Far from ordinary, close to everything
Far from ordinary, close to everything
Salaries and benefits $26,803,02
Operating and maintenance $39,303,869
The Park & Recreation Department is responsible for planning, designing, developing, and maintaining the city’s network of parks, as well as the planning and administration of the city’s recreational programs. The Department is organized into five divisions.
The Administration Division provides overall administrative support to the department, including the coordination of volunteer activities, equipment/vehicles, safety management, fiscal and human resources, purchasing, management of the Fort Worth Zoo contract, and staff support for the Park & Recreation Advisory Board.
The Park Operations Division manages the General Fund operations for the Water Gardens, park reservations, and the management of various operations-related contracts (excluding construction). These contracts include instructors for the Park & Recreation and Neighborhood Services Departments, leases, licenses, professional services, adopt-a-park programs, and grounds maintenance. At present the scope for the ground maintenance contracts includes city parks, medians, rights-of-way, commercial corridors, tax-foreclosed properties, as well as some other departments’ city-owned properties. This division also manages the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) contract and the Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD)- funded Graffiti Abatement Program.
The Recreation Division manages fourteen (14) community centers, the Log Cabin Village, the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, Forest Park and Marine Park Pools, Sycamore Sprayground, and the management contracts related to the operation of the Northpark YMCA and McDonald YMCA pools.
The Planning and Resource Management Division manages the identification of park system needs/inventory, new parkland acquisition, oversight of park development projects, park system infrastructure maintenance, in-house small capital project construction, and the supply of and care for trees on city-owned property. Additionally, this division is responsible for tracking the expenditure of park gas well funds in compliance with the city’s Financial Management Policy Statements.
The Golf and Athletics Division includes the Municipal Golf Fund and the General Fund athletic facilities and programs. Athletics includes Haws Athletics Center, McLeland Tennis Center, Sycamore Community Center (SYCC), athletics maintenance, adult and youth athletics programs, portions of the CCPD-Parks Community Policing Programs, and the CCPD-Funded Late Night Program (FW@6) at SYCC. The Municipal Golf Fund is discussed in the Special Revenue Section.
A City Council adopted policy that made ID Cards free to Fort Worth youth residents is reflected in the reduction of this revenue line for FY2024.
Additionally, a City Council adopted policy reduced the cost of the After School Program to match the cost in the Neighborhood Services Department, which is reflected in the revenue line for FY2024.
Overall, Community Centers are seeing increased interest in Registration and Fitness Memberships post-COVID, and this is anticipated to continue through FY2024.
The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge have taken over the operation of the souvenir shop, which is reflected in a new revenue line for FY2024. Northwest Community Center will open in FY2024 which is reflected in revenue and expense changes.
The department will continue addressing current and future recreation and open space operations and budget implications related to economic cost increases and supply chain delays.