PRCF 2017/2018 Annual Report

Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

A walk in the park

Table of Contents

3 Who We Are........................................................ 5 Mission and Commitment.................................6 What We Do.........................................................8 Our Financials.................................................10 Awards.............................................................. 12 Park Development.......................................... 14 Note from our Leadership................................

DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

16 Recreation Programming................................. 19 Special Events.................................................. 22 Convention Center & Amphitheatre.................25 Cemetery.......................................................... 27 Facilities Management....................................29 Aquatics............................................................

2| Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

Note from our Leadership MARC HEIRSHBERG, CPRE Director On behalf of the entire staff of the Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department we are pleased to present the FY17-18 Annual Report. I believe our parks, recreation and community facilities are at the heart of what makes Mesa a great place to live, work and play. As your read the annual report I hope you will be as proud and impressed as I am by the level of work that the Department has accomplished this past year to further Mesa’s reputation for great parks with unique amenities that help create a sense of Community for our residents. Year-round, our staff maintains and improves parklands, and buildings for public use, creating a welcoming space for the Community to gather, engage and stay active. Our recreation centers deliver diverse programming for youth and adults, while our aquatic facilities provide a fun, safe, cool respite from summers high temperatures. I hope you take time to get out and enjoy the many wonderful amenities Mesa has to offer and discover why Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is Your Place to Play!

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Note from our Leadership cont.

MATT ERICKSON Parks Advisory Board Chair As the Chair of the Mesa Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, I have the unique opportunity to see our park system through the eyes of both the residents of our Community and the dedicated staff of the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department who care for it. Day in and day out, I watch as residents and visitors explore and play in our City’s parks and recreation facilities to enrich their lives, connect with one another, and improve their health through active play. While I celebrate the many successes highlighted in this publication, I am most proud of the positive impact that our park system has within our Community, and it continues to be my honor to advocate for their continued improvement, development and presentation!

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Who We Are

Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is committed to enhancing the quality of life for Mesa residents and playing a significant role in shaping the character of the City through preeminent parks and recreation. The Department manages 2,534 acres of park land including 202 parks with unique playgrounds, first-class athletic fields, nine aquatic centers, splash pads, trails, six recreation centers, a championship golf course, convention center, amphitheatre, cemetery and two spring training baseball stadiums.

The Mesa Parks system is a premier destination that welcomes and captivates residents and visitors.

The park system and its beauty are part of the daily life and shape the character of the City. Residents are informed and involved in shaping the future of the park and recreation system and its value to their lives.

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Mission & Commitment

OUR MISSION We contribute to a healthy and vibrant community by providing exceptional experiences and services to those who live, work and play in Mesa

In 2018, the City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department met the required standards associated with CAPRA Accreditation, which recognizes park and recreation agencies for excellence in operation and service.

We are committed to: • Being responsible stewards of parklands, facilities and finances, and transparent in how we manage these resources • Providing safe spaces and places for people to enjoy and recreate • Working together to focus on services that meet the ever-changing needs of our Community

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Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

Team Snapshot

317.35 BUDGETED FTES

560

SEASONAL AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES

46,395 VOLUNTEER HOURS

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

PARKS ADVISORY BOARD LEADERSHIP

Marc Heirshberg, CPRE, Department Director Michael Holste, Assistant Director – Recreation Fred Rustam, Assistant Director - Maintenance Andrea Moore, Parks Maintenance and Operations Administrator Leslie Clark, Recreation Administrator Erik Ostlund, Commercial Administrator Tammy Davenport, Sr. Fiscal Analyst Aimee Manis, Management Assistant II

Steven Crider

Alicia Kracht

Matthew Erickson

Nycole Leyba

Kimberly Forest

Jo Martin

Sherman Fort

Jacob Martinez

Jaime Glasser

Justin Murdock

Trevor Hansen

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What We Do

4

COMMUNITY LAKES

2

3

SKATEPARKS

SPLASH PADS

13.1

202

1

MILES OF TRAILS

PARKS

AMPHITHEATRE

2

DOG PARKS

9

1

CONVENTION CENTER

AQUATIC FACILITIES

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PICKLEBALL COURTS

6

RECREATION CENTERS

1

14

42

HORSESHOE COURTS

17

BASKETBALL COURTS

HISTORIC CEMETERY

SOFTBALL FIELDS

19

TENNIS COURTS

23

20

BASEBALL FIELDS

VOLLEYBALL COURTS

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REVENUES

Our Financials

GENERAL

CEMETERY

CC/AMP

GOLF

16%

PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMERCIAL DIVISION GENERAL FUND Revenue Budget Requirement

