City of Bloomington, IN Parks and Recreation 2023 Annual Report

2023 ANNUAL REPORT

October 2023

Griffy Lake

Message from the Administrator

Administrator Tim Street, elected officials, Parks and Recreation staff, and community members dedicate Rogers Family Park (formerly the “Goat Farm”) Aug. 4.

When I joined the Parks and Recreation Department at the start of 2021, I had little idea that I would be writing to the community at the start of 2024 as the Administrator—but I couldn’t be more honored to have this opportunity. What I’ve seen in my three years with the department (and known from years of living in Bloomington) is that our parks, facilities, trails, and programs are community treasures, and that our staff members are just as talented as they are dedicated to carrying out our mission of enriching Bloomington’s well-being.

Our parks and programs provide opportunities for the community to come together—for birthday parties, walks with neighbors, youth and adult sports leagues, community events, concerts, and so much more. Parks provide important greenspace that can provide mental health benefits, mitigate the effects of climate change, and provide important habitat for native flora and fauna.

We continue to work on our Master Plan goals for 20212025, which include maintaining and enhancing our assets, positively impacting public health, climate action and sustainability, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and building administrative and staffing capacity.

A few highlights of 2023 include:

• Collaborating with Visit Bloomington to host a vibrant series of free community concerts, including the Grammy-winning Molly Tuttle and her band Golden Highway, who played at Switchyard Park Aug. 24.

• Finishing Phase II and Phase III of the Bicentennial Griffy Lake Loop Trail project, which completed the new dam crossing and stairway access and nearly five miles of new trail on the south shore of Griffy Lake.

• Making important and needed repairs to infrastructure on parks and trails, including repairs to the B-Line Trail, RCA Community Park, Rose Hill Cemetery, and Switchyard Park.

• Completing and opening a new scatter garden at Rose Hill Cemetery, giving new options for memorials at the historic cemetery.

• Converting the majority of our gas-powered, hand-held equipment and several riding mowers to battery equipment, thanks to the City’s available sustainability funds.

• Hosting 802 volunteers who contributed almost 10,000 total hours of volunteer service with weed wrangles, coaching, community events, and more.

We welcomed 11 new full-time staff across the year, while also saying goodbye to others. Parks and Recreation in late 2023 lost a collective 114 years of experience with the retirement of Administrator Paula McDevitt (35 years), Crew Leader Robbie Turpin (40 years), and Operations Coordinator Barb Dunbar (39 years). These three staff members exemplified public service for many years and will be missed.

Our staff, both experienced and new, looks forward to continuing to to work through challenges, and to delivering top-class facilities, programs, and parks to the City of Bloomington.

Tim Street Administrator

Partnerships

The Parks and Recreation Department entered into 35 partnership and cooperative service agreements to maximize available resources and avoid duplication of services. The Department is proud to partner and collaborate with these organizations in 2023:

• Area 10 Agency on Aging Endwright East Active

Living Community Center

• Bloomington Blades High School Hockey

• Bloomington Blades Youth Hockey Association

• Bloomington Figure Skating Club

• Bloomington Football Club

• Bloomington Junior League Baseball Association

• Bloomington Pickleball Club

• Bloomington Soccer LLC

• CanopyBloomington

• Centerstone

• Cicada Cinema

• Downtown Bloomington Inc.

• Green Camino dba Earthkeepers

• Indiana Arborist Association

• Indiana University Outdoor Adventures

• Indiana University

• Lake Monroe Sailing Association

• Lisa Greathouse

• Mad 4 My Dog

• Monroe County-Identify and Reduce Invasive Species (MC-IRIS)

• Monroe County Civic Theater

• Monroe County Fair Association

• Monroe County History Center

• Monroe County Parks and Recreation

• Monroe County Public Library

• Monroe County Senior League Baseball

• Monroe County United Ministries

• Paint Bloomington

• Purdue Extension-Monroe County

• The Ryder Magazine & Film Series

• Special Olympics Indiana-Monroe County

• Summer Star Foundation

• The Code and Key Escape Rooms

• Visit Bloomington

• WonderLab Museum of Science, Health & Technology

Switchyard Park concert on Aug. 24 featuring Molly Tuttle, presented by Visit Bloomington in partnership with Parks and Recreation. Photo by Paul Baechtold Photography

Participation is

City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation

Program Participation

as the

Program Participation Percentage by Program Area

Condensed Financial Summary

Operations & Development

The Operations Division is responsible for maintenance, security, sanitation, capital improvements, planning, construction, and development of all City parks and natural areas, facilities, trails, and greenways. It is also responsible for beautification of parks and public areas, including landscaping, the administration and maintenance of Rose Hill and White Oak Cemeteries, and urban forestry. This Division is responsible for the establishment, management, and enhancement of City-owned natural resources properties including Griffy Lake Nature Preserve, Wapehani Mountain Bike Park and Leonard Springs Nature Park. Natural Resources staff offer outdoor recreational, educational, and volunteer opportunities.

