Minnesota Recreation and Parks - Spring 2020

MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks

Volume 15, Issue 2 • Spring 2020

COMPETING FOR FACE TIME

How Minnesota communities use social media and websites to market to, communicate with, and interact with their residents

Also Inside: MRPA Award Recipients Designed with Community in Mind Corporate Connections: Parks & Playgrounds

www.mnrpa.org

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MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks

Publisher Minnesota Recreation and Park Association 200 Charles Street NE, Fridley, MN 55432 www.mnrpa.org Tel: 763.571.1305 An affiliate of National Recreation and Park Association

Editorial Staff Michelle J. Snider Bethani Gerhard Editorial Board Jennifer Fink, New Brighton Lori Hokenson, New Brighton Lucie Patrick, Maple Grove John W. Stutzman, Golden Valley Advertising Sales & Design Todd Pernsteiner, Pernsteiner Creative Group info@pernsteiner.com 952.841.1111 MRPA Board of Directors 2020 President: Chris Esser, South St. Paul President-Elect: Chuck Stifter Past President: Tom Schmitz, New Ulm Secretary: Sara McKay, Waseca Treasurer: Dale McCamish, Rochester RSC Chair: Jerome Krieger, Blaine East Metro: Lake Johnson, Roseville East Metro: Alex McKinney, Washington County East Metro: Reed Smidt, Woodbury Northeast Region: Ross Demant, Otsego Northwest Region: Marcia Larson, Bemidji Southern Region: Paul Peanasky, Faribault West Metro: Scott Berggren, Crystal West Metro: Annie Olson, Minneapolis West Metro: Nate Rosa, St. Louis Park This magazine is the official quarterly publication of Minnesota Recreation and Park Association and is provided complimentary to members as part of their MRPA membership. The editorial board encourages the submission of articles and photos for publication by agency members.

Articles of approximately 500-700 words or less may be submitted, but may be edited for length and clarity. Contact Michelle Snider, MRPA, at 763.571.1305 x100 if interested in submitting an article for a future issue.

Deadlines for Articles and Advertising Summer 2020 issue...........................May 22, 2020 Fall 2020 issue............................. August 15, 2020 Winter 2021 issue.................. November 30, 2020 Spring 2021 Issue..................... February 15, 2021 MRPA reserves the right to approve all submitted advertising in MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks magazine. All requests for advertising should be made to Todd Pernsteiner, Account Manager, at 952.841.1111 or info@pernsteiner.com.

A Note from MRPA and and Park Association Minnesota Recreation ation ds t of the COVID -19 situ members are in the mi to press. as this magazine goes , the on continuing to evolve With the current situati ated rel s icle art e ue will featur magazine’s summer iss ve ati cre d an nt ilie how our res to the pandemic and . ing nd po res industry is parks and recreation and partners continue We hope all members to be safe and healthy. esota Recreation and - Your Friends at Minn Park Association

WATCH WWW.MNRPA.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION & UPDATES.

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2. Designate Minnesota Recreation and Park Foundation as your beneficiary.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS From the Board President..................4 Clifton E. French Award...................15 Foundation Corner.............................6 Competing for Face Time.......... 16-20 MRPA Update......................................8 Getting Started in Social Media......22 Meet Carissa Goebel..........................8 MRPA Flashback................................22 Keeping Up..................................10, 12 Shared Spaces............................. 24-29 2020 MRPA Corporate Members....13 Corporate Connections............. 30-31 MRPA Awards Ceremony.................14

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 3

FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT

By Chris Esser, MRPA President

While hindsight is 20/20, the year 2020 holds the promise of looking and moving ahead as the MRPA continues to evolve.

While hindsight is 20/20, the year 2020 holds the promise of looking and moving ahead as the MRPA continues to evolve.

It goes without saying that we are facing unpresented times that have forced adaptation to the methods of traditional public service and delivery. I am so very proud of our MRPA community for your dedication to your community, our profession, and each other. While COVID-19 is the hot topic of the day, a more in-depth commentary regarding reactions, innovations, and best practices will be included in the summer edition. Please know the MRPA Board and staff realize that this year will be unconventional and we have regularly been discussing our short- and long-term future including finances, networking, education, and the 2020 Annual Conference. There will be more information to come.

The year 2020 began with the Annual General Meeting and Awards Luncheon. This annual gathering is a celebration of our association, our membership, and the honoring of our professional peers. If you were unable to attend, the award winners are highlighted in this edition. Congratulations to all award recipients and nominees and my thanks for the work of the awards committee, the MRPA staff, and the City of New Brighton for hosting the event. The awards banquet always leaves me with a smile and the exclamation, “What a great day!” If you have never attended, I invite you to see for yourself next January.

Speaking of great, I want to thank Tom Schmitz for his leadership as MPRA President in 2019 and extend a welcome to President-Elect Chuck Stifter and the rest of the newly elected MRPA Board members. While I do not have Tom’s trademark German flair, I hope to continue his positive momentum and duty to our membership. It is a true honor to serve as President.

During this time of distance working, networking, and learning, this magazine edition has articles related to social media and websites. Communication is so very important now, more than ever as new world guidelines challenge our ability to engage our co-workers, the public we serve, and even our neighbors in person. One of the greatest benefits provided by the MRPA magazine is articles showcasing the professionals and agencies who have “been there, done that” including their innovation, successes and failures. While distance has challenged our everyday lives, know that our MRPA community is out there to share their knowledge and support you professionally, personally, and mentally.

