PLAYGROUND DESIGN

Accidents on playgrounds are a major concern for any park department. More than 120,000 serious accidents are reported on public playgrounds in the U.S. every year. The lack of supervision and maintenance are causes of approximately one third of these accidents. In order to prevent these accidents and legal suits of negligence, the city must develop a preventative maintenance program in which inspections are frequent, thorough, and written. A checklist follows which should be duplicated for every playground and every inspection.

Most cities have a significant number of playgrounds which do not meet the current safety codes. A long term plan to replace old playgrounds has to be prepared. All of the new playgrounds must meet the requirements of ADA (American with Disabilities Act), CPSC (U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission), and the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials).

This long term plan will request funds in the budget to cover the cost to replace the existing equipment with a minimal structure. It is suggested that the city set up a meeting with friends of the park that will be receiving the equipment. The Friends group can organize themselves into sub-groups to design the equipment they would like to have in their park. If additional funds are required to achieve this design, another group can raise funds. The Friends group should also be used to organized volunteers to install the equipment under the supervision of a manufacturer's representative and someone from City's Parks & Recreation Department.

LIGHTING OF BALLFIELDS

Based upon high recreation demands, it is apparent that one way to meet this demand is to provide more playing time on the fields. One of the best ways to do this is to provide lighting so evening games can be held. Games under the lights adds a new excitement to the sport. The five year plan indicates locations where lighting might be feasible.

If lighting is proposed, several things must be considered. First of all, how receptive will the neighborhood be to lighting. Then, can the fields take the abuse of additional wear and tear from this extended playing time. Finally, can Parks & Recreation afford the additional resources necessary to provide the additional maintenance needed. This additional maintenance will consist of additional fertilizing, aerating, watering and line painting.

IRRIGATION

To achieve maximum benefit with minimum effort, irrigation systems should always be automatic. Water sources require creativity. Consider using abandoned wells, surplus drainage water, groundwater with underground tanks acting as a reservoir, recycled water, gray water, special irrigation wells, and, as a last resort, drinking water. Submersible pumps in the well or reservoir provide the water pressure needed to supply the sprinkler heads.

Although small sprinkler heads on an in-ground system seem to be the best approach to watering athletic fields, it is probably easier in the long run to have a shut off valve and a portable rain gun or rain cannon available to irrigate these fields. The labor required to deliver the rain gun to the field, set it up, let it run for a couple of hours, and then move it to the next site or field will be less than the cost to install the in-ground system. Besides, the laborer involved can do other routine maintenance to the field while waiting for the correct amount of water to be applied. The in-ground system will mean high installation costs for pipes, sprinkler heads, a controller, and the cost to maintain the system on a monthly basis. In addition, the in-ground system also needs to be drained every fall with a portable air compressor.

Moisture sensors will automatically bypass the controller if the ground has sufficient moisture. Moisture sensors are improving each year. Be sure to check with the local irrigation supply companies to get the latest, most reliable sensor available. Also consider drip irrigation for shrub and flower beds as the latest, least expensive, and lowest-maintenance irrigation system available.

VOLUNTEERS IN PARKS

Although most cities have full time staff capable of maintaining open space, parks and commons, other activities that require large amounts of time, effort and labor are beyond the capabilities of the maintenance staff. Getting these projects implemented while paid staff can concentrate on more pressing demands can be accomplished by using volunteers. Volunteers want to feel appreciated and should feel as though they are making a contribution to their community.

The city's Parks & Recreation Department should establish a Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program to assist in the maintenance and improvements of the Department's lands. The VIP's could mow the grass on a park near their home or spend a few hours each week picking off dead flowers, weeding or picking up trash in one of the city's beautiful parks.

The VIP program should act as a coordinator of all volunteer activities. The program should utilize the garden club and other civic groups, scout troops and Eagle Scout community service projects, volunteers from park Friends groups, and anyone else who wants to help. The Parks & Recreation Department should have a list of projects, activities, and available donations ready to go when anyone call and asks to help. The city can also start volunteer programs such as Adopt-a-Park or Adopt-a-Common. There should also be several special functions available for when someone calls to say they have a large group willing to spend anywhere from a couple hours to a couple of days working on a project.