• Demolished the large picnic shelter at RCA Community Park.

• Replaced lighting in the west parking lot at Reverend Ernest D. Butler Park with nine, LED DarkSky-approved lamps.

• Installed new HVAC system, including dual fuel furnace and new duct work, in the Parks and Recreation Operations Center at Adams Street.

• Continued partnership with Centerstone for work program to employ two laborers four days per week, April through October, to conduct daily cleanups and maintenance in Seminary, Peoples, Butler, Building Trades and the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Parks.

• Installed 175’ of black steel fencing at the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park between the playground and Lincoln Street, along the east side of the park.

• Installed new, accessible drinking fountains and bottle fillers in the Skate Park at Upper Cascades, and at the Lower Cascades Park playground.

• Hosted a dedication and ribbon cutting Aug. 4 to celebrate the completion of the Rogers Family Park (formerly known as the Goat Farm) project. Improvements, funded by the Sherman and Meredith Rogers family, included new walking paths and boardwalks, a permeable paver parking lot, new seating areas, and exterior improvements to the barn. The donation also commissioned public art by Jonathan Racek titled ‘FLEET/ing’, which was installed near the barn.

• Installed four pieces of all-ages outdoor fitness equipment in Southeast Park. Officially unveiled in an event Aug. 26, the fitness equipment was purchased with a $9,000 Neighborhood Improvement Grant awarded to the Arden Place and Sycamore Knolls Neighborhood Associations.

• Made repairs to asphalt surfacing over the Grimes Lane bridge on the B-Line Trail; resurfaced, lined, and added speed bumps to the parking lot at RCA Community Park; and added a dashed yellow center line along the length of the B-Line Trail.

• Conducted a total of 10 encampment cleanups on city property.

Cemeteries

Program Revenue

Fund

$795,855 Total 2023 Revenue $795,883

Program Expenses

Fund

$2,074,760

$795,747

Total 2023 Expenses $2,870,507

• Resurfaced remaining half of the interior roads at Rose Hill Cemetery for a cost of $113,900; the first half of the interior roads were resurfaced in 2022.

• Completed installation of the Rose Hill Scatter Garden, which officially opened in a ceremony Aug. 3 and cost $63,109 to create.

• The Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association received a $12,590 grant to restore headstones in Rose Hill Cemetery.

• Hosted four different headstone restoration workshops to repair a total of 73 headstones at Rose Hill Cemetery.

• Volunteers planted 100 native trees at White Oak Cemetery in November.

• Hosted the American Legion’s placement of flags on a total of 742 veterans’ graves at Rose Hill and White Oak Cemeteries, and a Memorial Day service at Rose Hill May 29; hosted Wreaths Across America at Rose Hill Cemetery on Dec. 17, when volunteers placed 1,040 live evergreen wreaths on veterans’ graves.

Urban Forestry

• Bloomington Parks and Recreation staff planted a total of 816 trees on public property.

• 135 trees were planted contractually by developers, and as a part of city and Indiana University road projects.

• 279 trees were planted by the department’s urban forestry crews.

• 102 trees were planted by volunteers.

• Pruned a total of 1,417 publicly owned trees.

• A total of 108 ash trees received treatments for protection from the emerald ash borer—the ninth consecutive year of treatment.

• Bloomington was named Tree City of the World by the Arbor Day Foundation for the fourth time, and received both Tree City USA designation and a Tree City USA Growth Award.

• Planted six trees at Switchyard Park in celebration of Arbor Day April 28.

Urban Greenspace

• Continued partnership with Centerstone for work program to employ two laborers three days per week, April through October, to conduct general landscaping duties at Switchyard Park.

• Contracted with Eco Logic to manage invasive species and install native plants at Miller-Showers Park, and to conduct the third consecutive year of wetland monitoring and ecological restoration at Switchyard Park.

• Contracted with Green Dragon Lawn Care for mowing and trimming services at 36 park locations.

• Hosted Earth Day events at Park Ridge East Park in April.

• Volunteers planted 76 native trees at Ferguson Dog Park in October, and an additional 55 native trees at Lower Cascades Park in November.

• Partnered with Monroe County-Identify and Reduce Invasive Species (MC-IRIS) to host 28 “Weed Wrangles” invasive species removal volunteer programs at 21 different locations.

• Diverted 300 cubic yards of green waste from landfills to a city-owned green yard waste composting site.