In the MRPA community when you say “Barry,” no last name is required. The sudden passing in late March of one of my first MRPA friends in the prime of his career is still difficult to grasp. While colleagues and friends come and go, the MRPA and our professional circle will have a permanent void without

4 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Barry Bernstein. We have lost a confidant, a cheerleader, and well-timed, much-needed comic relief. Our thoughts and well wishes are with the Apple Valley Parks & Recreation Department staff, our MRPA community, and the Bernstein family.

I look forward to a year of change and ask for your feedback, support and guidance to ensure the MPRA Board, membership, and staff are working for you! We are only as strong as our members and that starts with each of us dedicating ourselves to networking, knowledge, and engagement. I invite you (yes, I am talking directly to you), to reach out to a colleague, attend a workshop, get involved in a network, or simply give MRPA a try on how it can benefit you and make you a better professional. Thank you for all you do, I hope to personally connect sometime this year.

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FOUNDATION CORNER

By John W. Stutzman, CPRP, MRPF President

To all of our parks and recreation friends, colleagues and partners, we hope you and your families are healthy during these unprecedented times. The Minnesota Recreation and Park Foundation Board of Trustees and I are optimistic that all of you remain safe and continue to find creative ways to use your expertise while serving your communities, even with people remaining at their homes. Although the Foundation does not have the resources or expertise of MRPA and NRPA to provide adequate assistance during these difficult times, please know that we continue to explore ways to do our part. As we proceed under the world’s new circumstances, if there are ways you would like to see MRPF better serve the profession, please contact me at jstutzman@goldenvalleymn.gov.

MRPF would also like to acknowledge the professional loss of a long-time member Barry Bernstein who was a leader in our field and beloved parks and recreation colleague. Not only did he serve his communities with passion, but continually worked to improve the lives of those he served - especially students. A group of his colleagues have started a fundraiser for the creation of an MRPF memorial scholarship. We believe he would be honored to know that young adults are being supported in a profession he loved deeply. Any contribution and assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated. For more information or to donate, please visit www.bit.ly/BernsteinMRPF Once again, it is MRPF’s sincere hope that all of you stay safe and healthy. All the best!

With you on the road of life.

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MRPA UPDATE MRPA Updates Related to COVID-19 Minnesota Recreation and Park Association is here to support and serve members, and perhaps even more so during challenging times like we’re now facing. As we continue to work to identify ways to help and be of service to members, we offer the following communication and education connections. For details, please check your email inbox for a MRPA message.

• Conference Call MRPA’s weekly conference call for professional members • Connecting Communities to Nature Minnesota Children and Nature Connection’s website includes helpful resources: www.mncnc.org.

• Google Document Remains Open MRPA has created a Google document for professional members to share information on the MRPA homepage.

MRPA is concerned about the health and safety of all members and partners.

Like you, we learn more daily about the impact this situation has on everyone.

We’re all hoping for healthier days ahead.

Someone You Should Know: Carissa Goebel Carissa Goebel grew up in a very active and sportsfocused family. “I was around parks and recreation without even really realizing it,” says Goebel. “My very first job was a pool shelter attendant for the local recreation department in high school. I enjoyed everything about it and continued working in the field in college but still didn’t think about it as a career.

It wasn’t until I was chatting with a co-worker about college majors and he told me his was in parks and recreation. It hit me at that moment, this is what I was meant to do. I changed my major the next semester and the rest is history.”

Goebel’s first full-time job in the field was in Bellevue, Nebraska for the school district that owned and operated a community center. It functioned more like a recreation department. She says it was a great learning experience to work so closely with school administrators and other staff. “It has helped me in jobs thereafter build good relationships with school districts and other community partners,” adds Goebel. “After that I moved to Chicago and was a center director for the Chicago Park District and now I’m thrilled to be back in my home state of Minnesota!”

Goebel first got involved with MRPA through the Young Professional and Student Network (YPSN) helping with the exhibit hall resource center at the Annual Conference. “I regularly attend programming network meetings, and recently began as a co-chair for the revitalized member resource network,” she adds. “By being involved with MRPA, I have gained valuable knowledge and ideas and met many people who have become mentors and friends. Being connected with like-minded people to share resources and ideas is extremely valuable to me. Participating in networks and going to educational sessions has made me grow in this profession, and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of it.”

MRPA members are the heart of our organization. They are involved and committed to advancing the parks and recreation programming. MRPA in Action is a new magazine feature which will highlight one section/committee and one professional per issue.

8 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

M R PA A N N U A L C O N F E R E N C E

SEPTEMBER 22-25, 2020 C RAGU N ’ S RE S O RT A ND C O N FE RE N C E C E N T E R B RA INE RD, MINN E S OTA

CON N E C T

TO T H E C O N F E R E N C E

Reflecting Minnesota Recreation and Park Association core values, the 84th Annual Conference and Exhibit Hall is committed to leadership, stewardship, wellness, inclusion, engagement and integrity.

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connect your business through S P O N S O R S H I P O P P O RT U N I T I E S

showcase your business at the EXHIBIT HALL

network with parks and recreation employees through VO L U N T E E R I N G

W AT C H F O R C O N F E R E N C E R E G I S T R AT I O N I N J U LY

The 2020 Conference Committee team is hard at work “Connecting Minnesota” to provide delegates, students, retirees, associates, vendors and sponsors a high-level experience. Valuable educational opportunities, networking events, engaging speakers, exceptional off-site institutes and exhibit hall opportunities are all being planned. In addition, some new ideas and innovations are in the works that we hope may serve you well.

Our annual conference success as an organization is based on your participation and excitement! We are all united by the park and recreation profession and our ability to live, learn and pass this knowledge along. The northwoods of Minnesota are calling on you once again. Please join us!

