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.

We’ve made it through the holidays and are now bracing for the cold, snowy months ahead. For many parts of the country, snow removal is an inevitable part of the winter maintenance workflow. The sometimes relentless task of snow removal requires preparation well before the first snowflake reaches the ground.

Let’s face it, the last couple of years have been difficult--we’ve been thrown into unknown territory and did the best we could to manage despite the uncertainty.

Let’s face it…Those using your parks and facilities have little knowledge or interest about the maintenance required to keep things running smoothly and looking great. Users just want the area available and in good condition so they can enjoy their experience.

The maintenance operating budget can be a very useful tool for getting insights about emerging trends or conditions affecting your department. Examining the current operating budget can help develop more accurate future budgets and suggest changes to inefficient or undesirable workflow.

One of the best ways to make sure your crew stays on schedule is by ensuring everything works properly. Vehicles, building systems, tools, and other equipment need to be inspected and maintained routinely to ensure they work when you need them.

As you tweak your system to prioritize and schedule tasks, you’re going to want to find the best way to assign those tasks to your crew. Of course, this comes with its own set of nuances and challenges. Ultimately, you want to match the workload with the workforce. Simple enough…at least in theory.

Well-maintained parks and recreational facilities don’t happen by accident. Developing a system to ensure all necessary maintenance tasks are completed in a timely manner allows your team to know exactly when and where something needs to get done. This three-part series will highlight some of the best practices for job and task scheduling. In part 1, we’re going to talk about the basic aspects of planning and job scheduling.