HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks Plan 2040 Ops Maint. and Org Analysis_APR 30 2024_FINAL SAFE CLEAN SUSTAINABLE CONNECTED THRIVING
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LAKE OSWEGO 2024 PARKS PLAN 2040
What does the Operations, Maintenance, and Organizational Analysis include?
1. Introduction — introduces the document and the key components and
highlights key themes and needs identified through community engagement
activities.
2. Organizational Structure and Staffing—outlines the current organizational
structure and staffing levels.
3. Maintenance—summarizes the current level of maintenance and
responsibilities of the department.
4. NRPA Park Metrics Benchmarking— provides a comparative analysis of the
department's budget, maintained parks and park acres, staffing and workload,
and program participation related to the Pacific Northwest and other CAPRA
accredited agencies nationwide.
1. Introduction
Purpose and Overview
Lake Oswego residents have a high level of satisfaction with the existing parks and recreation system.
According to the 2023 bi-annual community survey, approximately 91%or more of survey respondents
are happy with the quality of parks, trails, pathways, and landscaping in the City's parks. About 87%of
respondents also are satisfied with amenities in parks such as restrooms and shelters. 85%of
respondents are satisfied with the conditions of athletic fields, sports courts, and playgrounds in City
parks although a higher percentage of respondents also are not familiar with the condition of these
facilities compared to others. Community members also stress that maintenance, operations, and
administration are critical to supporting a successful system. Community members and City staff have
highlighted the important role that operations and maintenance should continue to play into the future,
including in relation to the following objectives.
• Increased climate resilience in parks, infrastructure, and operations practices.
• Financial sustainability of the park and recreation system over the long term.
• Durable and easy to maintain park amenities and infrastructure and ongoing maintenance to
extend the functional lifespan of major facilities.
• Increased habitat restoration and proactive approaches to natural resource management.
• Improved communications around opportunities, events, and program information.
• Continued reliance of partners to expand park and recreation opportunities.
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2. Organizational Structure and Staffing
As of 2023, the City of Lake Oswego is one of about 200 nationally accredited Parks & Recreation
Departments in the country through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies
(CAPRA) program.The Department offers over 584 acres of parks and open spaces, 48 acres of
recreation facilities, and hosts, on average, about 1,200 recreation programs and community events
each year.The department is led by the Parks& Recreation Director and two Deputy Directors (one
responsible for Recreation Services and Administration and the other for Parks and Natural Areas
Management and Sports).These Director level positions are supported by the Adult Community Center
Manager, Sports Manager, Parks Superintendent, a Communications and Sponsorships Coordinator, two
Park Analysts/Project Managers, and a host of other roles including recreation specialists, utility
workers, park rangers, special events staff, administrative support, and crew leaders.
LOPR also works with hundreds of volunteers who support activities such as community events,farmer's
markets,Adult Community Center programs, Indoor Tennis Center programs, and Friends of Parks
groups, as well as the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Advisory Board participants. In 2023
volunteers dedicated 25,292 hours to supporting recreation activities and human services for LOPR.
Lake Oswego Recreation & Aquatic Center
The Parks& Recreation Department will open its newest facility,the Lake Oswego Recreation and
Aquatics Center(LORAC), in early 2025. In 2021 the City contracted with Ballard*King&Associates to
conduct an operations analysis for the facility.The study assessed estimated operational expenses,
revenues from admissions, admissions and rental attendances, and staffing requirements to support
facility operations. In preparation for the facility coming online in late 2024 the Department will add an
additional 9 full-time benefitted positions and 13.9 part-time positions for a total of 77.12 full-time
equivalents (FTEs)for the department. New LORAC positions will be overseen by the Deputy Director of
Recreation and will include the LORAC Superintendent,Aquatics Supervisor, and recreation specialists
for fitness and aquatics.
LORAC will be managed by a dedicated team consisting of a facility superintendent, supervisors and
coordinators for aquatics and recreation activities, administrative staff, and maintenance personnel. In
addition to dedicated facility staff, it will provide office space for LOPR's management services team
including the Director and Deputy Director of Recreation; project managers, communications, and
graphics staff; enrichment,fitness, and outdoor recreation staff; and the administrative and registrar
team.
The facility will offer a diverse range of recreational activities, including enrichment and fitness classes,
sports and sports leagues, special events, room and special occasion rentals, and golf at the recently-
renovated 9-hole executive golf course. Membership services, reservations, and guest inquiries will be
handled by LOPR administrative staff with support from a team of on-call front desk positions.