Scott Zlotnik and Ross Demant, 2020 MRPA Annual Conference Co-Chairs

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 9

KEEPING UP St. Cloud Wins Most Liveable City in the World Award The City of St. Cloud gained global recognition as the city won the top title at the 2019 International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom Awards) on December 13, 2019 in Rome, Italy. Launched in 1997, it’s the only international competition focusing on quality of life in cities and is endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme. This year had 120+ international cities submit an overview of their city based on six criteria. From those, only 21 cities were selected as finalists with St. Cloud being the only U.S. city chosen. The six judging criteria include Enhancement of the Landscape and Public Spaces; Arts; Culture and Heritage Management; Community Participation and Empowerment; Environmental Protection and Green Economy; Healthy Lifestyle; and Sustainable Planning and Management Policies.

After three intensive days evaluating finalists, St. Cloud won first place in the Whole City – Category C for cities with a daytime population of 75,001-150,000. In addition to the Whole City Award, St. Cloud was presented first place in three criteria awards: Enhancement of the Landscape and Public Places; Arts; Culture and Heritage Management; and Community Participation and Empowerment. These were judged across all population categories.

L-R: Mayor Dave Kleis and Ryan Daniels, Chief Executive Officer of St. Cloud Metro Bus, represented the St. Cloud community at the LivCom finals in Rome, Italy. Participants attended at their own expense.

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KEEPING UP Minnesota USSSA Hall of Fame Banquet The 2019 Minnesota USSSA Hall of Fame induction banquet was held on January 24, 2020 at the Radisson Hotel in Brooklyn Center. MRPA member Sonya Rippe from Plymouth Parks and Recreation was a league director inducted into the Minnesota USSSA Hall of Fame. The other inductees included: Patty Becker, Easton Sports representative Rich Van Bellinger, Dave Bremer, family member Toni Rathman in remembrance of Walt Gaugert, Cathy Hoffman, Jeff Moritko, Steve Pease, family member Kris PhelanAntoine in remembrance of Bernie Phelan, Lisa J. (Lantau) Rosauer, and Steve Scheunemann.

Since 1994, Minnesota USSSA honors certain individuals who have contributed to the Minnesota United States Specialty Sports Association program by inducting them to the state’s hall of fame. This is considered the highest honor Minnesota’s USSSA can bestow on any individual.

Congratulations to all the 2019 inductees.

Bottom row – L-R: family member Kris Phelan-Antoine for Bernie Phelan, Cathy Hoffman, family member Toni Rathman for Walt Gaugert, Lisa J. (Lantau) Rosauer, Patty Becker, Sonya Rippe Top row – L-R: Steve Pease, Easton Sports Rep. Rich Van Bellinger, Steve Scheunemann, Jeff Moritko, Dave Bremer, Emcee Jerome Krieger

12 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MRPA! Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 13

MRPA Professional Awards Ceremony

By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association

Minnesota Recreation and Park Association held its annual professional awards ceremony on January 10, 2020 at the New Brighton Community Center. MRPA recognizes members and agencies that have made outstanding contributions to parks and recreation.

MRPA extends a special thank you to Landscape Structures, Inc. for their generous support of the awards program and to the City of New Brighton for hosting the event.

The Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award is MRPA’s award of highest distinction. The 2019 recipient for this award was Cindy Walsh, operations and recreation director of the City of St. Louis Park (see the article for more information).

The Jack Niles Award is presented to a male professional member with 10-plus years of outstanding service to the parks and recreation profession and to MRPA. The 2019 recipients were Steve Benoit, Elk River Parks and Recreation and John W. Stutzman, Golden Valley Parks and Recreation.

The Dorothea Nelson Award is presented to a female professional member with 10-plus years of outstanding service to the parks and recreation profession and to MRPA. The recipient was Lisa Abernathy with the City of St. Louis Park.

The Board and Commission Award is given to a member of a citizen’s advisory or policy-making board in the parks and recreation profession. The recipient was Michael Palmer, Eagan Parks and Recreation.

Jessie Koch, Plymouth Parks and Recreation, received the Horizon Award, given to a professional member of MRPA with eight years or less of professional experience. In order to receive this award, the MRPA member must be an “up and coming” professional and an active contributor to MRPA with great leadership skills.

The Presidential Award was presented to Jessie Koch, Kelly Mertes, and Paul Pearson, for leading the annual conference committee. The Presidential Award was presented to Janelle Crossfield, Alyssa Fram, Paul Peanasky, Sam Pertz, Tracy Petersen, Mike Ramirez, Sonya Rippe, Steve Skinner, and John W. Stutzman for serving on the section, committee and network review committee. The Presidential Award was also presented to Randy Distad, Chris Esser, Sara McKay, Dolf Moon, and Sonya Rippe for serving on the North Star Partnership Opportunities committee.

The Tommy Johnson Award was presented to Three Rivers Park District. The MRPA Awards Committee selected one “Award of Excellence” project to receive this award for best exemplifying the values for which Tommy Johnson was known: innovation, futuristic, revolutionary and/or creative with ideas and initiatives that helped establish future trends, philosophical change, sharing of new resources and new exciting concepts.

Congratulations to all the MRPA professional and presidential award recipients. We look forward to the 2020 Annual General Meeting and Awards Luncheon in January of 2021.

L-R: Cindy Walsh, Scott Taylor, Jill Castle, Lisa Abernathy, Jessie Koch, Steve Benoit, John Stutzman, Michael Palmer

14 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award 2019 Recipient: Cindy Walsh

The Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2019 was Cindy Walsh, director of operations and recreation for the City of St. Louis Park. This award is the highest distinction presented to a person who has provided long and outstanding service to MRPA and the parks and recreation profession.