$4,541,409 $25,950,336

CEMETERY FUND Revenue Budget Requirement

$1,525,568 $960,363

CONVENTION CENTER/AMPHITHEATRE FUND Revenue $2,773,299 Budget Requirement $3,227,480 GOLF FUND Revenue Budget Requirement

$1,635,446 $1,511,072

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DIVISION Budget Requirement

43% 26%

15%

BUDGET REQUIREMENTS GENERAL

CEMETERY

CC/AMP

GOLF

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

28%

4%

59% 7% 2%

$12,044,577

TOTAL BUDGET REQUIREMENT $43,693,828

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Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

A bird’s eye view

Awards

SRP CHAMPION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AWARDED TO THE CITY OF MESA

PRCF ADAPTIVE PROGRAM WINS AWARD FROM ARIZONA PARKS AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION The Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA) presented the City of Mesa Parks and Recreation Adaptive Off-Broadway Theater program with the Outstanding Adaptive Program award for 2017. Congratulations to Jacquie Gallo, Matt Erickson, and Ani Beslach Erickson for creating such an amazing and special program that partners high school students with individuals with intellectual disabilities to put on a great production.

Thank you to Red Mountain High School for partnering with our adaptive program this past year.

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At this year’s Champions of Energy Efficiency Awards and Luncheon, 15 innovative Valley businesses were recognized for saving money and conserving precious resources through SRP’s commercial energy efficiency rebate and ENERGY STAR® Homes programs.

The City of Mesa won as the Municipality Partner of the Year. The City of Mesa cares about being sustainable and has been a great partner of SRP. The collaboration has resulted in energy savings and cost savings for its taxpayers. By participating in SRP’s rebate programs, City of Mesa has found many ways to reduce energy use, such as by installing energy management systems, a high-efficiency computer room, an upgraded air-conditioning unit and LED fixtures. Since 2009, energy efficiency projects have saved the city nearly 5,000 megawatt-hours of energy, which translates to nearly $400,000 of annual energy cost savings.

Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

The City of Mesa is excited and committed to looking for and implementing more opportunities to be more energy efficient. Also, through sustainability programs and education, Mesa encourages conservation throughout all its departments, in industrial sectors and directly to residents.

Greenfield Park received the Project of the Year award from the American Public Works Association Arizona Chapter in the Structures – Less than $5 Million category. The Greenfield Park Improvements Project transformed the existing 20-acre park into a destination complete with a brand-new playground, new exercise equipment, an expanded pond that is now stocked with various fish for recreational fishing, and a new restroom building. This project was completed in October 2017 with Hunter Contracting and EPG acting as the lead designer.

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Park Development

GREENFIELD PARK RENOVATION

PIONEER PARK RE-OPENS The Grand Opening celebration for the new and improved Pioneer Park, was held December 16, 2017. Highlights of the new Pioneer Park include a huge multi-story playground that is ADA compliant, and a splash pad which includes a 15-foot-high water wall that is the first of its kind in Arizona. The 9,000-square foot playground is designed to feel like you are playing in the trees. There is also a 500-foot-long elevated ribbon walkway that connects the main central plaza area to the playground.

The Greenfield Park Improvements Project re-energized an under-programmed 20-acre park and regional retention basin into the jewel of the neighborhood. This resulted in new, diverse recreation opportunities that preserved the best of the existing with new improvements such as a community fishing pond, modern playground and restroom, fitness equipment, paths and storm water retention performance improvements.

The grand opening of the renovated park was held on November 4, 2017.

The $3.8 million improvements were funded by a 2012 Parks Bond approved by Mesa voters.

The $7.9 million improvements were funded by a 2012 Parks Bond approved by Mesa voters.

