year in review springfield park district · overview how the park district is funded community’s...

YEAR IN REVIEW

Springfield, ILSpringfield Park District

Leslie Sgro,President

Derek Harms,CPRP

Executive Director

Robin Schmidt,Trustee

Elliott McKinley,Director of Parks

and Planning

Grant Hammer,Trustee

Lynn Saputo,Director of Recreation

and Marketing

Don Evans,Trustee

C.J. Metcalf,Trustee

Sierra Senor-Moore,Trustee

Tina Jannazzo,Trustee

Stephen Flesch,Director of Finance and Administration

2 SPRINGFIELD PARK DISTRICT 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

The Springfield Park District is pleased to present this report to the Board of Trustees and interested citizens of our community. This report is intended to summarize the operational activity of the Springfield Park District through December 2016 and the financial activity and results of the Springfield Park District for period ending April 30, 2016. This report also illustrates ways in which the Park District’s strategic initiatives have helped fulfill the organization’s mission. An electronic copy of this report is available at www.springfieldparks.org. Paper copies are available at the Bunn Administrative Offices.

The Springfield Park District is governed by a publicly elected board. The governing board is composed of an elected President and six elected Trustees all serving four year terms. These men and women volunteer their time, energy and expertise because they genuinely care about providing high quality recreation programs, facilities and open space to our citizens. The Board employs an Executive Director to manage the day to day operations of the organization and meet the goals and objectives of the Board.

MissionTo provide accessible and memorable recreation opportunities that enrich the community and improve the quality of life for generations as well as conserve our natural resources.

2500 S. 11th St., Springfield, IL 62703 217-544-1751 www.springfieldparks.org

Board of

Executive

TRUSTEES

STAFF

12%

43% 45%

3SPRINGFIELD PARK DISTRICT2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Supporting the Springfield CommunityEmployed 445 people and provided $6.75 million total compensation to its staff and contractors.

Significant employer of youth and older adults.

Supported fundraising efforts of 41 local not-for-profit organizations by providing nearly 100 donations.

Provided 14 scholarships to underprivileged individuals.

The following Strategic Initiatives have been developed to channel resources in a direction that yields the greatest benefit to Park District resident taxpayers and other guests, focusing efforts on what is truly important for the organization.

i. Establish long-term financial stabilityii. Implement facility and maintenance upgradesiii. Update technologyiv. Update equipment through a rotation purchase planv. To achieve world-class customer service

Size and Scope of Services

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 100 YEARS

Total Area Served

Population Served

Owned/Leased Property

Parks and Amenities

Recreation Facilities

60 Square Miles (includes Springfield, parts of Grandview, Jerome, Leland Grove, Sherman, and Southern View)

Approximately 140,000 residents

The District provides public stewardship of approximately 2,500 acres of land

35 Parks, Playground Systems, 2 Splash Pads, BMX Bike track, Fishing Piers, Stocked Fishing Ponds, Outdoor Ice Skating, Sledding Hills, Outdoor Exercise Areas, Hiking Trails, Pedestrian Paths, Open Air Shelters, Picnic Areas, Restroom Facilities

4 Golf Courses, 2 Indoor Ice Rinks, 2 Outdoor Pools, Indoor Pool, 3 Dog Runs, 3 Disc Golf Courses, 2 Baseball Stadiums, 2 Preschool Facilities, 2 Historic Pavilions, Special Needs Facility, Carillon, Tennis Complex, Band Shell, Skate Park

Zoo, Botanical Garden, Nature Trails, Nature Preserves, Campgrounds, Community Gardens

60+ Baseball/Softball Fields, Basketball Courts, Soccer Fields, Football Fields, Pickleball Courts, Tennis Courts, Platform Tennis Courts, Horseshoe Pits, Bocce Ball, Shuffle Board, Cricket Field, Rugby Field