Urban Forestry/Urban Greenspace (Landscaping)/Cemeteries 2023 Program Activity

Urban Greenspace staff, Weed Wrangle volunteers,

Natural Resources

• Held a prescribed burn on 5.5 acres north of the boathouse parking lot at Griffy Lake Nature Preserve March 9, and a second prescribed burn on 9 acres near the Griffy Lake dam Nov. 9.

• Co-hosted Earth Fest at Unionville Elementary in April, Get Outdoors Day at Switchyard Park on June 11, and BugFest at Monroe County Parks and Recreation’s Karst Farm Park on Sept. 23.

• Contracted with Aquatic Control to conduct spring and summer aquatic vegetation surveys at Griffy Lake in May and July.

• Added two, 16’ canoes and one kayak to the rental fleet at Griffy Lake.

• Demolished three structures located on donated land at Russel Road for a total cost of $13,200.

• Completed south shore and dam crossing phases of the Bicentennial Griffy Lake Loop Trail project with construction of a trail, stairway access, and fence across the top of the dam by contractor Scenic Construction for $348,420, and construction of a new 4.5-mile, natural surface trail along the south shore of Griffy Lake by Spectrum Trail Design for $210,625.

A ribbon cutting for the Bicentennial Griffy Lake Loop Trail project was held Dec. 15.

• Thirty-three deer were removed from Griffy Lake Nature Preserve by hunters who applied and were selected to participate in a controlled hunt over one weekend in November and one weekend in December.

Natural Resources 2023 Program Activity

Adopt-A Programs

Adopt-A-Stream

Adopt-A-Trail

Adopt-A-Greenspace

Sports

The Sports Division is responsible for providing formal and informal sports programs and services for the adults and youth of our community. These activities are provided at department facilities such as Cascades Golf Course, Frank Southern Ice Arena, Twin Lakes Sports Park, Winslow Sports Complex, and a variety of other department-owned and operated facilities.

The Aquatics program plans, coordinates, and facilitates recreational swimming, formal lessons, private rentals, special group use, and advanced aquatic and personal safety training for the Bloomington community and its visitors.

Aquatics 2023 Program Activity

• The Bloomington Parks Foundation sponsored Open Swim Day with free admission to both pools on the Fourth of July. Bryan Park Pool saw 1,041 visitors, while an additional 370 people visited Mills Pool.

Youth Sports

Youth Sports plans, coordinates, and facilitates operations for Winslow Sports Complex, Frank Southern Ice Arena, and Rev. Butler and Bryan Park ball diamonds. These facilities host Bloomington Junior League Baseball, Monroe County Senior League Baseball, and MCCSC baseball and softball events.

Youth Sports 2023 Program Activity

Rentals (Winslow Sports Complex) 707

Youth Softball/Baseball Tournament (Twin Lakes Sports Park) 31,997

Youth Softball/Baseball Tournament (Winslow Sports Complex) 57,767

Total 2023 Participations 163,957

Frank Southern Ice Arena

Frank Southern Ice Arena 2023 Program Activity

• Participations in Frank Southern Ice Arena’s Skating School increased by nearly 28%, from

in 2022 to 4,310 in 2023.

Twin Lakes Recreation Center

• Contracted with BSN Sports of Dallas, Texas to remove the synthetic turf field originally installed in 2009 and replace it with new turf for $222,762.

• Member participations grew 29% in the past year, from 71,489 in 2022 to 92,520 in 2023.

• Facility rental income eclipsed $200,000 for the second consecutive year, with nearly $202,000 in rental revenue recorded in 2023.

The Twin Lakes Recreation Center, a 100,000 ft2 indoor sports, recreation, and fitness facility, was purchased by the department in 2009. Amenities include five basketball courts, a turf field, a fitness area with strength equipment and free weights, a cardio studio, a mirrored exercise studio, 1/5-mile indoor track, and meeting rooms. The department offers programs, through the TLRC and other facilities, that help make Bloomington a healthy, active community.

Cascades Golf Course has the objective of maximizing public play with a balance of leagues, tournaments, youth programs, and golf outings. Youth programs include the First Tee of Bloomington and the PGA Junior League.

Golf Services 2023 Program Activity

• Cascades Golf Course recorded a record number of 35,976 18-hole rounds, a 12% increase over 2022.

• Cascades Golf Course clubhouse was rented 51 times in 2023.

• Served as the home course for Edgewood High School and Bloomington North High School Boys and Girls golf teams.

• Hosted the Bloomington Parks Foundation annual Don Brineman Memorial Golf Scramble Oct. 4.

• Hosted the annual City Tournament in June and July, with 121 golfers playing in match play.

