HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996 Park Board Evaluation FY95-96 EVALUATION
LANSING PARK BOARD
FY 1995-96
MEETINGS HELD: Eleven. The Board met the third Wednesday of each month at various
locations throughout the city.
MEMBERSHIP: The Board functioned with a full eight members for all but one meeting.
A vacancy was created when Barry Crown resigned after moving out of the city.
ATTENDANCE: The Board had a quorum for each meeting. Members averaged 83 percent
attendance for the eleven meetings.
CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT: An average of three citizens attended each meeting. This
ranged from no citizens (two meetings) to seven citizens (one meeting).
KEY ACTIVITIES:
Budget: Board members took an active role in working toward passage of the millage
renewal, as well as review and prioritization of budget submissions for FY 1997. Due
to decreases in state and federal matching funds, a number of prioritized projects were
not funded fully as anticipated.
The Board also took the following positions relating to use of Park and Recreation
Department funds: that millage funds were best used for infrastructure improvements
rather than ongoing programming, that repairs to existing community centers should take
precedence over new construction; that future zoo improvements should be funded as a
result of regionalization efforts; that the $500,000 subsidy to the cemetery "enterprise"
fund was a major- drain on the department's budget that merited issuance of an RFP to
identify a more cost effective use of these land resources; and that a partnership with the
Boys and Girls Club of Lansing represented an opportunity to use limited millage funds
in a cost-effective manner-to create a south side community center.
Planning: The Board reviewed and approved the Zoo Master-Plan, the cemetery analysis
and the initial Scott House restoration findings.
Recreation: Ice skating was the biggest recreation issue brought to the Board. The
Board supported the Comstock Park neighbors in their request for a rink, and also
supported the Greater Lansing Amateur Hockey Association-City partnership for
expansion of the Washington Park artificial ice rink. The continued use of scarce dollars
to keep up city tennis courts and possible ways to involve more youth in tennis versus
using the courts for other activities like in-line hockey was also debated.