Comprehensive training programs will be provided to all staff members,focusing on customer service,
safety protocols, and operational procedures.
LORAC's aquatics programs will prioritize safety with certified lifeguards, regular training, emergency
response procedures, and compliance with health and safety regulations regarding pool water quality
and maintenance. Swim lessons,water safety courses, and aquatic fitness classes that cater to a wide
range of ages and skill levels will be overseen by an aquatics supervisor.
A detailed operations plan is in the process of being prepared for this facility in advance of the building's
opening to the public, anticipated in early 2025.
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3. Maintenance
Maintenance and operations are key to a vibrant, clean, and sustainable parks and recreation system.
The Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation Department is responsible for the management and maintenance
of the City's developed parks, natural areas, and open spaces. In addition to park spaces,the
department's maintenance staff care for the system's major facilities including the Indoor Tennis Center,
the Adult Community Center, Charlie S. Brown Water Sports Center,the Lake Oswego Swim Park,the
Lake Oswego Municipal Golf Course, the Luscher Farm properties, and soon the LORAC.The level of
maintenance per site is determined by several factors, including how the property is used, what
amenities are available, property terrain, its proximity to neighborhoods and other public spaces,
whether any significant natural resources are present (creeks, drainages, native vegetation, etc.), and
any applicable city, county, state, and federal requirements. Maintenance levels also vary according to
season and facility requirements. Ongoing tasks include planting, weeding, raking, pruning, mowing,
tree/shrub maintenance, weed control, as well as integrated pest management,fertilization, irrigation
operations, litter removal, storm debris removal, and the cleaning, repair, and maintenance of park
amenities such as play structure equipment, restrooms, and other structures. Synthetic and natural
athletic field management, care, and maintenance are guided by established industry standards.Athletic
field maintenance tasks vary depending on the site, season, and level of use but generally include
aeration,fertilization, irrigation management, over-seeding, top dressing, field grooming, and sweeping.
Management of natural areas are guided by the Natural Areas Habitat Management Plan (NAHMP),
which provides a framework for consistent management of natural areas in compliance with the
Sensitive Lands Code and City Charter Chapter X. Natural area management includes general strategies
as well as habitat-and park-specific strategies such as targeted removal of invasive species; using
successional planting of natives to increase vegetation diversity and habitat resiliency; and working to
reduce wildfire hazards as described in Section 4.1.5 of the NAHMP.
Beyond regular department maintenance,the City operates an active park stewardship program to help
maintain and protect the system's parks and natural areas. Regular stewardship and habitat restoration
work parties are held year-round, allowing community members to spend time in nature and contribute
to the ongoing maintenance of the system.A variety of community organizations and individuals
participate in these activities including Friends of Parks groups, local high school Green Teams, and
others.
4. NRPA Park Metrics Benchmarking
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Park Metrics tool is designed to provide parks and
recreation agencies with a comprehensive source of information and data standards.Agencies upload
self-reported data to the database that can be used to build custom reports for benchmark comparisons
against peer agencies.The information can be used to garner support for additional funding, operational
improvements, and to better serve communities.
This section compares Lake Oswego to peer jurisdictions with similar population size in the Pacific
Northwest and with other CAPRA accredited agencies nationwide as reported in 2023.1 MIG selected
four peer CAPRA accredited agencies for comparison based on their similar jurisdictional size, budget,
and FTE count based on self-reported data included in the NRPA Park Metrics database for fiscal year
2023.
1 MIG created a customized search of NRPA Park Metrics in February 2024 which resulted in nine comparable agencies in the
Pacific Northwest Region and four CAPRA Accredited agencies in the US.
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Key Takeaways
The NRPA Park Metrics benchmarking comparison highlighted the following key takeaways:
• Population: Compared to the selected CAPRA accredited agencies in this report, Lake Oswego is
one of the most densely populated in terms of population relative to incorporated jurisdictional
square miles.
• Budget: Lake Oswego exceeds the total operating and capital budgets of all peer CAPRA
agencies and the Pacific Northwest for FY 22-23.
• Maintained Parks and Park Acres: Lake Oswego maintains a greater number of parks than peer
agencies in the Upper Quartile but has fewer total acres than peer agencies in the Pacific
Northwest Upper Quartile.
• Staffing and Workload: When comparing total maintained acres, Lake Oswego has fewer acres
per FTE than the Pacific Northwest Upper Quartile but is more similar to comparable CAPRA
accredited peer agencies.
• FTE Allocation by Function: Lake Oswego allocated about 46%of its FTE count towards
Maintenance and Operations, which is higher than all peer agencies.