• Promoted former Golf Programs Coordinator Jason Sims, PGA to the position of Golf Facilities Manager in May, and hired Jackson Cowden for the Golf Programs Coordinator position in July.

Recreation

The Recreation Services Division is responsible for programs, events, and services specially designed for preschoolers, youth, teens, adults, senior adults, and participants with varying degrees of ability. These activities are held at department facilities such as the Allison-Jukebox Community Center, Banneker Community Center, Switchyard Park, and Showers Common. A number of programs are facilitated through partnership agreements with other community organizations.

Y outh Programs

Youth Programs

• A new awning that included upgraded LED lighting was installed at the Allison-Jukebox Community Center for $3,160.

• Kid City Summer Camp, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed its after-hours events including Parent’s Night Out and Kid City Overnight.

Inclusive Recreation

Youth Programs is responsible for programs and services designed for youth. These activities take place at the Allison-Jukebox Community Center and satellite sites. Youth Programs also includes the Inclusive Recreation program area. The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department is committed to an inclusive approach to recreation.

• Kid City doubled the number of campers with disabilities served, from six in 2022 to 12 in 2023.

Youth Programs/Inclusion 2023 Program Activity

< Updated awning with LED lighting at the AllisonJukebox Community Center.

Kid City > campers experienced field trips and outdoor fun!

C ommunity Events

The Community Events program area provides an eclectic mix of cultural and outdoor activities and year-round events to provide enjoyment, education, and a sense of community for the diversity of people who make Bloomington their home. Special events and programs, art fairs, Performing Arts Series, Movies in the Park, Farmers’ Market, Community Gardens, Touch a Truck, and the Holiday Market are examples of the variety of programs and projects Community Events offers to the Bloomington community.

• Bloomington Trivia Championship Series averaged 16 teams and more than 80 people per session, the highest attendance recorded since the event began in 2020.

• Hosted, in partnership with The Code & Key, an outdoor escape room “Escape from Wonderland” with an Alice in Wonderland theme; 90% of the available time slots were filled.

• Created Teen Art Lab to attract 13- through 17-year olds, an underrepresented age group in department programming.

• Created new, monthly, drop-in series “Community Zoo by You” that took place August through December. Many children attended multiple sessions to earn an honorary zookeeper badge.

• The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market hosted its first Youth Artist and Vendor Day at the Market that included 30 different youth who sold items they made or raised on their own.

• The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market hosted the annual Harvest for the World; celebrated the return of Apple Tasting; and created a “farm to table” dinner program featuring local chef Corbin Morwick who utilized farm products from Market vendors for the meal.

• Partnered with Visit Bloomington to host a concert series that brought nationally known performers Makaya McCraven, Shannon & The Clams, and Molly Tuttle on three different evenings to the Switchyard Park stage.

• Continued a thriving partnership with the Monroe County History Center to host the Dearly Departed Cemetery Tours at Rose Hill Cemetery in October. The three tours sold out with 65 participants each.

• The Community Gardening program offered 17 different classes and events that were attended by a total of 130 participants.

• A total of 326 gardeners rented 265 garden plots in three different community gardens.

Community Events provide enjoyment, education, and a sense of community for the diversity of people who make Bloomington their home.

Community Events 2023 Program Activity

The Banneker Community Center is a Bloomington Parks and Recreation facility that is dedicated to inspiring youth to maximize their potential through safe and effective programming, and to provide programs and activities that connect the Bloomington community through a cultural and nutritional hub.

B anneker Community Center

• The new kitchen successfully met all standards specified by the Indiana State Department of Health to be certified as a commercial kitchen. This designation enabled Banneker to host cooking workshops during summer Banneker Camp, and offer cooking classes with community and department partners. The commercial kitchen is available for rent for private or commercial use.

• Banneker awarded a contract in April to Commercial Service of Bloomington to replace a five-ton rooftop unit, a threeton heat pump system, a 15-ton rooftop unit, and an additional heat pump, air handler, and duct heater to upgrade the facility’s HVAC system. Total cost of the project was $58,200, paid with American Rescue Plan funds.

• More than 200 private rental and community events were held at Banneker in 2023. Events included baby showers, birthday parties, cooking classes, health clinics, reunions, sports practices, community meetings, political events, book signings, and more. Total rental income was $18,000.

• The Banneker Teen Program, a free, drop-in, after-school program, returned for the first time since 2020 and recorded nearly 900 total participations.

• Through collaboration with several organizations and community partners, Banneker facilitated the distribution of more than 30 Thanksgiving meals for families in the community, collected and distributed Christmas gifts to more than 100 children, and hats and winter coats to children in Banneker’s after-school program, distributed 60 bags of food each week to families whose children enrolled in summer Banneker Camp.