VIP's should receive some training in safety and proper maintenance techniques. It is also necessary to have a volunteer recognition ceremony. For a small community, it probably best to have an inexpensive volunteer's picnic where the VIP's meet the Parks & Recreation staff over an informal lunch in one of the parks. It is also appropriate at this time to give the volunteer a token of appreciation for their efforts. Remember, volunteer's need to be given a positive image to identify with. The VIP program allows the city to get something done that it would otherwise not have done or would have been done much later.

PARK MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

A Park Maintenance Program should consist of a report that evaluates the maintenance of all public open space in your city or town. The report should address:

·        park management

·        organization

·        maintenance responsibilities

·        labor requirements and standards

·        budget

·        maintenance plans of open spaces

·        maintenance tips, and

·        a five-year implementation plan.

PARK MAINTENANCE PROGRAM REPORT OUTLINE

The PROGRAM should be analyzed in a report which consists of the following items:

I. Goal

The goal of this report should be about how to maintain a city's parks as economically & efficiently as possible because better looking parks will support future capital improvements and justify future budget increases.

II. Overview

Discuss the park system size

Maintenance responsibilities - P & R, DPW, Conservation, Cemeteries

Recreation demands on facilities

III. Park Management

Labor requirements - existing

Function standards in $/A.

Organization - current, zone management, proposed

Budget - Capital & Maintenance

Privatization vs. in-house

Developers to upgrade nearest park instead of land donation

IV. Maintenance Plan

Generic maintenance tips

Educate crews to trash, weed, mow, edge, look around

Pruning standards

Turf care program - water, aerate, etc.

Chemical treatments - herbicide, fertilizer

Work Order system - develop a form which indicates the dates of writing & completion, project description, location, etc.

Proposed plant lists - new & replacements, soil preparation, planting techniques

Lighting plan

Irrigation plan

Playground equipment replacement plan, routine safety inspections

Volunteers in Parks

V. Specific Parks

5 Year plan - renovations and improvements

Park contents

Lists of needs, paving, damage, signs

Capital & maintenance funding

PRIVATE CONTRACTORS VS. IN-HOUSE STAFF

Park maintenance services can be provided by using contractors, in-house staff or combinations of both.

In-house Staff

The advantages of in-house crews include having people available to do anything and everything that needs to be done while meeting the city's quality standards. The city also has an identity or personality that is reflected in the maintenance of its parks and this identity can easily be improved by using in-house crews. Quality control is better with in-house crews because they must live with their mistakes and must be proud of their accomplishments. In-house crews can be kept busy year-round with all phases of park maintenance. The crews are able to respond to emergencies quickly, and the work force is generally more stable. No administrative time is need to write and oversee contracts. In-house crews will always have some variety to the daily routine, making the job more enjoyable for the park worker. In-house crews can also become specialized and just as productive as contracted labor. In most situations, deciding among contracting, in-house staff, or a combination of both is usually made on the basis of cost, quality of service desired, and past practice.

Contracted Services

Typical contracted services include preparing Park Maintenance Programs and Reports, planting, pruning, turf care, flower growing and maintenance, general maintenance, trash removal, and management consulting for writing and overseeing contracts, preparing all types of documents, and conforming to all regulations.

Some examples of the advantages of contracted park work include the following:

1.      Costs can be lower depending on how the costs are calculated.

2.      Labor is usually available for peak work periods or overload requirements.

3.      Cancellation can be made by phone when work is not available or the weather is poor.

4.      The contractor provides employees with supervision and training.

5.      The contractors are specialists, which makes them more efficient.

6.      There is no pay for any work that does not meet specified quality standards.

7.      The city can easily switch to in-house staff if it wants a change and had been using contractors.

8.      Contractors are motivated by profit.

9.      Infrequently used or specialized services can be obtained at a reasonable cost.

10. Quality can be obtained with well written contracts and hiring conscientious contractors.

Regardless of whether the work is done by park employees or by contracted labor, it is important that everyone takes pride in his or her work. When a project is done, it should look nice and meet the standards required by the city. While workers may not be interested in doing projects that seem very insignificant or will not be seen by the public, they need to know the project will make future maintenance easier or more efficient or that there is some other reason for doing it. Workers should know the maintenance level that is acceptable. They should be taken to the job site and shown what is acceptable and what is not. They must develop respect for the parks, for the city, and for themselves. They should be inspected at least once a day to review their performance and to find out if they have any suggestions for making the job easier or better or more productive.

It is this consultant's opinion that in most city park systems, all work should be done with in-house crews. Contractors may be called in for special construction projects, renovations or emergencies.