“I am honored to receive this award,” states Walsh. “As I look back on my career, there are a lot of programs, projects, facilities, processes, and operations that I am proud of. Most of all, it’s the people I have met along the way that have been the most impactful to me.”

Walsh adds she is very fortunate to be able to spend her career in a job she loves. “I get to manage facilities, create programs, construct buildings and hopefully impact people in a positive way for several more years to come,” she says. “My career has included some really fun projects, programs and operations and some that didn’t go as well. It has included late night meetings, early morning meetings, all day meetings and many weekend programs and events.”

Walsh adds, “I thank my outstanding staff, my top notch fellow department heads, staff from other departments, the friends I have made from other cities and counties, and the people in other agencies that we work with and rely on for permits and approvals.

I have been blessed to work in a very progressive city that not only allows for innovation and new ideas but encourages it. I will always

be thankful to Charlie Meyer and Nancy Deno for taking a chance and hiring me in St. Louis Park.”

She says Tom Harmening, city manager for St. Louis Park, has been her biggest advocate through thick and thin. “He has allowed me to make mistakes and grow from them,” Walsh states.

“I owe him a huge thank you. He is hands down the best city manager anywhere.”

Walsh says her biggest accomplishment in life are her kids, Luke and Marie. “Thank you for being who you are,” she says. “And to my husband Marty (who by the way, I met through MRPA), thank you for your support through it all. Thank you to my staff present and past who as I mentioned before are outstanding.”

Walsh concluded her speech at the MRPA awards banquet with a saying she has in her office. “I referred to it numerous times over the years for guidance and affirmation,” she says. “Regardless of your religious affiliation, I think it is pertinent. Although I am not sure of it’s origin, it has been attributed to Mother Teresa.”

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered; Forgive them anyway If you are kind, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives; Be kind anyway If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight; Build anyway If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway Give the world the best you have, and it may not be enough; Give the best you have anyway You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway Walsh served on the Board of Directors for three years and was the Board president in 2013. She received the MRPA Special Award in 2014. Earlier in her career, she received the MRPA Meritorious Award in 1994, and the Dorothea Nelson Award in 1997.

Congratulations to Cindy Walsh for receiving this distinguished award, and for all her years of service to MRPA and the parks and recreation profession.

L-R: Tom Schmitz, MRPA president; Cindy Walsh, operations and recreation director; Tom Harmening, city manager

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 15

COMPETING FOR FACE TIME

How Minnesota communities use social media and websites to market to, communicate with, and interact with their residents

By Stacy Chouinard, M.S., CPRP

These days, marketing and communications plans for parks and recreation departments look a lot differently than they did 10 years ago. The mix of marketing mediums has moved beyond the traditional print catalog to include various new technologies. With these new technologies has come unique challenges, but also surprising successes.

As agencies throughout Minnesota have adapted to the technological changes, one thing has remained constant, parks build communities. And these new technologies, if used appropriately, will strengthen those communities.

Internet use by Americans has increased over the years. Currently 90-percent of Americans use the internet daily, a 40-percent increase from the year 2000 (PEW Research, n.d.). With this increase in internet use also comes an increase of social media use.

tools for marketing parks and recreation amenities, services and benefits. What is also clear is how departments use these tools is also evolving.

The popularity of social media has drastically changed over the past 20 years.

In 2005, only five-percent of American adults used social media, in 2019 that number was up to 72-percent. Within the field of parks and creation the popularity of social media has recently surpassed that of the traditional local jurisdiction website.

Citywide websites remain a mainstay for parks and recreation departments – 97-percent of departments use them.

These sites contain traditional and static content such as contact information, facility and staff directories, program guides, policies and deadlines. Now that many cities utilize online registration, their sites can link to interactive catalogs and online registration websites.

In the 2019 National Recreation and Park Association communications and marketing survey, social media surpassed agency website use (99-percent vs 97 respectively) as the preferred communication method used to spread the word about their amenities, programs and offerings (NRPA, 2019). Both traditional jurisdiction websites and social media methods are important

Websites

A challenge for many departments is that access to update/alter citywide website information is restricted to only a few in the parks and recreation department; sometimes, updating is only allowed through the city’s official marketing and communications department.

16 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

What you typically won’t find on city websites is information about weather related closures, dynamic videos, or pictures that give inspiration to citizens.

This kind of information doesn’t lend itself well to a local jurisdictions website where updates may not be done by the minute or after business hours. As new tools emerge, parks and recreation departments turn to social media as a tool to communicate timelier and sometimes up-to-the-minute information. In addition, social media can allow departments to put a personal touch on their communications and reach a broader audience than their traditional websites.

Social Media More than 70-percent of U.S. adults use at least one social media site. It would seem that social media has permeated our culture, however it is still a new tool for parks and recreation departments (PEW

Research, n.d.). In the 2019 NRPA marketing and communications survey, of those agencies who reported using social media, almost all use Facebook. Rounding out the top five social media sites are Instagram, Twitter, Nextdoor and Snapchat (NRPA, 2019).

I spoke with professionals from the cities of Eden Prairie, Bemidji and Owatonna. All three organizations are active on Facebook and Instagram, and both Eden Prairie and Bemidji use Twitter. Snapchat has been used by the City of Eden Prairie to do locationspecific filters for their large 4th of July event.

The popularity of social media can lead to increased and even unexpected exposure of parks and recreation departments marketing and communication efforts - as Jessica Abrahams, recreation supervisor with the City of Owatonna, experienced with a post about their annual Trick or Treat Trail/ Halloween event. In 2019, the well-attended event had more than 32,000 views and 1,500 individuals marked they were interested – many more than they expected.

