Palmetto Bay, FL Parks and Recreation Assessment

The Village of Palmetto Bay sought an assessment of the Parks and Recreation Department’s staffing and resource needs based on current programming and parks managed, as well as future plans for additional parkland being purchased and integrated into the Village’s services.

Challenge

This ‘Village of Parks’ in southeast Florida provides programming and park maintenance services through several facilities and assets within the Village’s limits. The Parks and Recreation Department is actively working to expand and provide a higher level of service to residents, bringing with it certain challenges:

• The Village has significant use of parks for local sports and athletic programs.
• Capital investment in parks assets required a higher and specialized level of maintenance.
• Special events were a significant service provided by the Department and were expanding.
• The majority of staff providing support to parks were part-time and variable in scheduling.

Solution 

Matrix Consulting Group conducted an assessment of the Department to review if organizational and staffing changes were needed immediately, as well as the impacts that current park additions in the capital improvement plan will have on these changes in the future. This assessment led to recommendations, including the following:

• A reorganization of parks staffing to provide for programming at each facility or park.
• Incorporation of programming tracking systems to assist in managing these services.
• Additional staffing and training for park maintenance services to meet the needs of new assets and those planned for the future.

Outcome

Palmetto Bay received a playbook and future implementation strategies for meeting their parks and recreation needs to continue to embody their brand as the “Village of Parks”.