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GENE AUTRY PARK GETS A MAKEOVER Gene Autry Park was recently renovated with a new playground and shade canopy. This playground renovation was identified as part of the 2012 Parks Bond program focusing on renovations of existing park facilities.

The renovation project included replacement of the existing playground with new play equipment, adding a shade canopy, replacing the sand surfacing with updated engineered wood fiber, adding an ADA access ramp into the playground area, and updates to the ADA parking stalls in the parking lot.

KLEINMAN PARK MAKEOVER After being closed for nearly six months for a massive makeover, Kleinman Park, reopened in September of 2017. Kleinman Park has three new lighted tennis courts and four new pickleball courts. The softball fields have been rebuilt with new backstops and shaded dugouts. There is also an open, lighted turf area. The improvements also include refurbished restrooms to meet ADA standards, new signage throughout the park and a fresh coat of paint for the restrooms, ramadas and lights.

EAGLES COMMUNITY CENTER AND PARK Eagles Community Center opened its doors to the public January 16th. The new Eagles Community Center is a transformational project the repurposed the old Mesa Jr. High School gymnasium into a renovated community center. The Center offers a gymnasium, functional fitness room, and various classrooms with a focus on youth sports and after school and summer programs.

Stop by for a tour!

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Aquatics

9

POOLS

305 9,075 281 LIFEGUARDS

SUMMER SWIM PARTICIPANTS

VOLUNTEERS

The City of Mesa Aquatics division is passionate about swimming. The Aquatics team manages 9 aquatic facilities providing lessons and overseeing 6,000 plus reservations serving 387,000 customers. PRCF received sponsorships to provide over 700 Making Waves scholarships with a value of $17,500 and training 281 Jr. Guard Volunteer providing over 17,700 hours of service.

The Aquatics Maintenance division operates, services and repairs each of the aquatic facilities and some of the facilities are open year-round for reservations, lap swim and special events.

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7TH ANNUAL PUMPKIN SPLASH This year’s Pumpkin Splash, sponsored

by Wright Orthodontics and hosted at Brimhall Aquatic Complex was the largest ever with 589 participants.

There was a photo booth, to lead participants to the Facebook social media page. Popular activities included pumpkin decorating, glitter tattoos, foam pit, photo booth and swimming with pumpkins.

THE H2O CARNIVAL The H2O Carnival is one of the most popular events of the summer.

Attendance was 650 participants, above last year’s 475. Activities included the rolling log, kayaks, foam pit, and glitter tattoos. It was a great turnout!

PACHANGA EN LA PISCINA Drowning prevention education is a priority for the Mesa Community.

Pachanga En La Piscina is a multi cultural event where PRCF partners such as Mesa Fire and Medical, Salt River Project and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office work together to share the water safety message in a fun and interactive way. The event welcomed 505 people this year.

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1,917

YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN SUMMER PROGRAMS

6,302

K-6TH GRADERS ENJOYED THE FUN ‘N FITNESS MOBILE RECREATION UNIT

2,471

VOLUNTEERS DONATED 46,425 HOURS OF SERVICE

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1,009 247,219

PARTICIPANTS IN YOUTH SPORT PROGRAMS

37,659

SPORTS FIELD RENTALS

TOTAL VISITORS AT RECREATION CENTERS

SILVERSNEAKER VISITORS

8,097 923

TEAMS WITH 12,090 PLAYERS PARTICIPATED IN ADULT SPORTS PROGRAMS

Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

The City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department is committed to “Providing safe spaces and places for people to enjoy and recreate”.

Recreational Programs

BETTER SPORTS FOR KIDS QUALITY PROGRAM In June of 2018, PRCF received the National Alliance of Youth Sports Better Sports for Kids Quality Program designation. The designation is a seal of commitment to quality and safety based on nationally accepted standards. Achieving this designation demonstrates that Mesa has undergone a review process and demonstrated a commitment to the children and families we serve. PRCF was evaluated in the following categories: •Written policies and procedures • Volunteer screening • Coach training • Parent education • Accountability.

Mesa Adaptive programs served 876 youth and adults with intellectual disabilities with 13 different sports and recreation opportunities provided over three seasons. A total of 1,129 registrants participated in at least one of the many social program opportunities offered throughout the year, including 60 adults attending the California Adventure Trip and 53 participants attending the Camp Carly Outdoor Trip. 103 registrants participated in a variety of adaptive special interest classes including; cooking, tennis, archery and theater class.