Carpenter Park 434 acres, Gurgens Park 270 acres

5 Bicycle Trails (23 miles), numerous Nature/Hiking trails

Offer over 400 programs from Pre-School to Seniors and Special Recreation

Environmental Facilities

Athletic Facilities

Nature Preserves

Trails

Recreation Programs

ages 25 and under

ages 60+

ages 26-59

Springfield School District

Springfield Corporate City

Sangamon County

Springfield Park District

Community College District

Other

Springfield School District 62.25%

Springfield Corporate City 11.23%

Sangamon County 9.03%

Springfield Park District 5.84%

Community College District 6.01%

Other 5.64%

Springfield School District

Springfield Corporate City

Sangamon County

Springfield Park District

Community College District

Other

Springfield School District 62.25%

Springfield Corporate City 11.23%

Sangamon County 9.03%

Springfield Park District 5.84%

Community College District 6.01%

Other 5.64%

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Peoria Park

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Decatur Park

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Urbana Park

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2000000

3000000

4000000

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4/30/20164/30/20154/30/20144/30/2013

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$1 mil

$2 mil

$3 mil

$4 mil

$5 mil

4/30/20164/30/20154/30/20144/30/2013


Governmental funds reported FY 2016 ending fund balances of $4.9 million as compared to $4.2 in FY 2015. This steep increase indicates the District’s commitment to improving financial stability.

The Board appointed Independent Audit Committee, consisting of local financial professionals have reviewed and concurred with the results of the FY 2016 audit.

The FY 2016 audit was completed by Eck, Schafer, and Punke with immaterial adjustments to the financial statements, supporting the accuracy of the financial statements reported to the board on a monthly basis. Full audit report is available at www.springfieldparks.org/budget.

Improved overall financial condition of the District has led directly to the District’s bond rating being upgraded to A3.

Developed and implemented proactive plan which resulted in a 33% drop in workers compensation claims over the past five years.

Refunded and refinanced $2.4 million in debt, which saved taxpayers over $229 thousand.

Began construction on $1.6 million bridge and spillway project in Washington Park which is supported by a Federal Highway Administration grant award.

The District has improved its fiscal year-end Fund Balance by nearly $5 Million since 2013.

TOTAL FUND BALANCE

FINANCIALOVERVIEWHIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

*Financial reporting includes fiscal activity and results for period ending April 30, 2016.

PROPERTY TAXES

Less than 6% of the average Springfield resident’s total tax bill is attributed to the Springfield Park District. For a $100,000 homeowner, taxes paid to the Park District were approximately $121.

Where Your Tax Dollars Go Tax Rate Comparison

The Springfield Park District’s tax rate is nearly one third of the rate assessed by other Park Districts in Central Illinois

resulting in lower taxes for property owners.


Total Revenue FY16 $17.7 million

Total Expenditures FY16 $17.0 million

Property Taxes

3%Capital

Improvements

2%Police

1%Contributions/Interest/Other

Debt ServiceGeneral

Operations

4%OtherTaxes

Bond Proceeds

Recreation

Guest Fees

Park Maintenance

67%

49%

17%

11%

23%

13%10%

FINANCIALOVERVIEW

How the Park District is Funded

Community’s Return on Investment

The Springfield Park District is committed to caring for its existing properties and keeping them in good repair. For that reason, 88.7% of funds allocated in the Capital Improvement budget were devoted to repair and replace existing assets.

• Bunn Golf Course - Irrigation Updates/Improvements • Forestry Department - Cargo Van • Golf Maintenance - Spin Relief Grinder • Golf Maintenance - 5800G Sprayer • Golf Maintenance - Toro Workman • Henson Robinson Zoo - Walk in Freezer• Park Maintenance - Five ½ Ton Trucks• Park Maintenance - Seven ¾ Ton Trucks• Park Maintenance - Six 1 Ton Trucks• Park Maintenance - One 2 Ton Truck• Park & Golf Maintenance - Six Mowers• Park Police - Utility Vehicle • Special Recreation - Two 15 Passenger Vans for Special