• Program Participation: Lake Oswego exceeds program offerings of both peer CAPRA accredited
agencies and within the Pacific Northwest.
• Agency Responsibilities: Lake Oswego maintains a higher level of responsibility for the
oversight, maintenance, and/or contracted services than peer CAPRA agencies with
responsibility over 17 of the 25 key responsibility areas listed within the NRPA Park Metrics
dashboard.
Table 1-1 displays the estimated population by jurisdiction for the City and peer CAPRA accredited
agencies. Lake Oswego has the smallest jurisdiction per square mile and the second highest population
among peer agencies.
Table 1-1: Population and Square Mileage by Jurisdiction, Lake Oswego, and CAPRA Accredited
Peer Agencies
Agency Population Sq. mileage of incorporated
jurisdiction
City of Beavercreek(OH) 46,942 27
City of Lake Oswego(OR) 40,411
Independence Township (MI) 37,026 35
City of Roseville Parks and 36,254 13
Recreation (MN)
Town of Garner(NC) 33,669 19
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:Sorted by Population column.
5
Budget Comparisons
In this section,the Lake Oswego Parks& Recreation
OE Ln EO�
department operating, and capital budget data was City of . T
compared to peer organizations in the Pacific Northwest and Laker A s,.
nationwide.The analysis includes a comparison of various
components of the budget including total agency operational 7
, lip
and capital budget numbers, park operating expenditures per
acre of parkland, operating expenditures per capita, revenue
per capita, and total revenue to total operating expenditures. "4 /
The department's budget is primarily funded through the
City's General Fund, as well as revenues from sales, service •
charges, grants, and sponsorship dollars; demolition tax to
fund maintenance; and System Development Charges to fund (.
capital projects. In past years Parks& Recreation has been
the third largest recipient of General Funds following Police
and Fire; however, with all of the recent capital investments
and opening of the LORAC it will surpass the Fire budget in
upcoming budget cycles.The City follows a carryover savings
practice that allows for savings to be rolled over into the next fiscal or biennium that can be used for
one-time expenditures that align with Council priorities.
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Total Operating and Capital Budgets
Lake Oswego exceeds the total annual operating and capital budgets of all peer CAPRA agencies and the
Pacific Northwest for FY 22-23 as reported in the NRPA Park Metrics database.The Parks & Recreation
Department reported a total operating budget of$12,854,858 for FY 22-23, and a capital budget of
$14,000,000.The capital budget for FY 23-24 is$40,825,000 due to construction of the LORAC during
this time frame, which is budgeted at$35,185,000 with an additional $2 million budgeted for FY 2024-
25.
To analyze and compare operating and capital budgets across the identified peer agencies, a
combination of NRPA Park Metrics Benchmarking data and individual jurisdiction budget data was
utilized.The Park Metrics data includes the annual operating and capital budgets submitted to NRPA by
each agency.To confirm these numbers, additional analysis was conducted to compare the Park Metrics
data with the budget data included within each jurisdiction's annual budgets. As shown,there is a slight
deviation between the two data sources for most agencies, excluding the Town of Garner. Despite these
differences, Lake Oswego maintains the highest annual budget figures of all peer CAPRA agencies and
remains above the Pacific Northwest Upper Quartile.
Table 1-2: Annual Agency Operating and Capital Budget, Lake Oswego, Pacific Northwest, and
NRPA Peer CAPRA Agencies, FY 22-23
Total Agency Total Agency Total Agency Total Agency
Operating Budget Capital Budget Operating Budget Capital Budget
Agency (Adopted (Adopted
(NRPA Park (NRPA Park
Jurisdiction Jurisdiction
Metrics) Metrics) Budget) Budget)
City of Lake $12,854,858 $14,000,000 - -
Oswego(OR)
Pacific Northwest
Upper Quartile $12,163,300 $3,880,482 - -
City of Roseville
Parks and $6,236,000 $1,957,000 $5,647,640 $1,442,000
Recreation (MN)
Independence $3,292,964(combined operating and
Township (MI) $4,274,716 $776,207 capital budget)
Town of Garner $3,140,078 $4,457,400 $3,140,078 $4,457,400
(NC)
City of $2,958,859 $174,387 $2,868,673 $231,000
Beavercreek(OH)
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database,Jurisdiction Budgets,and Lake Oswego Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2021/22—
2026/27
Note:Sorted by Total Agency Operating Budget(Park Metrics)
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Annual Operating Budget Per Capita
Compared to peer agencies, Lake Oswego ranks the highest for operating expenditures per capita
among peer CAPRA accredited agencies and matches the Pacific Northwest at$318.The City ranks third
among peer CAPRA agencies for revenue per capita and falls between the median ($61.20) and upper
quartile ($125)for the Pacific Northwest. For total revenue to total operating expenditures, Lake
Oswego falls within the lower quartile (27.7%) for both the Pacific Northwest and among peer CAPRA
accredited agencies.
