Parks Business Plan

A county-wide funding crisis in 2002 gave King County the chance to reflect on the ways the parks system serves its users and the impetus to put into place new business practices & efficiencies. By early 2003, the Parks Division had transferred dozens of local, in-city parks and pools, saving millions of dollars. These facilities remain open under new ownership or operating agreements. Entrepreneurial, revenue generating ventures became a priority, the division's budget and staffing levels were reduced by 35 percent, and user fees were increased to reflect the cost of providing service.

The blueprint for this transformation is the Parks Business Plan, which was developed by King County Executive Ron Sims and the Parks Division based on the work of two citizen groups and an unprecedented outreach program involving thousands of citizens. By putting the Business Plan into action, the dependence of our parks system on general taxes is now greatly reduced. Funding challenges remain for the Parks Division, but the progress to date in reshaping the parks system through the Business Plan has built a strong foundation on which the legacy of our regional parks system can be preserved.

"A task force convened several years ago by County Executive Ron Sims offered smart, practical long-range strategies, including the notion that parks at least partly pay for themselves. King County's 25,000-acre park system is one of the largest in the country. Injecting a measure of efficiency and self-reliance into the system was no small challenge.

But it is happening.

The county shifted costs for some pools and parks to suburban cities in which the facilities were located. Fees are charged for parking and entrepreneurial opportunities, such as Cirque du Soleil, are plentiful."

-Seattle Times editorial, June 16, 2006

Highlights

• Parks Citizen Oversight Board: Report to Council & Executive

• 2006 Parks Citizen Oversight Committee developed

• 2002 Metropolitan Parks Task Force

• 2002 Active Sports & Youth Recreation Commission

• Parks Press Clips

• Parks Omnibus Ordinance: parks, finances, facilities, and operations related to the Business Transition Phase II Report

Quarterly Reports to the King County Council

• Q1 2007 (attachment A)

• Q2 2007 (attachment A)

• Q3 2007 (attachment A)

• Q3 2007 (attachment A)

• Q4 2007 (attachment A)

• Q4 2007 packet

• Q1 2006 (attachment A)

• Q2 2006 (attachment A)

• Q3 2006 (attachment A)

• Q4 2006 (attachment A)

• Q1 2005 (attachment A)

• Q2 2005 (attachment A)

• Q3 2005 (attachment A)

• Q4 2005 (attachment A)

• Q1 2004

• Q2 2004

• Q3 2004

• Q4 2004

• Q1 2003

• Q2 2003

• Q3 2003

• Q4 2003