PEW Research identified YouTube as more popular than Facebook with adults in 2018 and 2019. Perhaps YouTube is a tool that departments may look to use more as they expand their social media outreach.

Facebook is a popular social media site for many U.S. adults and parks and recreation departments. When broken down by age, older Americans have recently seen the biggest increase in Facebook use. Those who work with seniors may have seen an increase in interest in their online presence from participants in the past two years.

Social Media Management How parks and recreation departments manage their social media accounts is unique to each organization. Marketing and communications staffing can look vastly different between agencies. NRPA found that park and recreation agencies that serve at least 100,000 residents or more are most likely to have designated internal marketing and communications staff, whereas agencies that serve fewer than 20,000 residents are much less likely to have internal staff (NRPA, 2019). Agencies that do not have dedicated internal marketing staff tend to spread out marketing responsibilities to program managers and supervisors. This decentralization of responsibility can lead to a lot of “cooks in the kitchen” as they say. It is important that departments have a plan on how to manage their individual social media accounts that can be accessed by multiple staff.

Social media management software is available to help make sure the social media team presents and manages a unified effort.

Content curation tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite and Everypost allow departments to collaboratively draft and schedule posts, post across multiple platforms, monitor

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Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 17

conversations and provide analytics. The City of Eden Prairie uses Hootsuite and Bemidji uses Buffer. These tools can be crucial for staff that may not be familiar with all the different social media sites as they allow users to simultaneously post on multiple sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all from one platform. As parks and recreation departments adapt to these new social media trends, we may see more and more departments use content curation tools.

Complexities of Social Media Parks and recreation agencies do not lack content to post about. Agencies can post beautiful pictures of natural parklands, smiling participants taking part in unique programs and happy staff taking part in team building activities. The parks and recreation field is full of creative and unique content to share with their communities.

However, the abundance of these great pieces of content can cause some complications when managing social media posts.

Jay Lotthammer, director of Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation points to these complexities. “We need to balance a consistent voice, and what is important to a person may not be the department or citywide priority, balancing that hope or want to get information out but also it cannot be a tweet an hour, we don’t want to lose people,” he says. Posting too often can cause users to mute or unfollow accounts and on the flip side not posting regularly can also cause users to be disengaged.

The City of Bemidji uses scheduling features to post once per day. Jamie Anderson, administrative technician with the City of Bemidji says, “We do not want to bog it down.” Managing the posts in a given time frame is a unique challenge each community will need to balance.

While there is a need to balance social media posts, the timeliness of being able to update posts throughout the day is an ideal feature for the parks and recreation field. The ability to post game delays or cancellations in real time that is easily accessible has long been an issue for league and program managers. As this is being written information changes daily regarding facility closures related to COVID-19. Social media as a tool to inform the community of up-to-the minute changes may be essential and perhaps will become the norm in this field.

In addition to timing, the tone and topic of posts is important to consider. It is a big deal to have a human voice on posts (Quaintance, 2020). As Lotthammer can attest to at the City of Eden Prairie, posts signed-off as a person, will get more interaction than general posts. Lotthammer tries to sign off his tweets that can also be retweeted by the City of Eden Prairie, or put on their Facebook page with his name and title. For topics of his tweets, Lotthammer likes to tweet out the benefit of a program and “get the value of what we do out to the public.”

Jessica Abrahams speaks to keeping Owatonna’s department posts varied; “We try to mix it up on our social media posts between informational, educational and inspirational and use it to show people how parks and recreation improves their quality of life and to learn about new programs and events.”

ZACHARY PLAYFIELD, PLYMOUTH, MN

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18 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

D O E S YO U R PA R K D O E S YO U R PA R K S TA N D O U T ?

S TA N D O U T ? #AdventurePlay #AdventurePlay

There are many opinions on the best way to curate your social media presence. Not all tips and tricks found online may be applicable to parks and recreation departments as we have the unique trait of being a government entity.

The City of Owatonna has developed a social media policy that outlines how to obtain a social media presence, who has access, expectations on privacy and content, data ownership and personal social media use guidelines.

Official policies like this may not yet be the norm, but best practices are emerging for public sectors use of social media.

Lauren Devoll, public policy associate with twitter offered these tips at a recent Mayors Conference (Quaintance, 2020): •

Change cover photos regularly

•

Tweet like a human speaks

•

Embrace first person media updates

•

Turn live photos into gifs

These best practices only address a small part of the social media sphere. Best practices for engaging the public, integrating platforms, complying with state and federal laws and many more exist and are being developed as social media use by government organizations expands.

Promotion Through Social Media Agencies with a social media presence established do not necessarily allocate money toward paid advertisements on social media. A typical parks and recreations department’s marketing budget accounts for about three-percent of its annual operating budget (NRPA REPORT). The City of Eden Prairie recently began to utilize paid advertisements on Facebook. They like the ability to really target who sees their advertisements and to work within their budget.

Says Lotthammer, “If we spend $300-500 on boosting advertisements and say we can target by ages, and within five miles, and those who have liked athletic brands we can really target market. We have seen the benefits in return.” Eden Prairie has seen both monetary returns and an increase in participation. Paid advertisements on social media have also been popular places to advertise job opportunities to the local community.

In an interview with Forbes, Dr. Paul Russo, professor in the Master’s of Data and Analytics and Visualization program at Yeshiva University, identifies social media as not only an important way to disseminate information to constituencies but also as a way for cities to compete for the best employees (Suciu, 2019). Minnesota parks and recreation departments

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Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 19

Who to Follow videos that highlight different staff positions. The City of Owatonna has also paid to advertise open positions to their community through Facebook.