• Hired Erin Freese-Posthuma to the Program Specialist position in May.

Banneker Community Center 2023 Program Activity

B

uskirk-Chumley Theater

Top Renters in 2023 (by days of use)

Bloomington Good Morning Toastmasters Club

Constellation Stage & Screen

IU African American Arts Institute

IU Arts & Humanities

IU Jacobs School of Music

Lotus Education & Arts Foundation

Limestone Comedy

Bloomington

Health and Wellness

The Health and Wellness program area provides opportunities through programs, events and partnerships to encourage physical activity, to communicate the benefits of healthy choices and to promote department resources that support healthy lifestyles.

• Participation in the Veterans Day 5K + One Mile Walk on Nov. 11 increased by 40%, from 80 to 112 participants, between 2022 and 2023. Nine veteran- and first responder-serving exhibitors were on site at Switchyard Park to provide education and resources for participants and visitors.

• The Bloomington Health Foundation awarded a $38,000 grant to the Bloomington Parks Foundation to enhance sun safety programs at Bryan Park Pool and Mills Pool, and to replace 11 vital AED (automated external defibrillator) devices at multiple key parks and facilities.

• Partnered with Monroe County–Purdue Extension, who received a $5,400 Jack Hopkins Social Services grant to provide a free, eight-week nutrition and health education program, and meal kits (each with ingredients for four people), to 15 families. The “Food as Medicine” program was held at the Banneker Community Center.

• Fifteen people took part in “The Cooking Classroom,” a monthly program at the Banneker Community Center that featured one-hour, hands-on cooking demonstrations and nutrition education, as well as take-home food and a cookbook.

• Hosted “Fitness in the Park,” three outdoor, 21-week fitness classes (tai chi, ZUMBA and yoga) in Switchyard Park. Attendance at these fitness classes grew 175% over 2022 participations (from 289 to 796).

• Utilized a combination of grant funds from the Bloomington Parks Foundation and the Indiana State Department of Health for All Kids Swim, a program that provided a swimsuit, goggles, swim caps and towels to 47 Banneker Camp participants for two weeks of swim lessons. All participants were able to demonstrate American Red Cross Level 2 swim skills following the two weeks of swim lessons.

Health and Wellness 2023 Program Activity

Annual report figures provided by BCT Management, Inc.

S witchyard Park

Switchyard Park, a 65-acre former railroad switchyard on the city’s south side, was imagined over decades and developed over years as a destination park. Officially opened in 2019, the park includes amenities that appeal to a variety of active and passive park users, and features landscaping and facilities that focus on green initiatives.

• Switchyard Park generated $72,000 in rental revenue, an increase of 16% from 2022 ($62,000).

• Granted 21 Park Special Use Permits for use of park facilities.

• A total of 178 outdoor events were held at Switchyard Park, with an additional 162 events held inside the Pavilion.

• An estimated 520,000 people visited Switchyard Park in 2023.

• Contracted with Commercial Service in July for the installation of a water line, dog rinse station, and drainage line in the large dog chamber at Switchyard Park, for a total cost of $11,260. Funds were provided through the American Recovery Plan Act. A shade structure was also added to the large dog chamber.

• Hired Josh Hinton as a Working Foreperson in March.

• Purchased seasonal (summer and winter) banners for the light poles in the platform area for a total cost of $905.

Switchyard Park 2023 Program Activity

Cost Recovery 11.38%

The Switchyard Park Pavilion hosts a variety of events, from business meetings and weddings to Parks and Recreation’s Bloomington Trivia Championship Series with Skip Daly.

Hsiung Marler (R), Switchyard Park General Manager, conducts an interview at the Switchyard Park Skate Park for the Indiana Park and Recreation Association Oct. 11.

A dministration

The Administration Division implements policy as set forth by the Board of Park Commissioners.

• Three staff members attended a three-day symposium presented by software developer Vermont Systems in November for in-depth training on the RecTrac reservation system to meet customer registration needs and staff work requests.

• Packets were prepared for 15 Board of Park Commissioners meetings. The packets included a total of 149 contracts, 40 partnerships and nine policies that were presented for review and approval.

• The application for youth scholarships through the Bloomington Parks Foundation was made available in CiviForm, an open source software developed by the City of Seattle with support from the Google.org Fellowship program to simplify access to public assistance programs. CiviForm has made the scholarship application process more accessible and equitable for area families.

Administration 2023 Program Activity

The youth scholarship application for Parks and Recreation programs was made available online in 2023.

Community Relations

• Designed and completed a total of 544 print and digital marketing pieces

• Obtained $85,106 in monetary sponsorships and banner advertising from 73 different businesses and individuals for Parks and Recreation facilities, programs and events.

