July 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 23

Below, one of the three fields in Memorial Park, which is
located in central Colorado Springs.

that will increase the revenue potential of the facility. State-of-the-art LED
lighting will be used in all the buildings
and throughout the complex. Additionally, water quality basins will be included
to collect water from non-permeable surfaces, directing it toward areas of landscaped plantings. Nooks and crannies
that often create areas of unintended
maintenance have been sought out and
thoughtfully modified or eliminated to
help reduce their potential demands on
maintenance staff.
Water Conservation
With 58 percent of Colorado Springs
Parks Department's maintenance operating budget devoted to the cost of
water, it was imperative that steps be
taken to limit water use and be sure
the resource was leveraged effectively.
More than 10 percent of the bluegrass
that was in the parks system in 2009
has been replaced with drought-tolerant
native grass that requires considerably
less water and reduced mowing cycles,
while still providing the aesthetic look
of a park. In partnership with Colorado Springs Utilities, capital investments
were made to upgrade the irrigation
system to include " smart " controllers,
giving park technicians greater control,
flexibility and understanding of the operations of the irrigation systems they
manage. Also, a pilot program created
by Colorado Springs Utilities incentivized the parks department to conservatively manage the water used for irrigation. By watering at 80 percent of the
recommended rates for bluegrass, the
department was able to shave as much
as 40 percent off of its anticipated water bill. The pilot conservation rate program gave the department the necessary
time to upgrade its irrigation systems
and change the culture and skillsets of
maintenance staff members to one that
positions water management and con

The Master Plan design for John Venezia
Community Park, at right, was envisioned with maximum sustainability in
mind. Its targeted completion date is
May 2017.

servation as high priorities. All Colorado Springs Parks Department maintenance technicians are now Certified
Irrigators through the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and several have become Certified Irrigation
Auditors. Although the pilot program
has expired and the 2016 budget allows
staff to water at the recommended rates
for bluegrass for the first time since
2008, lessons learned from the downturn, upgrades to irrigation systems and
investments in staff training mean that
every penny spent for water is done so
as efficiently as possible.
The Colorado Springs Parks, Rec-

reation and Cultural Services Department has successfully employed a variety of strategies to build community
trust, develop successful partnerships
and create a defensible citizen-supported economic case regarding the
community value of parks. It has also
implemented a variety of financial and
operational strategies to meet its vision
of building community and preserving
its legacy to make Colorado Springs
the finest place to live and visit.
Karen Palus, CPRP, CYSA, is the Director of the
Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Services Department (kpalus@springsgov.com).

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July 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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