Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members voted Monday to recommend approval of a new parks, recreation and culture comprehensive plan that contains goals for new improvements and partnerships but avoids committing to major projects.
The comprehensive plan is a 10-year roadmap for Lawrence’s Parks, Recreation and Culture department that outlines new projects, funding mechanisms and more to guide the department.
Board members voted to send the plan to the Lawrence City Commission with a voice vote, and no one audibly opposed. If the commission were to accept the comprehensive plan, it would not approve any financial commitments or policy changes, but rather accept the plan as a guide for future decisions.
The development of the comprehensive plan comes at a time when the city is looking at making reductions to its budget. Luis Ruiz, director of parks, recreation, arts and culture, said the plan doesn’t focus on major growth projects, but rather identifies items to prioritize in the face of possible reductions.
“I don’t know that Lawrence has necessarily the appetite right now for something big,” Ruiz said. “And so I think the most important thing we can do is focus in on an annual plan.”
Last month, board members postponed their vote on the comprehensive plan after suggesting some revisions and realizing that members of the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission had not yet reviewed the draft.
Leon Younger, president of PROS Consulting, a firm working with the city to develop the comprehensive plan, said Lawrence has an extensive trail system that is “very incredible.” He praised the city’s indoor recreation space, saying the amount is double that of a typical city Lawrence’s size.
He said the biggest concern with the department’s current state is that it is not financially balanced, which takes away chances for growth.
The plan lists future desires for the parks program, including a dog park, outdoor water facility and pickleball courts. Staff said at Monday’s meeting that many of these ideas are likely years from consideration.
“There’s no big shiny object here saying, ‘do this and do this and this will be the best parks and recreation system in the country or in the region,’” Ruiz said. “But what it does give us is the ability to follow through with a lot of the recommendations there that we can realistically achieve, potentially over the next few years with a declining budget.”
The plan includes data from a 2023 survey outlining the top priorities for parks and recreation programming. Among the most popular were community events, adult fitness programs and environmental education. The plan also uses cities of similar size that host colleges or universities to evaluate how to best allocate resources.
Younger said participation in the park system was high overall, but there are places to optimize programs and facilities to best serve the community’s desires.
The plan also makes recommendations for the city’s arts and culture programs. It recommends strengthening the presence of Indigenous communities and creating formal partnerships with other community programs like the Lawrence Arts Center and Theatre Lawrence. The plan also outlines goals to create more landmark arts pieces at city entrances and develop more signature events in Lawrence.
In terms of funding, the plan says that many parks systems no longer rely solely on taxes, but have developed new sources of revenue. The plan outlines possible alternative sources of revenue, including fundraising, user fees and grants. Lawrence city commissioners in an early budget discussion indicated that they might be interested in implementing fees for recreational facilities.
“I do think it is absolutely the right document for this time,” Ruiz said.
Board Vice Chair Vicki Collie-Akers asked about the plan’s ability to remain relevant across its entire 10-year lifespan, especially due to its focus on the city’s current financial situation.
Mark Hecker, assistant director of parks, said once the plan gets into its later years, it’s possible to review whether it is still working. He said some plans can have different life spans.
Ruiz said 10 years is not a firm time frame.
“This is going to be evolving,” he said.
The Cultural Arts Commission will next review and discuss the plan during its meeting on Wednesday. That starts at 7:30 p.m.; see the full agenda at this link. See the full draft plan via the city’s website at this link.
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
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