Needs Programming

• Bergen Park - Garage Doors and Roofs • Bunn Golf Course and Lincoln Greens - New Roofs • Eisenhower Pool - Locker Room Floor • Henson Robinson Zoo - Horse Stalls • Henson Robinson Zoo - Spider Monkey Building• Lanphier Park - Restoration of the Pickle Ball Court • Lincoln Greens - Cart Paths • Lincoln Park Pavilions - Restroom Remodel • Lincoln Park Pavilion - Plaster, Lighting and Paint • Pasfield and Bunn Pro Shops - HVA/C Systems • Nelson Center - Rubber Floor • Nelson Center - Wading Pool Feature • Nelson Center Pool - Filter System • Washington Park Pavilion - Restroom Remodel

Equipment Replacements

Facility Improvements

Focusing Capital Resources on Existing Assets


The Springfield Park District hosted

404,418unique user experiences in programs and facilities.

67,331rounds of golf

2,627 participants

in the Henson Robinson Zoo

camps. 127 field trips taken

15,285 wedding

guests enjoyed our beautiful park

vistas during Weddings

2,500 participated

in the Art Spectacular

199 Concerts

265 weddings & events at

Erin’s Pavilion

1,415 individuals

participated in youth adult

athletic programming

1,849 participants

learned to swim through

swimming lessons

48,566 guests

recreationally swam in the Park

District’s pools this summer

16,551 participated

in the Jack-O-Lantern

Spectacular

1,952athletes at Eisenhower

pool

76,531 visitors to

the Henson Robinson

Zoo

61,200 visitors to

the Washington Park Botanical

Garden

3,442 summer camp

participants

104,705participants

and visitors to the Nelson Center Ice Rinks and Skating

Programs

Enriching Lives through High Quality Programs & Services

(Not including the hundreds of thousands of people who visited parks, nature

preserves and trails).


RECREATION HIGHLIGHTS

New Programs & Events Facility Highlights

• Minorhawks Learn to Play Hockey

• Skill Sharpening for Figure Skating

• 3 on 3 Hockey

• Ice Jamz Teen Skate Nights

• Insane Inflatable 5k at Centennial Park

• Swim-In Movie Night at Eisenhower Pool featuring “Jaws”

• Kids Family Music Fest Celebrating Funshop’s 40th Anniversary

• “Little Big League” – shown at Robin Roberts Stadium

• City Recess – School’s Out – Recreation Play Day

• Springfield Park District & Springfield Police “Cops & Bobbers” Fishing Clinic

• Updated way-finding signage at the Rees Carillon to better educate the visiting public during non-tour hours and included a QR code that directs them to our Website for more information

• The Rees Carillon participated in a City-Wide Hymn Festival where over 450 people attended this brand new event

• Continued to expand educational programming at the Botanical Garden with outreach to area schools and annual Leaf Hikes

• A record number of rentals took advantage of the new Pergola installed at the Rose Garden in Washington Park. The Washington Park Botanical Rose Garden continues to be the largest in Central Illinois

• Purchased new Colorado Timing System at Eisenhower Pool where all of the local High School Swim meets and Learn to Dive Program take place

• Contracted with Architectural Firm – WDM Architects to begin design phase of new Penguin Habitat Enclosure

• Notable Animal Collection Efforts at the Henson Robinson Zoo: Red Ruffed Lemur Babies, Red Wolf Pups, Breeding recommendations for Asian Brown Tortoise and Breeding recommendations for Titi Monkeys

• Installation of Hummingbird Garden at the Henson Robinson Zoo

• Ribbon Cutting for new “Herman the Worm Bin” at the Henson Robinson Zoo

• Springfield Park District Golf – Annual Drysdale Tournament with over 210 participants

• Golf Course Play; New Pasfield Parent/Child Golf Tournament with 94 participants in its first season

• Carillon City-Wide Hymn Fest

• Carillon Thematic Saturday Eve Concerts; Music from 60’s-70’s & Musicals

• Kids Fest

• Little Miracles 5k

• Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts at the Zoo

• Wild About Reading Nights at the Zoo

• Adult Prom

• Hanover-Troxell Baseball Clinic

• Learn to Dive Program

• Orchid Workshop

• Pokémon GO Events at the Zoo & Botanical Garden

• Carriage Rides in Washington Park


PARKS & NATURAL R E S O U R C E S Preserving our Green spaces...

