The Durango Parks and Recreation Department released a draft report this week outlining how it plans to spend about $6 million in dedicated sales tax funding each year until 2023.
The nine-page document lists five years of strategic goals in the department’s six areas of emphasis: parks, open space, trails, recreation, facilities and its organizational structure.
Some goals are tangible and concrete: Complete the Animas River Trail northern extension by 2020 and construct a Camino del Rio crossing to connect the Animas River Trail to downtown by 2022.
Others are more abstract and undefined: Park system upgrades planned for 2020 to 2023 and recreational facility improvements planned for the next five years.
The department announces its strategic goals each year in a document the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Natural Lands Preservation Advisory Board and the Multimodal Advisory Board must approve. The strategic goals work as a framework for the department as it drafts its 2020 budget, said Cathy Metz, director of Parks and Recreation.
“(The strategic plan) is a great tool to use annually to give people an idea of where our emphasis will be placed as well as some of our key projects,” Metz said.
P&R Stratigic plan
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The strategic plan is separate from the master plan, which outlines strategic themes and objectives to guide the department and its activities.
The 2019 strategic plan was written with guidance from the 2010 parks, open space, trails and recreation master plan. The city has been updating the master plan for about 1½ years. Metz said her staff has reviewed a draft of the 2019 master plan and is waiting for a response to edits made by Parks and Recreation Department employees.
As part of the update, a consulting firm hired by the city conducted a survey of almost 1,600 residents, asking people what parks and recreation goals are most important to them. Respondents said they are most willing to support extending the Animas River Trail, purchasing land for recreation and maintaining buildings and green space.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
If you go
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Natural Lands Preservation Advisory Board and the Multimodal Advisory Board will review the draft strategic plan at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave.