Paid social media promotions allow departments to get their open positions in front of people in their communities, where they spend time every day, social media.

use social media to do just that. Linked In the popular social media site for professionals has long been used by many in the field. More recently Facebook has become a popular place to promote open job positions.

The City of Eden Prairie has used paid promotional advertisements on Facebook to get the word out about open position. They have also worked with a marketing intern to create online

Social media has changed the way that parks and recreation professionals market their programs, services and amenities. As we now face temporary changes to the way we socialize during COVID-19 many people in our jurisdictions will turn to social media to build their own communities of support.

Parks and recreation departments can also use their social media presence to help strengthen their communities. As more and more departments embrace social media, they will need to work through the complexities unique to their own communities and their social media preferences. Embracing social media management tools and developing best practices can help departments create consistent messages that speak to the value of parks and recreation and continue to help build community.

Here is a list of recommendations to follow compiled by Jay Lotthammer (@parknrecdir), Director, City of Eden Prairie; Jamie Anderson, Administrative Technician, City of Bemidji; and Jessica Abrahams, Recreation Supervisor, City of Owatonna

MN Department of Natural Resources @MNDNR

US Dept of Interior @USINTERIOR

National Park Service @NATIONALPARKSERVICE

National Recreation and Park Association @NRPA

MN Festival & Events Association @MNFEA

MN Children & Nature Connections @CHILDNATUREMN

Parks & Rec Business @PARKSNADRECBUSINESS

Explore Minnesota @EXPLOREMINNESOTA

MN State Parks and Trails @MNSTATEPARKSANDTRAILS

Reach More Than 870 Park & Rec Professionals!

MINNESOTA Offers Hyper-targeted Visibility Businesses who partner with municipal park and recreation departments realize the importance of being in front of this audience, especially when they’re looking to bid products. MRPA members oversee parks, playgrounds, facilities, aquatics, recreation, classes, group tours, and much more.

Summer 2020: MRPA Annual Conference Guide • “Communities Managing through Crisis” • Programming Grants • Partnering with Convention & Visitor Bureaus Space/art deadline: May 22, 2020 Fall 2020: Awards of Excellence • Product Innovations Space/art deadline: August 15, 2020 2020-21 MRPA Buyer’s Guide + Event Resource Guide Space/art deadline: August 15, 2020

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20 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

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Spring 2019 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 21

GETTING STARTED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

By Lucie Patrick, Maple Grove Parks and Recreation

Social media can be a great tool for marketing your park and recreation programs, events, and facilities. Although social media is a great tool to use, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming when you’re not sure what to post or if you just don’t have the time to dedicate to it. Below are four tips to help you stay on track with your social media posts and make sure that you are representing your brand positively.

Be Consistent There is nothing worse than looking up a brand’s page on social media and realizing that they have not posted in months or years. If you are going to run social media pages for your brand, make sure that you keep a regular schedule for posting. This does not mean you have to post every day, but if your goal is to post three times a week make sure you remain consistent with that schedule.

jotting down a topic for the days you plan to post, along with which social media channels you plan to post on – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Once you have your ideas written down, it’s time to get to work writing each post and putting together a graphic or video to go along with your text.

be pulled from your mission statement or your department’s top initiatives. If you are promoting a program or event, also make sure you highlight the need to know information in your post – make it easy for people to sign-up, register, or find your information.

Align your Messaging

Engage with Your Audience

Any content you write for marketing purposes should reflect the core values of your brand. What are the key values that you want to share with your audience? Make sure you reflect those items in your written and graphic content. You should also prioritize using your brand colors, logo, and own images or videos in your social media posts.

In your written content, be sure to highlight the “hot topics” for your brand – these can

Once your posts have gone live, make sure that you are responding and interacting with people who are engaging (commenting, liking, sharing, etc.) with your post. Like their comments, respond to their questions, and keep an eye out for any direct messages coming through your inbox. We live in a world where people expect quick response times, so make sure you are checking your social pages multiple times a day.

Social media can be a powerful tool to market your programs, events, and facilities to your residents. Make sure that you are making the most of social media’s capacity by being consistent with your posting, creating a content calendar, aligning your brand’s messaging with your values, and engaging with your audience regularly.

Social media trends and tools are always changing – keep learning, by researching different tools and trends and follow brands whose marketing resonates with you.

Create a Content Calendar One of the best ways to help yourself stay accountable with posting is by creating a content calendar. You might be thinking, “What the heck is a content calendar?”

Don’t worry, it’s not as intimidating as it sounds. All you need to create one is a calendar to map out what you plan to post each month. I recommend starting with a calendar (digital or printed both work!) and

MRPA FLASHBACK Flashback: 2006

This year marks the 14-year anniversary for the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association’s magazine. The theme of the very first magazine issue, Volume 1 – Issue 1, was indoor playgrounds and making playgrounds safe (new ADA regulations).

During this time, the Editorial Board was comprised of Patty Anderson, Heidi Carey, Ann DeBacker, Jan Ficken, Jennifer Fink, Michelle Margo, Steve Rymer, and Chad Ubl. The current members are Jennifer Fink, Lori Hokenson, Lucie Patrick and John Stutzman.

MRPA thanks all these members for their dedication to the magazine over the past 14 years.

22 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Amid physical distancing, there are still opportunities at your local park to enjoy the outdoors!

Please follow all guidelines put in place by federal and local government, as well as the CDC.