• Managed 802 individual volunteers who contributed a total of 9,645 hours of service to the Department.

• Collaborated with the Natural Resources program area to design and produce nine interpretive signs for the Early History and Interpretive Trails at RCA Community Park. Each sign includes a QR code with a link to an audio version of the sign text, which can be translated into languages other than English and is accessible for the sight impaired. Parks and Recreation was recognized as an “Innovation Success Story” by the City of Bloomington Office of Innovation for its efforts to make these and other interpretive signs more accessible.

Community Relations coordinates graphic design, media relations, brand management, social media content, marketing, sponsors, and volunteers.

Volunteer Weed Wranglers following an invasive species removal work session on the Bloomington Rail Trail on Feb. 2.

Bravo Award-presented to outstanding volunteers

Merrill Hatlen, Photography at Farmers’ Market and A Fair of the Arts

Amanda Ghaffarian, volunteer at multiple community events in 2022 & 2023

Doug and Kathy Curry, Weed Wrangles

Lizzie Johnson, Leonard Springs Nature Days

One of nine interpretive signs at RCA Community Park, researched and written by Natural Resources staff and members of the Environmental Resources Advisory Council.

Paul and Linda Kern, Adopt-a-Greenspace

Steve Bailey, Park Ambassador

Kip and Whitney Schlegel, Banneker Summer Nature Club

Hattie Johnson, Banneker Summer Food Program

Anne Varns, Leonard Springs Nature Days

Ray Major, Weed Wrangles and Trees from Seeds

B loomington Parks Foundation

The Bloomington Parks Foundation enhances and expands the services of the award-winning Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department through gifts of land and funds, and improves the lives of children by providing scholarship assistance to youth to participate in parks and recreation programs.

Rogers Family Park

The Bloomington Parks Foundation worked with donors Sherman and Meredith Rogers to finalize the completion of Rogers Family Park in 2023. On August 4, 2023, members of the Rogers family, city officials, friends, and supporters gathered to officially dedicate the park which originally existed as a 31-acre farm property donated to the Bloomington Parks Foundation by the Rogers family in 2007. The Parks Foundation deeded the property to the Parks and Recreation Department in 2009. As then-Mayor John Hamilton commented prior to the construction and dedication: “The beautiful piece of farmland the Rogers family donated in 2007 will become even more inviting, thanks to their continued generosity. Our residents and visitors will greatly benefit from the Rogers’ contribution to our shared greenspace, which provides a much-needed refuge, important connectivity for our trail system, and an opportunity for responsible stewardship of our natural areas.” The Rogers donated $303,510 in 2022 which followed their 2020 donation of $662,500 donation in 2020.

All Kids Swim Funding

The Bloomington Parks Foundation continued its commitment to support “All Kids Swim” to provide swim lessons for underserved youth in Bloomington. Funding is used to cover the cost of swim skill instruction at the IU Outdoor Pool. In addition, the Foundation facilitates grant funding to purchase participant gear (backpacks, swimwear, swim goggles, towels, etc.), space rental, and other program expenses.

Double Market Bucks Funding

The Double Market Bucks program continues at Bloomington’s Community Farmers’ Market as a result of the Foundation role in securing outside grants. Grant funds to the Foundation provide for an innovative project designed to improve low-income people’s access to the nutrient-dense, fresh, locally grown food available at the Market. The Double Market Bucks program matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits used at the Market. SNAP customers may exchange up to $18 in benefits for $36 in “Market Bucks” to purchase eligible products at the Market, ensuring not only access to local food but keeping the economic benefits in the community and supporting small farmers and growers.

Scholarships for Youth

31st Annual Don Brineman Memorial Golf Scramble

Another successful Don Brineman Memorial Golf Scramble took place on October 4, 2023 which raised $5,448 to support youth scholarships and programs associated with Bloomington Parks and Recreation. Teders & Quackenbush was once again the Presenting Sponsor; Hurlow Wealth Management was the Cart Sponsor; and IU Credit Union was the Driving Range Sponsor. For the first time, the 2023 event featured a hole-in-one contest.

Approximately $12,000 was provided in scholarships to support youth involvement in Bloomington Parks and Recreation programs. Close to 40 families with children were served in 2023, including the named Donald Shiflet scholarship to Fairview Elementary students Brian and Brandon Kincade (Spring 2023) and Xaiveon Jones-Opara (Fall 2023).

Sponsored Open Swim Day at Bryan Park and Mills Pools

The Bloomington Parks Foundation participated once again as a sponsor of a “free day” for pool patrons at the city’s pools on July 4. The Foundation funded a total of $1,950 at Bryan Park and Mills Pools.

