February 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 11

Pappajohn Sculpture Park photo: Cameron Campbell

Facilities: The city's 3,875 acres of park land include 73 parks;
three municipal golf courses; lake with two-mile loop trail and
beach, five aquatic centers, river marina, and 19 novelty and wading pools; AAA baseball stadium; riverwalk; skating plaza; zoo;
botanical center; two performing arts amphitheaters; sculpture
park with works by world-class artists valued at more than $40
million; skate park; lilac arboretum, rose garden, and formal gardens; three disc golf courses, two tennis and two softball complexes, baseball and soccer sports parks that host regional and
national tournaments; two community centers; seven cemeteries;
nature trails and 41 miles of recreational trails. An on-street bike
network that allows bicyclists to make use of trails to commute
to work is under development. The city's trails form the hub of
the greater Central Iowa Trail System which has more than 550
miles of trails. The agency also manages the city's 20 municipal
buildings.

■■  Received the National Recreation and Park Association Great
Lakes Region's Outstanding Partnership Award for efforts in procuring, organizing, and hosting regional and national championships with the local soccer organizing committee.
■■  Awarded the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District's
first-ever Urban Steward Award, recognizing conservation efforts
in an urban setting.

Programs: Lessons are offered in sailing, canoeing, fishing, archery, skating, tennis, and swimming for multiple age levels-as
well as pickle ball, pee wee soccer, and youth golf. League sports
programs and tournaments include men's, women's, and coed softball/volleyball; flag football; pond hockey; broomball; and multiple
age levels of basketball. A wide range of recreation and environmental education programs are offered; a sampling includes kite
flying, yoga, moonlight boat floats, eagle sightings, fairy house
building, outdoor movies, a winter festival, carp festival, and dog
carnival. Many of these activities, as well as environmental stewardship offerings on several fronts, are made possible through the extensive volunteer program in which 2,000 volunteers donated time
valued in excess of $200,000 last year-and also with the financial
help of the Friends of Des Moines Parks, a section 501(c)(3) charity.

Key to Success:
■■  Communication-with citizens, volunteers, elected officials, and
between staff; face-to-face is still a vital skill. Most major decisions
affecting the public are made with input from open citizen forums
and a 15-member volunteer Park & Recreation Board appointed
by the City Council.
■■  Emphasis on Mission-a simple outcome that all can see and
feel and common passion to deliver that outcome at the highest
possible level.

Mission/Vision Statement: Providing clean, safe, fun, and
beautiful parks, open spaces, recreational facilities, and professionally managed leisure activities.
Awards/Citations
■■   Twice received second place awards from
Nations in Bloom for excellence in horticulture
and beautification (cities with 50,000-300,000
population).
■■   Awarded National League of Cities's James
C. Howland Silver Award for Municipal Enrichment (cities with 150,000-300,000 population) for
the neighborhood flower beautification program.

	

Challenges & Issues: Local government has been the traditional direct-service provider for generations. Recent economic and social conditions now require new outsourcing,
privatization, and collaborative transfer of many duties. The
resulting changes in governance and impacts to employees,
volunteers, and customers can be painful to some and confusing to others. In Des Moines, we have attempted to embrace
change if it allows us to keep delivering service.

Future Plans: The city has spent $155 million in capital improvement program (CIP) funds for park and recreation facilities planning, development, major improvements, and
preventive maintenance since it began adopting annual plans
in 1965. Budgets proposed for the next five years will increase
50-year spending to nearly $200 million. Some major future
projects include: greenways planning, which encompasses the
parkland and open space along the two rivers that converge in
downtown Des Moines; implementation of master plans for 12
parks and facilities out of 30 plans that the agency has in place;
completion of the Principal Riverwalk, a 1.9-mile promenade
along the Des Moines River that features lighted, landscaped
public spaces, world-class public art, and multiple unique pedestrian bridges and pathways; a bicycle master plan, that
creates a bicycle network using off-street trails, bike lanes,
sharros, and on-street bike facilities; four dog parks; and land
restoration projects based on a natural inventory of parkland
and open space.
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FEBRUARY 2011

Parks & Recreation	

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February 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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