Check out other ISG projects encouraging healthy outdoor activity! bit.ly/sportsAndRecreation

Architecture + Engineering + Environmental + Planning

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SHARED SPACES

SHARED SPACES Designed with Community in Mind Introduction by Todd Pernsteiner, Pernsteiner Creative Group

In the not-so-distant past, public gatherings were what Minnesotans thrived on, especially on warm summer evenings.

When the current challenges are in our distant past, these opportunities will be back – likely bigger than ever.

Over the past few years, architecture and engineering firms have created amazing outdoor spaces that bring people together. And, even in today’s challenging times, these spaces are offering residents opportunities to be out in nature and somewhat connected – even if it’s at a safe social distance.

In this issue we highlight three community gathering spaces designed, engineered and/or managed by MRPA corporate members.

Staring Lake Park, Eden Prairie

24 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

WATCH FOR OUR NEW FEATURE! MRPA has launched the new North Star Partnership Opportunities.

We thank our initial North Star partners who will be featured in the summer issue: Landscape Structures / Flagship Recreation, RJM Construction, and WSB & Associates. Contact Michelle Snider for details on this program at snider@mnrpa.org.

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 24

SHARED SPACES Staring Lake Park Eden Prairie, MN Park Staring Lake

Project:

Eden Prairie, MN

STARING LAKE PARK, EDEN PRAIRIE

Staring Lake Staring Lake

SUBMITTED BY: HANSEN THORP PELLIEN OLSON (HTPO)

Sledding Hill Sledding Hill

Warming House + Pavilion Warming House + Pavilion ring Lake Pa StarinSta g Lake Parkwayrkway

Staring Lake Park is an existing 146-acre park located in Eden Prairie, which offers year-round recreational facilities, trails, community entertainment and events, and a nature-based educational center.

Hansen Thorp Pellinen Olson (HTPO) has worked with the City performing design, survey and construction administration services for multiple phases of park improvements over the years including renovations of the main gathering and winter warming house and pavilion, pickleball courts, sledding hill, accessible playground area, outdoor amphitheater, lighted ballfield, and parking lots. As the community demographics and priorities have evolved over time, so too has the park’s amenities, programming and activities that it offers.

Ice Skating Rink Ice Skating Rink

Most recently, HTPO, the architect and the City worked together on reconstruction of the warming house, pavilion and parking lots, to update an outdated park building and parking Pioneer Trail Pioneer Trail lot that did not meet the current needs of the community. The improvements, completed in 2019, made accessibility, connectivity and functionality improvements a high priority. The new warming house entrances are conveniently located to provide direct access between skating and sledding hill patrons and access to restroom facilities, drinking water, and provide a warm respite from the cold outdoor weather. Building upgrades also allow for year-round use with facility rentals, kitchen and restroom amenities.

Another recent phase of improvements included the addition of eight new pickleball courts. Many community organizations (including the Southwest Metro Pickleball Club and the Eden

Multiple Sport Courts Multiple Sport Courts

Archery Range

Playground Playground

Amphitheater

Archery Range

Amphitheater

Multi-Use Athletic Fields Multi-Use Athletic Fields

1”=175’ 1”=175’

Prairie Lions Club, among others) came together to make this project a possibility. These courts, since their opening in August of 2018, have seen regular, active use, rain or shine, and users are sure that they will continue to gain attention in the forthcoming years as the sport of pickleball becomes more popular. As of 2019, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reports there are 3.3 million pickleball players in the United States alone, not to mention the sport’s popularity worldwide. The development of the courts at Staring Lake Park will surely bring the City of Eden Prairie and surrounding residents together in sport as well as community.

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 25

SHARED SPACES Project: WATER WORKS – A RIVERFIRST SIGNATURE PROJECT, MINNEAPOLIS

SUBMITTED BY: H+U CONSTRUCTION A decade ago the Minneapolis Parks Foundation partnered with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to reimagine the Mississippi riverfront from the Stone Arch Bridge to the city’s northern limits – addressing 21st-century challenges including ecological heritage, green economy, urban food systems, and mobility and transportation. With

the RiverFirst Initiative, the Park Board refocused energy on the still industrial riverfront in areas of the city underserved by green space and access to water.

Water Works is a transformative park development project overlooking St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge that will soon bring significant new historic, cultural, and recreational amenities to an iconic location in the region. Designed specifically with community in mind, Water Works will provide essential visitor support in the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park, the third most popular park in Minnesota with 3 million visits annually.

26 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Water Works will tell important stories and be a destination for local community members and visitors alike. The design includes a park pavilion embedded into the historic remnants of the Bassett and Columbia Mills, and expands outdoor gathering spaces with an elevated patio, outdoor seating plaza, tree-sheltered seating terraces, playspace, and an open lawn overlooking the river. Over time, visitors will also add their own stories through art, play, performance, food, and social media.

In addition to a public lounge, restrooms and support spaces; a multipurpose room, staffing areas, and an elevator, the

SHARED SPACES pavilion will include the first yearround food venue in a building operated by the Park Board. The selected food vendor, The Sioux Chef, has a mission far beyond serving healthy, locally sourced, Indigenous food: The Sioux Chef seeks to build food sovereignty, awareness of Indigenous people and cultures, and provide meaningful educational and economic opportunities.

HGA led the pavilion design while H+U Construction, the construction manager, is managing the work of all the trades, construction documents enforcement, and quality control.

The Water Works project is expected to open Fall of 2020.

Water Works is a transformative park development project overlooking St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge that will soon bring significant new historic, cultural, and recreational amenities to an iconic location in the region.

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BUILDING LEGACIES Building with purpose.

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Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 27

SHARED SPACES Project: THE ARTERY, HOPKINS

SUBMITTED BY: BOLTON MENK The concept of “The Artery” began a decade ago, originally envisioned to increase visibility of the historic downtown Mainstreet and connect the city core to the main vehicular thoroughfare of Excelsior Boulevard.

