P&R Administration
Fiscal Year 2024
Department Overview
The mission of the City of Owatonna’s Parks and Recreation Department is to enrich the quality of life for our community and visitors by providing a variety of green spaces, trails, facilities, programs, and services to promote health, wellness, learning, and having fun.
Accomplishments
• Completed the first year of our culture improvement work and focused on positive change.
• Collaborated with Human Resources on a new onboarding process and seasonal hiring plan.
• Five supervisors completed a 6-month leadership series training.
• Completed the first Cartegraph Asset Management software implementation phase and began data collection.
• Collaborated with the Finance Department on funding options for the Government Buildings Rehab Plan.
• Facilities Task Force committee continues momentum with a long-range improvement plan for city-wide government buildings.
• Completed a Facilities Master Plan for city-wide government buildings.
• Completed Merrill Hall project scope and construction cost.
• Delivered 12,000 Spring / Summer and Fall Activity Guides to city residents.
• Completed the Council Chambers renovation project and Grand Opening celebration.
• Hired the Brooktree Supervisor to grow the golf/clubhouse business.
• Completed three park master plans.
o Cashman Park
o Kaplan’s Woods/Lake Kohlmier
o Morehouse Park
• Mid-season successfully changed Brooktree’s food and beverage vendor to improve service.
Goals
Department Goal: Achieve a higher level of customer service through our continued focus on developing efficient processes that result from the mindset of continuous improvement.
• Develop a department Procedure Manual to provide consistency and standardization within the department.
• Develop a department comprehensive Life Cycle Asset Plan with annual replacement and maintenance schedules.
• Complete projects on time and within budget.
• Develop a communications plan to adhere to communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Establish work unit annual work plans to create balanced workloads.
• Explore internal and external efficiencies and partnership opportunities.
• Review safety and security practices within the parks and Government Buildings and develop a plan to close the gaps.