Mesa Park Rangers worked at Red Mountain Park lake to clear the island of tangled fishing line and lures. Many times, waterfowl become tangled in the line and as they struggle to free themselves they become impaled by the fishing lures that are still attached to many of the lines.

Rangers Brett Burton and Ian Sandoe worked for two days to remove the line, thus protecting the many waterfowl that call the island home.

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3,400 YOUTH

received discounted registration through the PRCF Fee Assistance

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1,644

500

YOUTH

TEENS & YOUTH

participated in tennis instruction and league play at the Mesa Tennis Center

1,917 YOUTH

participated in swimming, special events, crafts, sports, science and laser activities during PRCF Summer programs

participated in the Mesa Police Department and Eagles Community Centers Youth Activity Night and Teen PLAE Summer programs

155 VOLUNTEER COACHES

were recruited, trained and provided their support to the Youth Sports soccer, flag football, basketball and volleyball teams

Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

ATHLETIC PROGRAMS PRCF’s Athletic programs provide a place for people of all ages to build teamwork, healthy competition and a place to enjoy our many amazing facilities.

The City of Mesa hosted the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) post-season baseball tournament at HoHoKam Stadium for the sixth time. The event has a 6-team doubleelimination tournament, which featured Grand Canyon University for the first time. The 11-game tournament brought in revenue to the City through hotel stays and restaurant visits. This was the most highly attended WAC tournament to date with over 3,200 spectators.

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MERRY MAIN STREET

Special Events

Downtown Mesa came alive with Merry Main Street activities which included the Winter Wonderland Ice Rink which operated from the day after Thanksgiving until January 2nd, with over 10,000 skaters attending.

Also included in the events were the Christmas Market Place, the Main Street Express Train, Jack Frost Food Truck Forest and, of course, Santa Claus.

CELEBRATE MESA The Celebrate Mesa Spring event focused on Living Green Efforts. This year the Living Green Village grew from 19 vendors to 28 vendors and the staff created temporary electrical panels which reduced generator use through the event. The Fall event is held around Halloween and participants enjoyed a concert by the band – Rock Lobster; the outdoor showing of The Lego Batman movie and virtual reality games, attendance was over 13,000 for this event.

SPECIAL EVENTS ARE BOOMING PRCF facilitated outside Special Events have doubled this year with 42 major calendar dates in FY17-18 over 18 in FY16-17. These events included: JDRF Walk/Run, Mesa Pow Wow, Ragnar Del Sol, UFest, AZ Lung Force Walk/5K, BYU Fan Fest, Eastmark Color Run, Masks Alive Festival, Pub’N’Grub, Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge, and more.

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NATURE PLAY PROGRAMS CONDUCTED

3,683 PARK VISITS

Connecting people with nature is part of the Park Ranger’s duties. Rangers conducted fishing clinics in conjunction with Arizona Game & Fish with over 50 participants. They also conducted Family Nature Play events in cooperation with the Phoenix Zoo.

Park Rangers are the face of the PRCF Department, their daily park patrols and interaction with visitors keep our venues safe and inviting. Enforcement of park rules and City codes as well as delivering aid through the Mesa Hydration Program is only part of what they do. Education as a priority for enforcement has resulted in 97% of rule infractions handled as warnings and only 3% result in citations.

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A place to run

MOVING INTO THE MODERN AGE Keeping this City asset vital and up to date is important to our visitors, a modernization plan was created to include the following projects: installing digital signs for each meeting room and building; upgrading the outdoor electronic message board; providing comfortable seating and charging stations in public areas; installing water bottle fillers in each building; renovating the backstage areas of the Amphitheatre to include a production office; renovating the east and west concession stands and the west restrooms.

179,107

VISITORS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AMPHITHEATRE

Convention Center & Amphitheatre

426

EVENTS HELD AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AMPHITHEATRE

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY To promote the 40th Anniversary, the Convention Center hosted several events, redesigned the logo to be used on marketing materials through the year.