With this vision as a starting point, the City of Hopkins desired a vibrant, interactive, and pedestrian-friendly plan that would draw people from the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) downtown Hopkins station through The Artery to downtown Hopkins’ historic Mainstreet. The Artery integrates highly interactive public art, innovative technology, a two-way cycle track connecting two regional trails, and incorporates educational elements of storytelling and cultural history all within the public realm, making these three blocks a prime destination along the proposed SWLRT Metro Green Line.

The Artery’s project development was built largely on public engagement. Like the city’s public engagement tagline, city staff and the project team “took it to them” in terms of bringing information to the public. The following efforts were applied: • Open house attendees were asked for their preference of The Artery’s design theme and materials, including options such as whimsical, post-industrial, modern, and traditional.

• The summer before final design work began, the city wanted a hands-on test run showing the community how this dramatic change could be implemented on 8th Avenue. This Tactical Urbanism approach was branded by the city as, ‘The Artery Experiment.’

• An art-selection committee chose four public artists for commissioning artwork and installations along The Artery. In addition to commissioned art, local artists contributed designs for artistic screen panels to line portions of the corridor.

Community input directly impacted the overall design of the corridor. Based on the input received, preliminary concepts were developed for each corridor component.

28 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

SHARED SPACES Rather than detached objects placed arbitrarily in the streetscape, art elements were selected intentionally to function as part of the public infrastructure. Examples include: • A 20-foot-long aluminum dragonfly wing that can be raised and lowered to function as a road closure device during special events.

• The Artery plaza with ‘Night and Day’ structure in the center of the corridor functions as a shade canopy and creates a passive space for movable tables and chairs.

Community input directly impacted the overall design of the corridor. Based on the input received, preliminary concepts were developed for each corridor component.

Unique ideas shared as part of the public input process included a biker’s lounge with outdoor gathering space, bike fix-it stations, water bottle filling stations, trail maps, seating areas, charging areas, and potential opportunities for bike equipment vendors.

These ideas would not have been explored without the valuable insight provided by the community.

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 29

MRPA CorporateConnections PL AYGROU N DS & PAR KS Corporate Connections is a new feature highlighting products, services, or updates from MRPA’s corporate members. If you are a current corporate member and would like to see your company highlighted in an upcoming issue of MINNESOTA magazine, please email Todd Pernsteiner at info@pernsteiner.com.

The New Shape of Play Endless formations of fun are rooted in the new geometric playscapes of Hedra™ and Hedra™ Scout. These tessellated shapes create playful pods that link together, forming a fascinating interconnected matrix of three-dimensional play.

Along the way, kids ages five to 12 and two to five can experience the texture of natural bamboo, polycarbonate panels that offer colorful play and pathways that morph into hangout spots. Learn more at playlsi.com/hedra.

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Creative Whimsical Fun for the Little Ones We likely all remember the unique whimsical neighborhood from Dr. Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat. Little Tikes Commercial has created a FUNdamental play environment that reminds us all that play can spark the imagination at the same time as supporting a child’s developmental skills. Tot Builders was designed to make it easy for accompanying adults to participate in play along side the child and offers an open site line for supervision. Tot Builders supports all six stages of play, encouraging a child to advance from unoccupied to cooperative play at their own pace.

Northland Recreation, northlandrec.com/little-tikes-playgrounds

Soaring to New Heights The “Skywalk” collection produced by “Corocord” (a KOMPAN subsidiary) based out of Berlin, Germany. These uniquely tall structures provide panoramic views from decks as high as 16ft, as well as handmade stainless-steel tube slides, climbing nets, and long suspension bridges. The Skywalk was selected to take advantage of the beautiful riverside views at the park and also to draw attention to the park area with the large towers, noticeable from the nearby roadway.

Ultimate Playgrounds, ultimateplaygrounds.com

30 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

MRPA CorporateConnections Music for All Our Percussion Play Grand Floor Piano with 25 notes has a large footprint big enough for a group of four or five friends to play comfortably together.

High-energy and engaging, we are sure you’ll love our fully chromatic mechanical floor pianos. Engineered to perform in all environments, these instruments will allow budding virtuosos to compose their own music as they jump, run or dance along the notes. Fully wheelchair accessible they are perfect for inclusive playgrounds and parks

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A Touch of Americana Dumor Site Furnishings are fresh and familiar. Blurring the lines between modern and traditional. Fit your space by choosing from multiple seating surface materials, armrest designs, and configurations.

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Shelters that Enhance Your Community Shelters for your nature center or park provide an attractive space for outdoor gatherings, celebrations, school groups and camp activities. Cedar Forest Products (CFP) designs and creates pre-engineered structures for parks, camps and recreation facilities. Hundreds of standard designs allow flexibility and customization for any requirement or budget. CFP buildings are low maintenance, designed to perform and built to last. Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley features a new custom pavilion that includes a picnic shelter, concessions area, two restrooms and an enclosed three season activities area.

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When History Speaks for Itself Webber Recreational Design, established 25 years ago, is an experienced provider for all your park, playground, and recreational needs. Our innovative products, design, installation, service and local customer support are well known in Minnesota and we know how to bring your project in on time, on budget, and beyond your expectations. Representing the finest manufacturers of playground equipment, shelters, aquatics, athletic equipment, and site amenities means we can develop a plan that includes all relevant areas of your project needs.

Webber Recreation, webberrec.com

Spring 2020 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 31

MINNESOTA RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION 200 CHARLES ST NE FRIDLEY MN 55432-5368

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