July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 74

NRPA UPDATE

How to Get the Most Value for
Your Park & Recreation Spend
Hot Topics
Have you posted on NRPA Connect? NRPA
Connect allows you to network, share resources, ideas and inspirations with your
peers in the park and recreation field.
Here's a preview of what you're missing:

ith more than 80 percent of adults and children in the United States visiting parks each year, public parks are vitally important to ensuring the
health of families and youth and to contributing to the economic and environmental well-being of a community. Local park and recreation agencies provide
a wealth of benefits, such as outdoor recreation and physical activity, social gatherings, community engagement and improved quality of life.

Social Media Best-Practice Questions
- How does a department with multiple
divisions handle its social media site(s)?
Is having one Facebook/Instagram page
the best practice? Do you create separate
pages for events? These are some of the
social media best-practice questions your
colleagues are asking. Chime in about how
your agency's social media.

No Parking Signs - Parking issues are
common for park departments. Your colleagues are seeking creative signs or ways
to stop patrons from parking outside designated lots. In this discussion see examples
of innovative and funny signs from across
the country, as well as alternative ideas,
such as using parking attendants or large
boulders to block spaces.

Splashpad Hours of Operations - It's
the middle of splashpad season and
fellow professionals are discussing hours
of operation. Do your hours differ on the
weekend? Do you keep your hours consistent daily? Share your thoughts today!

Bird Deterrent - Do you have a birddeterrent method you would recommend? A colleague is looking to build a
seating area with a custom trellis with
vines and hoping to discourage the pigeons in the area from perching on the
trellis. What would you suggest to keep
the local birds at bay, while patrons enjoy this outdoor space?
It's easy to stay in touch. Connect is 100
percent responsive on all devices! Don't get
left behind. Visit www.nrpaconnect.org today to join these and other conversations.

Parks & Recreation

Despite many benefits, one of the top
challenges park and recreation districts
face is the lack of adequate funding and
the expense of facility maintenance.
Tight budgets make it difficult to keep
up with maintenance or to plan and
fund revitalization projects or address
community needs.
By aggregating the purchasing power of public agencies nationwide, a
government purchasing cooperative,

| J U LY 2 0 1 8 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

like U.S. Communities, can help
reduce costs and provide access to top-quality suppliers through competitively solicited
contracts. Park and
recreation departments can utilize
a
cooperative
contract to purchase the best
products at the
most competitive
prices. And, without the need
to go out for bids, project timeline can also be shortened.
U.S. Communities can provide your agency with savings
on your park and recreation needs, from
playground, athletic and P.E. equipment; to utility work vehicles; facility, custom signs and maintenance
supplies; and roofing and
waterproofing solutions.
Check out the list of
suppliers, including GameTime, The Home Depot PRO, TAPCO
and more, at www.uscommunities.org/
solutions/park-recreation-solutions.
For additional information on how
to save and get the most value for your
park spending, visit www.uscommunities.org.

July 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018 - Parks & Recreation