Parks & recreation departments provide safe, attractive, and fun environments for visitors to enjoy. The daily work of the maintenance department helps ensure these visitors remain safe. The maintenance team has the essential responsibility of eliminating as many potential safety threats as possible. Understanding the role maintenance plays in the public’s safety helps create better strategies for safer areas.
For many parts of the country, spring starts the growing season. Conditions make the grass grow rapidly. You want to be sure your mowers can keep up. A little upfront work can prevent equipment failure and workflow disruptions as your crew maintains the turf that visitors enjoy. Start the season out right by doing the inspections and maintenance that ensure the mowers work efficiently.
It's all over the news. Signs are in store windows. It seems like everybody is advertising… We're hiring! And, as the growing season begins, you're probably looking to fill some last-minute seasonal job openings. Of course, finding quality seasonal workers can be challenging. Workers are demanding better pay, hours, and other benefits. Your operating budget has its limits.
Playgrounds are a source of joy for families. It's an opportunity for children to get physical activity while their imaginations run wild. Many fond childhood memories occur in the playgrounds we work hard to maintain. It's our responsibility to make sure these playgrounds are safe and secure for park visitors of all ages. Read through some inspection suggestions for the various areas of a park.
Gas prices are at an all-time high. There's no indication they will go down anytime soon. The dramatic price increase will undoubtedly strain many parks & recreation department budgets during the growing season. So how do we navigate the significant rise in operation costs?
Sports get people outdoors, active, and interacting with each other. Baseball and softball are perfect examples of sports' positive impact on individuals. A parks and recreation maintenance team must ensure that baseball fields are in good condition so everyone can safely enjoy their favorite sports.
As we slowly ease into post-pandemic life, we know things are never going back to how they used to be. Our habits, priorities, and how we use our leisure time changed forever.
Times are changing. The beginning of this decade dramatically accelerated the change. The pandemic--and just about everything else during this turbulent time--made many people reevaluate their priorities and professional goals. People are switching careers. To compete with the private sector, we need to understand what the future generation of professionals value and set them up with the tools to excel in their career development.
Parks & recreation professionals wear many hats. One of the most important “hats” is being a steward of natural areas. Developing areas where people appreciate beauty allows us to lead by example and respect the environment. This stewardship is a vital responsibility impacting current visitors and future generations.