Orange County NC Website
2 <br />Orange County Comprehensive Plan, components of the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan <br />document, i.e., the citizen survey, will likely be incorporated as features. Staff believes that the <br />two processes should dovetail nicely given the continuum of responsibilities between ERCD and <br />Recreation and Parks. <br />Facilities planned and funded for development, or "On the Horizon", such as Twin Creeks <br />(Phase One), are those requiring immediate attention in planning for their operational needs. <br />Those planned conceptually on land owned and designated by the County for parks or <br />preserves, but not yet funded for development, present more difficulties in accurate financial <br />planning, as so many uncertainties exist in the components to be included in the project. <br />Projected requirements for some of these sites are based on expectations of what might be <br />included in the final design, and not on decisions already made or direction established by the <br />Board. <br />Foremost among the themes of discussion in drafting the Strategic Plan has been the overall <br />cost associated with the projected needs outlined. Work is presently underway to study <br />opportunities for the contracting of services. In some areas of operation, a contractual <br />arrangement may prove to be both practical and cost effective, while in other areas, little <br />savings may be realized or the idea might not be otherwise practical. A future draft of the plan <br />will attempt to present details of such proposed arrangements for the Committee's <br />consideration. <br />Another theme of discussion centered on the concept of "fixed" versus "mobile" crews. A map <br />showing Orange County Parkland and the type of crew and equipment proposed for each site <br />was developed and reviewed by the Committee. This map is included in the draft plan as <br />Appendix J. <br />The full list of comments and questions of the Committee have been summarized, along with <br />responses and information added to the plan or in progress. These meeting summaries are <br />included inside the front cover of the draft plan notebook (Attachment B). <br />The full Committee has met to discuss the plan on two occasions: December 2, 2004 and <br />January 11, 2005. At the January 11 meeting, it was agreed that the draft Strategic Plan <br />(Attachment A) was at a stage where it could be presented to the full Board of County <br />Commissioners for consideration and to receive further direction before continuing to develop <br />the plan. The draft plan, while not complete, does identify the need for at least the one position <br />given current operational expectations. Members of the Committee agreed that it would be <br />reasonable for the Board to consider this position request at this time, as it is one of the first <br />steps outlined in the plan. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed Strategic Plan is a "working" document or "draft" at this <br />stage. It is an effort to forecast the resources that staff believes would be needed to operate <br />and maintain new park facilities from year to year as they come on line. It is not intended to <br />reflect a commitment or obligation by the Board to a certain resource level. Staff is aware that <br />implementation of any plan would proceed within the timelines and parameters of future funding <br />decisions made by the Board. <br />The Board did elect to reserve funding in this fiscal year for the addition of a Parks Conservation <br />Technical II to perform routine maintenance, conservation, and operational functions for parks <br />facilities such as athletic fields, ball courts, picnic shelters, play structures, natural areas, and