Table 1-3 Annual Operating Budget, Lake Oswego and NRPA Park Metrics Benchmarking Data
Comparison
Agency Park Operating Operating Revenue per capita Total revenue
expenditures per expenditures per to total
acre of parkland capita operating
expenditures
Pacific Northwest
Upper Quartile $7,947 $318 $125 49.4%
ity of Lake Oswego
OR) $7,559 $318 $88 27.7%
Independence
Township (MI) $7,519 $115 $36 31.3%
City of Beavercreek $4,458 $63 $16 24.7%
(OH)
City of Roseville Parks
and Recreation (MN) $2,242 $172 $91 53%
Town of Garner(NC) $1,922 $93 $22 23.8%
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:Sorted by Park Operating Expenditures per acre of parkland column.
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Maintained Parks and Park Acres Comparison
The City of Lake Oswego currently maintains 46 parks and recreation facilities, as well as over two dozen
open spaces,totaling 632 acres. Based on data from peer agencies in the Pacific Northwest and other
similar CAPRA accredited agencies, Lake Oswego maintains a greater number of parks but fewer total
acres than the Pacific Northwest Upper Quartile.
Table 1-4: Maintained Parks and Park Acres, Lake Oswego, Pacific Northwest,
and Peer CAPRA Agencies
Agency Total Number of Parks Total Park Acres
Pacific Northwest Upper Quartile 33 827
City of Roseville Parks and Recreation (MN) 32 681
City of Lake Oswe o OR) 46
City of Beavercreek(OH) 24 381
Town of Garner(NC) 11 328
Independence Township (MI) 5 227
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:Sorted by Total Park Acres column.
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Staffing and Workload Comparison
Lake Oswego has the highest number of full-time staff among peer agencies at 55 and matches the
upper quartile for non-full-time employees at 154 for the Pacific Northwest.The total FTE count falls
between the median and upper quartile in the Pacific Northwest and far exceeds the total FTE count for
peer agencies holding CAPRA accreditation. When comparing total maintained acres, Lake Oswego has
fewer acres per FTE than the Pacific Northwest Upper Quartile but is more similar to comparable CAPRA
accredited peer agencies.
Table 1-5: Staffing and Workload, Pacific Northwest, NRPA CAPRA Accredited Agencies
Agency Full-time Non-Full-time Maintenance Acres per
Employees Employees /Operations FTE Maintenance
Total FTE
/Operations
FTE
City of Lake
Oswego(OR)* 55 154 77 35.42
Pacific Northwest 41.7 154 72.7 25.37 32.60
Upper Quartile
City of Roseville
Parks and 28 109 53 23.85 28.55
Recreation (MN)
Independence
Township (MI) 16 92 42 13.44 16.89
Town of Garner 19 109 33 6.6 49.70
(NC)
City of Beavercreek 12 37 19 8.36 45.57
(OH)
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:Sorted by Total FTE column.
*Represents staffing levels in the Lake Oswego 2023-2025 Adopted Biennium Budget,which includes staffing for the LORAC to
be hired in FY 24-25.
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Percentage of Total FTEs Allocated by Functional Area
Approximately 46%of Lake Oswego's total FTE count is allocated to Maintenance/Operations which is
significantly higher than the Upper Quartile for the Pacific Northwest and slightly higher than the
Beavercreek and Roseville,two of the CAPRA accredited peer agencies.The next highest allocation is
Programmers at 37%,which is lower than all other CAPRA accredited agencies and falls between the
median and Upper Quartile for the Pacific Northwest.
Table 1-6: Percentage of total FTEs involved in functional areas.
Agency Administration Operations/ Programmers Capital Other
Development
Maintenance
Lake Oswego(OR) 13% 46% 37% 3% 1%
City of Roseville
Parks and 5% 45% 50% - -
Recreation (MN)
City of Beavercreek 10% 44% 44% 2%
(OH)
Pacific Northwest
Upper Quartile 14% 34.9% 43.4% 2.7% 4.9%
Independence 25% 32% 43%
Township (MI)
Town of Garner
(NC) 29.9% 20% 46.7% 3.4% 0%
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:"-"indicates information is unavailable.Sorted by Operations/Maintenance column.