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62,573 ROUNDS OF GOLF PLAYED

7%

OVER FY16/17

DOBSON RANCH A GRACIOUS HOST In September of 2017 Dobson Ranch Golf Course hosted the Mesa City Senior two-day tournament where the best senior golfers in the valley participated, and also hosted a City-wide high school tournament with 24 schools participating. The winning team shot a combined -37 under par for twodays. The team beat the second-place team by 31 strokes and set new state records.

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Cemetery CITY OF MESA CEMETERY Mesa’s pubic Cemetery is an important historic site managed and maintained by PRCF. This year several Eagle Scout projects were completed at the Cemetery, including documenting graves for Mesa’s Find a Grave website as well as various maintenance projects that included painting Cemetery street signs. On Veteran’s Day American flags were placed on each Veteran’s grave.

The Mesa Cemetery was responsible for hosting 595 interments and memorial services in FY 17-18.

ROYAL AIRFORCE CADET MEMORIAL Each Veteran’s Day the Mesa Cemetery hosts the Arizona Commemorative Air Force memorial service for 23 Royal Air Force Cadets who died in flight training at the #4 British Flying Training School at Falcon Field. The British Plot is located near the center of the cemetery. Representatives of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Air Force, the Daughters of the British Empire, and numerous other civic and patriotic organizations attend.

The Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band perform. This is a touching memorable event.

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Parks and Aquatics Maintenance

The Parks and Aquatics Maintenance division maintains Mesa’s vast expanse of parks, trails, aquatic facilities and sports fields. From landscaping and storm clean-up to graffiti removal, staff also performs a myriad of facility renovation and enhancement projects. Examples of projects deployed are: irrigation central control system unity upgrades, sports field re-lamping, turf renovations, sports field skinned infield leveling and rework, landscape maintenance, concrete installation and repairs, slide repairs, urban lake maintenance and gym floor renovations.

PRCF staff are truly committed to being responsible stewards of parklands and facilities.

2,534

5.6M

1,566

3,256

9,464

$1.8M

ACRES OF PARK LAND MAINTAINED

WORK ORDERS COMPLETED

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GALLONS OF POOL AND SPLASH PAD BODIES OF WATER MAINTAINED

FIELD PREPS COMPLETED

FACILITY SAFETY INSPECTIONS AND 9,057 ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS

EXECUTED IN RENOVATION AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS

Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

PRCF staff maintains and manages all building systems at every one of the 4,298,902 sq. ft. of City owned properties. This year 8,264 work-orders were completed and several major projects were completed to help keep our facilities in tip top shape.

Facilities Management

INSTALLED NEW LED LIGHTS

LARGEST PROJECT TO DATE PRCF performed a complete HVAC system replacement at the East Mesa Service Center Fleet building. This was the single largest project completed by the Facilities Management division. The project included changing thirty-five water source heat pumps, hundreds of feet of supply piping, cooling tower, and installing a full Energy Management System.

Replaced light fixtures at multiple locations, including the Red Mountain gym. The new and efficient LED lights provide better photometric coverage and have a longer life while reducing energy costs.

AZ MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY FIRE ALARM REPLACEMENT The main fire alarm at the Arizona Museum of Natural History was replaced, the new installation expanded the coverage to the entire museum and provided enhanced building protection.

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2018-2022 STRATEGIC PLAN

The City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department initiated a comprehensive strategic planning effort in 2017 and the plan was approved in January of 2018.

The intent of the plan is to ensure Department improvement and effectiveness and establish a road map and guidepost for its operations during 2018-2022. A copy of the plan can be found on Mesaparks.com.

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Mesa, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities | FY17/18 ANNUAL REPORT

JOHN GILES Mayor

MARK FREEMAN Councilmember District 1

JEREMY WHITAKER Councilmember District 2

FRANCISCO HEREDIA Councilmember District 3

CHRIS GLOVER Councilmember District 4

DAVID LUNA Vice Mayor District 5

KEVIN THOMPSON Councilmember District 6

CHRIS BRADY City Manager

KARI KENT Assistant City Manager

Your place to play

Mesa Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities

200 S. Center St. Bld #1 | PO Box 1466 – Mail Stop 7010 Mesa, AZ 85211 Monday-Thursday | 7am-6pm 480-644-PLAY | www.mesaparks.com