Park Projects and Highlights

Bloomington Health Foundation Grant Replaces Vital AED Devices, Brings Additional Sun Safety Programs to Parks and Recreation

Bloomington Health Foundation awarded $38,000 to the Bloomington Parks Foundation to replace lifesaving AEDs (automated external defibrillators) at 11 parks and recreation facilities, and to replace shade umbrellas and bring free sunscreen to Bryan Park and Mill Pools.

AEDs are stationed at multiple key points, including the Olcott Park concessions building, Twin Lakes Sports Park, Rose Hill Cemetery office, Bryan Park Pool (during the summer) and Frank Southern Ice Arena (during the winter), Mills Pool, Twin Lakes Recreation Center, Winslow Sports Complex, Allison-Jukebox Community Center, Banneker Community Center, Switchyard Park Pavilion, Cascades Golf Course, and the Griffy Lake boathouse. Mobile AED units accompany Parks and Recreation’s roving naturalists and urban greenspace and community events staff.

Creation of Building Trades Park Master Plan Begins with Public Meetings

Parks and Recreation and landscape architecture firm Mader Design held two public meetings in 2023 to collect public input for a master plan to guide the future development of Building Trades Park, 619 W. Howe St. just north of the site of the former IU Health Bloomington Hospital.

Parks and Recreation collected additional community feedback online from September 2023 through January 2024. The final Master Plan is scheduled for presentation to the Board of Park Commissioners at their May 2024 meeting.

Neighborhood Associations Unveil GrantFunded Fitness Equipment in Southeast Park in August

A Neighborhood Improvement Grant awarded to the Arden Place and Sycamore Knolls Neighborhood Associations in April 2022 was used to install all-ages, outdoor fitness equipment in Southeast Park, 1600 Sycamore Ct.

The fitness equipment was officially unveiled at an event at Southeast Park on Aug. 26. The equipment is free to use, and is available for use during park hours of 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily.

The $9,000 grant purchased a trio of step-up benches and horizontal bars, chest press and lat pulldown machine, and a ski runner.

Parks and Recreation Secures $100,000 Grant for Urban Tree Maintenance

Bloomington Parks and Recreation’s urban forestry program was selected from more than 840 applicants to receive $100,000 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program to maintain public trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature. The total grant award of $100,000 will be distributed to the City over the next four years, effectively doubling the urban forestry program’s budget for pruning street trees.

Bloomington received Tree City USA designation for the 39th consecutive year in 2023. Parks and Recreation’s urban forestry program continued its commitment to maintaining a healthy urban forest by planting trees in 90 empty street tree plots in downtown Bloomington. Trees were also replaced in medians on West Third Street, West Second Street, College Mall Road and South Henderson Street. Adding 21 new trees in these areas promotes canopy growth and reduces heat islands.

Parks and Recreation Department staff in December 2023

Staff

Paula McDevitt ..

The Department has a professional and connected staff of long-standing members of our community dedicated to providing quality parks, recreation and sports services.

AdministrAtion

Administrator

Emily Buuck Community Relations Coordinator

Ace Chestnut Graphic Designer

Kim Clapp Office Manager

Missy Grabowski Customer Service Representative

Tiffany Hall

Customer Service Representative

Ethan Philbeck Customer Service Representative

Julie Ramey Community Relations Manager

Michele Wilson Customer Service Representative

operAtions & nAturAl resources

Tim Street Operations and Development Administrator

John Barnes Master Motor Equipment Operator

Jon Behrman Natural Resources Working Foreperson

Caleb Cassidy Sanitation/Grounds Laborer II

Steve Cotter Natural Resources Manager

Barb Dunbar

. Operations Division Coordinator

Allen Edwards Urban Greenspace/Veg Mgmt Laborer II

Landon Ellis Urban Forestry Laborer

Don Foddrill Facilities Working Foreperson

Curtis Gilstrap..Cemeteries/Landscaping Working Foreperson

Bob Grubb ............................ Urban Forestry Laborer II

Jeff Hazel Laborer II

Mike Hollingsworth Facilities Maintenance Mechanic

Kyle Hudson Sanitation & Grounds Working Foreperson

Tina Luallen Urban Greenspace Landscaping Laborer II

Mark Marotz Operations Superintendent

Phil Paris Laborer II

Ryan Rhodes .

. Sanitation/Grounds Laborer II

Anthony Robertson Equipment Maintenance Mechanic

Jim Salisbury Laborer II

Haskell Smith Urban Forester

Joanna Sparks Urban Greenspace Manager

Scot Sturrock .......... Urban Greenspace Working Foreperson

Rebecca Swift Natural Resources Coordinator

Rob Turpin Operations Crew Leader

recreAtion

Becky Higgins Recreation Services Director

Clarence Boone.. Community Events Coordinator

Tara Brooke Community Events Specialist

Leslie Brinson .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . Community Events Manager

Shelby Drake Health & Wellness Coordinator

Josh Hinton Switchyard Park Working Foreperson

Erin Freese-Posthuma Program Specialist

Hsiung Marler.. General Manager Switchyard Park

Sarah Mullin . ..