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Program Participation Comparison
The City of Lake Oswego exceeds program offerings of peer CAPRA agencies and those in the Pacific
Northwest and has an estimated program reach of 216,270. Lake Oswego offered 1,218 programs in FY
23.The Upper Quartile for the Pacific Northwest was about 265.5 programs with an estimated reach of
about 234,702.The highest reported number of programs offered by CAPRA agencies was 957.
Of the total number of programs offered in Lake Oswego, about 94%of them require a fee for
participation which places it between the median and Upper Quartiles of Pacific Northwest agencies. It
has the second highest percentage compared to other CAPRA accredited agencies,just below
Independence Township which reported having 100%of fee-based programs.
Table 1-7: Program Participation Lake Oswego, Pacific Northwest, NRPA CAPRA Accredited
Agencies
Agency Total number Number of % of fee-based Total program
of programs fee-based to total number contacts
offered programs of programs
City of Lake Oswego(OR) 1M1111111. 1,148 94% 216,270
Independence Township
(MI) 957 957 100% -
City of Beavercreek (OH) 613 408 67% 10,750
Town of Garner(NC) 580 440 76% 108,000
Pacific Northwest Upper 265.8 237 89% 234,702
Quartile
City of Roseville Parks and
Recreation (MN)
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:"-"indicates information is unavailable.Sorted by Total number of programs offered.
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Agency Responsibilities
Parks and recreation agencies oversee, operate, and maintain a variety of facilities, amenities, activities,
and parkland within their communities. Operational responsibilities vary and can include oversight of
park sites, indoor facilities, campgrounds, and stadiums.
Lake Oswego's parks& recreation department's responsibilities were compared to other peer CAPRA
accredited agencies and to similar agencies within the Pacific Northwest.There are 25 different areas of
responsibility listed in the NRPA Park Metrics database for which agencies self-reported having
responsibility. Lake Oswego maintains a higher level of responsibility for the oversight, maintenance,
and/or contracted services than peer CAPRA agencies with responsibility over 17 of the 25 listed areas.
Agencies within the Pacific Northwest overall also indicate a high level of overall responsibility with
agencies reporting oversight over 21 of the 25 listed areas.
Table 1-8: Agency Responsibilities, Lake Oswego, Pacific Northwest, NRPA CAPRA Accredited
Agencies
Agency City of Independence City of Town City of Pacific
Lake Township Beavercreek of Roseville Northwest
Oswego (MI) (OH) Garner Parks and
(OR) (NC) Recreation
(MN)
Area of Responsibility
Operate and maintain
• • • • • •
park sites
Operate and maintain
• • • • • •
indoor facilities
Operate, maintain, or
• • •
contract golf courses
Operate, maintain, or
contract campgrounds •
Operate, maintain, or
contract indoor swim * • •
facilities/water parks
Operate, maintain, or
contract outdoor swim • • •
facilities/water parks
Operate, maintain, or
contract racquet sport • • • •
activities/courts/facilities
Operate, maintain, or
contract tourism • •
attractions
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Provide recreation
programming and • • • • • •
services
Operate and maintain
• •
non-park sites
Operate, maintain, or
manage trails,
• • • •
greenways, and/or
blueways (TGB)
Operate, maintain, or
manage special purpose • • • •
parks and open spaces
Manage or maintain
fairgrounds
Maintain, manage, or
lease indoor performing • •
arts center
Administer or manage
• •
farmers markets
Administer community
• • •
gardens
Manage large
performance outdoor • • •
amphitheaters
Administer or manage
professional or college-
type
stadium/arena/racetrack
Administer or manage
tournament/event
quality indoor sports •
complexes
Administer or manage
tournament/event
quality outdoor sports • •
complexes
Conduct major
jurisdiction wide special • • • • • •
events
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Have budgetary
responsibility for its • • • • • •
administrative staff
Include in its operating
budget the funding for
• • • •
planning and
development functions
Operate, maintain, or
contract marinas
•
Maintain or manage
beaches (inclusive of all • • •
waterbody types)
Source:NRPA Park Metrics database
Note:Agency responsibilities within the NRPA Park Metrics database did not separate Pacific Northwest agencies by quartile in
this area,therefore it is represented in the table as Pacific Northwest.
*Lake Oswego's Recreation and Aquatic Center is anticipated to open in early 2025,at which time the Department will be
responsible for operating and maintaining an indoor swim facility.
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