Beyond routine maintenance of our parks, facilities, trails, and forest preserves, the Springfield Park District utilized the skills and talents of staff to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars by completing numerous in-house projects.

• Barker Park - Picnic 20’ X 20’ Shelter

• BMX Track - LED Lights

• Bunn Park - Playground Improvements

• Heating and Air Conditioning - Installed New Central Air Units in Various Park Facilities

• Lake Victoria - New Walkways

• Painting Projects - Painted countless Benches, Dugouts, Fences, Shelters, Satellite Bathrooms, and Facilities through the Park System.

• Picnic Tables - Constructed Dozens of Picnic Tables to be used for Special Events

• Rees Carillon - LED Lights

• Riverside Campgrounds - New Septic System

• Roofing Projects - Installed Numerous Metal and Shingle Roofs on Park District Facilities

• Sign Replacement - Replaced Entrance and Directional Signs at Various Parks

• Southwind Park - Babbling Brook

• Vredenbergh Park - Playground Improvements

• Washington, Rotary & Pasfield Parks - Asphalt Paving Overlays

• Washington Park - Bridge and Spillway Re-Construction

• Franklin Ground Squirrel – Continued management of habitat restoration project at Centennial Park to protect the endangered Franklin Ground Squirrel

• Tool Wagon – Facilitated Numerous Volunteer Park Cleanup Projects

• Tree Plantings – Planted 319 Trees in our Parks

• Prescribed burns – Managed prescribed burn on over 40 acres of public land to safely reduce excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, encourage the new growth of native vegetation, to maintain the many plant and animal species whose habitats depend on periodic fire

• Zoo Births – 2 Red Ruffed Lemur babies were born in April and 5 Red Wolf pups were born in May. Both the Red Ruffed Lemurs and Red Wolves are critically endangered

Natural Resource Conservation & Wildlife Restoration Efforts

NEW Park District Mobile App - Your Personal Guide to Everything Springfield Park District!


Dynamically changing the brand of the Springfield Park District

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Participated in the Pokémon GO craze through Social Media and Special events in our Parks

2

Partnered with St. John’s HSHS to create GO 217

6

Cross promoted with User Groups to market their events within our Parks and Facilities.

5

Hosted and facilitated a variety of Ribbon Cuttings throughout the District

Increased Golf Memberships through “refer a friend” program

Developed and Marketed Various golf specials with new radio spots

Partnered with Capitol Radio Group and Midwest Family Broadcasting by Co-Hosting Multiple Events

Intensive Target Marketing on New Recreation Programs

3

Ran Quarterly Promotional Ads with Journal Register

Grew Facebook to 7,628 Followers

Ran monthly Promotional Ads with the Illinois Times

Host over 8,294 interested parties who receive our seasonal Constant Contact e-blasts

Ran “Play Your Way Every Day” Commercial on Comcast

Launched NEW Park District Mobile App

Hosted guest speaking engagements at several Summer Camps and School Assemblies

Installed TV Promotional Ads with Monitor Productions at all of our Facilities

Vastly expanded distribution point for Seasonal Brochures to include newsstands around town

Redesigned our Seasonal Brochure series to reader friendly Magazine Style


• Angel of Hope Phase 2 and 3 – Angel of Hope NFP

• Artificial Turf at Schlitt Park – Springfield Southwest Baseball Association

• Babbling Brook – Partnered with the Springfield Parks Foundation to fund the construction of a Babbling Brook at Southwind Park