Program Specialist

Bill Ream Program/Facility Coordinator

Crystal Ritter Community Events Coordinator

Amy Shrake Inclusive Recreation Coordinator

Kevin Terrell Program Coordinator

Maggie Tull .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Switchyard Park Working Foreperson

sports

Satoshi Kido Sports Division Director

Jackson Cowden Golf Program Coordinator

Daren Eads Program/Facility Coordinator

Greg Goecker Sports Laborer

Chris Hamric ...................................... Sports Specialist

Chris Lamb Athletic Fields Working Foreperson

Scott Pedersen Youth Sports Coordinator

Brad Scroggins.. Master Motor Equipment Operator

Jason Sims Golf Facilities Manager

Megan Stark .

.. Membership Coordinator

Mark Sterner Sports Area Manager

Dee Tuttle Sports Facility/Program Manager

Message from the Board of Park Commissioners

Board of Park Commissioners

President Kathleen Mills (R) with Mayor John Hamilton (middle) and former Parks and Recreation Department Director

Paula McDevitt at the ribbon cutting for the Griffy Lake dam crossing and South Shore Trail Dec. 15.

The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department was busy with major projects during 2023. Relying on grants, the city-funded budget, American Rescue Plan funds, and user fees, the Parks and Recreation Department each year carefully evaluates which of its 2,342 acres of property are in need of upgrades, improvements, and redesigns. I’m happy to share some of the successes of 2023.

Griffy Lake’s trail system was extended to allow for even more hiking options around the 109-acre lake.

Plans were revealed and revised for a Bicentennial Gateway at Miller-Showers Park, a major northern entrance to Bloomington. The project includes improvements to sidewalks and curbs to allow safer, accessible access for pedestrians, as well as a designated area for a public art installation.

New interpretive signs were installed at RCA Community Park, with plans to refurbish lighting at the pickleball and tennis courts, and to construct a new picnic shelter in the park in 2024.

Rogers Family Park (formerly known as the “Goat Farm”), a 31.5 acre park, was officially re-named in a ceremony on Aug. 4. The land was generously donated by the Sherman Rogers family, and the Rogers family contributed nearly $1 million to construct a new, paved path around the park, add a parking area as well as new siding and a roof to the park’s signature red barn, and build new seating and shade areas.

The nationally recognized Parks and Recreation Department, re-accredited for an additional five years by the Commission for the Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) in 2021, works tirelessly to offer programs that enrich our physical and mental health. The department is keen to receive public feedback and takes seriously its commitment to provide the types of programming and amenities that most interest its citizens.

Many programs, events, and services offered by the department are free or low cost. The department is especially attentive to ensuring recreation activities are available and accessible to a variety of people and pets, from summer camps for kids to walking groups and “Yappy Hours” for dogs.

In October we wished outgoing Parks and Recreation Department Director Paula McDevitt the best in her retirement. She led the department for a remarkable eight years, and spent 35 years total working in a variety of positions for Bloomington Parks and Recreation. The department’s future is in good hands as Tim Street, previously the Director of Operations and Development, took over her role.

We invite you in 2024 to bike, walk, swim, picnic, shoot hoops, ice skate, play pickleball or just enjoy the scenery in one of Bloomington’s 34 parks, ball fields, ice rink, trails and pools. Check out the OuterSpatial app if you’re not sure what to do.

Kathleen Mills, President Board of Park Commissioners

We equitably enrich community well-being by providing quality parks, trails, facilities, programs and services, and through the stewardship of natural spaces.

We Value

stewardship l service l diversity l accountability l inclusion l respect l fun l community

Mayor

John Hamilton

Administrator

Paula McDevitt

Tim Street

Board of Park Commissioners

Israel Herrera

Kathleen Mills

Ellen Rodkey

Jim Whitlatch

Bloomington Parks Foundation 2023 Board of Directors

David Skirvin, President

Tony Rastall, Vice President

Chris Hawk, Treasurer

Erin Martoglio, Secretary

Sally Baird

Doug Bruce

John Carter

Les Coyne

Ted Ferguson

Deborah Lemon

Beth Matney

Aaron Mobley

Tony Mobley

Ben Niehoff

Valerie Pena

Chris Quackenbush

Karin St. John

Jon Tichenor

Travis Vencel

Road through Lower Cascades Park