing of current parks and open spaces. The workshop is scheduled for 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the library; Member Werner requested relocating it to Random Lake School for additional parking and open space. Library Director Camrin Sullivan suggested leaving the workshop display boards up for several days to gather extra input. Co-Chairman Fuller suggested leaving materials through Saturday the 27th; Bernhoft said she will prepare a flyer for the June 23 workshop and present it for committee review at the June 9 joint meeting.

Next steps: Bernhoft will provide a template for capital improvement planning, revise the survey based on the committee’s edits, post the survey by Memorial Day weekend and circulate a flyer for the June 23 workshop for review at the June 9 meeting.