• Barker Park Development – In close connection with the Franklin Park Neighborhood Association, the SPD began development of phase one of Barker Park. Work included topographical engineering, site grading, and instillation of storm sewer, parking lot, plantings, entrance sign, and picnic shelter. The park opened in the Spring of 2015

• Barker Park Electric Service – City of Springfield

• Baseball Diamond Improvements – Partnered with SSBA to fund numerous improvements to multiple baseball fields throughout the community including announcers’ decks, bat & helmet racks, and sod on the infields

• Fish Stocking Program at Southwind and Washington Parks – Partnered with IDNR to stock nearly 3,000 pounds of trout in Southwind and Washington Park Ponds

• Gift of Hope Memorial – Partnered with the Organ and Tissue Donor Network to fully fund the development of a Memorial at Southwind Park where families can remember the loss of loved ones who have given the gift of life through Organ and Tissue Donation

• Kennedy and Stuart Park – Established ongoing partnership with the Springfield Airport Authority to lease Kennedy and Stuart Parks

• Lanphier Pickleball Court – Partnered with All Weather Courts to fully fund the resurfacing and creation of a premier Pickleball court at Lanphier Park

• Otter Exhibit – Springfield Zoological Society

• Pet-Friendly Drinking Fountains – Springfield Jaycees

• Pickleball Courts Lighting - Partnered with the Springfield Pickleball Association and the Springfield Parks Foundation to fund the purchase and installation of Lights at the Iles Park Pickleball Courts

• Three Polling Places – Sangamon County Election Office

• 2016 Overlay Projects – City of Springfield

Projects

Improving Our Parks and Facilities through Broad Based Community Partnerships.

The Springfield Park District has developed numerous partnerships, affiliations, and agreements with individuals, business and organizations that help to make our community a better place to live, work, and raise a family. The Springfield Park District would like to extend a warm thank you to all of our community partners who have dedicated time resources and expertise to make improvements in our parks and facilities.

Partnerships & Affiliations


• Aquatic Life Management and Fishing Clinics – Illinois Department of Natural Resources

• Baseball and Softball Leagues – Fairview and SSBA

• Bicycle Motocross – Springfield BMX Club

• Brew at the Zoo – Central IL Assoc. of Zookeepers and Springfield Parks Foundation

• Carter’s Drive – Golf outing in memory of Carter Selinger that provides funding for general youth program Initiatives

• Charity Hockey Games – Guns and Hoses Hockey of Central IL; Troops vs. Cops & Catholic Charities “Hockey with Paprocki”

• DekHockey – Q.C. DekHockey

• Figure Skating Programs – Springfield Figure Skating Club

• Illinois Senior Olympics Program – Senior Services Center

• Jr. Blues Hockey Program – Ferzow LLC

• Muni Band Concerts and Fireworks – Springfield Muni Band

• Music & Movie in the Park, Carve for the Carillon, Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular, the Great Pumpkin Grab and Zoolie Ghoulie – Capital Radio Group

• Oak Ridge Run – LPNA and Oak Ridge Cemetery Association

• Pickleball Programs – Springfield Pickleball Assoc

• Sliders Baseball Program – Springfield Sliders Baseball Group LLC

• Youth Football – Springfield Youth Football Association

• Youth Hockey Programs – Springfield Youth Hockey Association

• Youth Swim Team – Academy Bullets

Programs

The Springfield Park District actively recruits volunteers to participate in programs and projects such as mulching, planting, weeding, painting, invasive plant removal, trash pick-up on bike trails and nature preserves. The number of volunteers rose significantly in 2016,the District was served by over 1,000 volunteers who gave approximately 2,500 hours of their time to help make improvements in our parks, programs and facilities. We can’t say “thank you” enough to our volunteers. They help make our community better through their time and talents.

T H A N K Y O U V O L U N T E E R S !

Springfield Park District217-544-1751

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year in review springfield park district · overview how the park district is funded community’s...

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