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2013 RECREATION, PARK, and OPEN SPACE ... - Titusville City Hall

2013 RECREATION, PARK, and OPEN SPACE ... - Titusville City Hall

2013 RECREATION, PARK, and OPEN SPACE ... - Titusville City Hall

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c. Improve the parks <strong>and</strong> recreation website to make it more accessible to the public, informational, <strong>and</strong><br />

interactive<br />

d. Establish a web-based community-wide events calendar<br />

e. Supplement the electronic media with printed fliers <strong>and</strong> publications<br />

6. Interagency Cooperation<br />

a. Evaluate the relationships with local <strong>and</strong> regional arts, conservation, recreation, <strong>and</strong> community<br />

based organizations <strong>and</strong> agencies, making changes that will help the Commission to better meet its<br />

program <strong>and</strong> financial goals.<br />

b. Seek out ways to strengthen cooperation with the <strong>Titusville</strong> YMCA<br />

Planning<br />

Planning is an important part of maintaining the parks <strong>and</strong> recreation facilities <strong>and</strong> programs in the <strong>Titusville</strong> area.<br />

Proper planning analyzes existing conditions, identifies the needs, collects relevant information, draws conclusions,<br />

<strong>and</strong> establishes guidelines from which to implement the proposed project. It helps to ensure that community needs<br />

are being met, that Parks <strong>and</strong> facilities are being properly designed, that facilities or programs will be sustainable, <strong>and</strong><br />

that a well thought-out systematic approach is being followed to achieve the end goal.<br />

Planning enhances opportunities to acquire project funding, provides clear direction for implementation, establishes<br />

benchmarks from which to measure success, <strong>and</strong> fosters community support. Several types of plans may need to be<br />

utilized in the future:<br />

1. Master site plans, which provide vision <strong>and</strong> direction for park improvements<br />

2. Design plans that establish st<strong>and</strong>ards for development of park <strong>and</strong> recreation facilities<br />

3. Feasibility studies that evaluate the likely success of a program or facility <strong>and</strong> create a successful implementation<br />

plan<br />

Failure to plan can result in poor design, excessive costs or financial failure.<br />

Business Practices<br />

The financial expectation of the newly created <strong>Titusville</strong> Area Leisure Services Commission (TALSC) is that it be fiscally<br />

successful year after year by producing operating revenues in excess of operating expenses. It is further expected,<br />

that from the beginning, the TALSC will be subsidized by <strong>City</strong> <strong>and</strong> School District contributions as declared in the<br />

intergovernmental agreement.<br />

Municipally operated recreation facilities have long been considered community services. Often, such facilities are<br />

operated using financial principles of government that tend to focus on providing a community service at the lowest<br />

possible cost. They tend to look to be subsidized by government funds <strong>and</strong> fundraising rather than establishing a<br />

financial structure in which expenses incurred are covered by revenues produced. They are seen as providers of<br />

services rather than operators of a business.<br />

Adhering to solid business principles rather than simply operating as a community service will help in making good,<br />

long-term financial decisions <strong>and</strong> provide the best opportunity to produce revenues in excess of expenses.<br />

All aspects of the Commission’s operation will affect its financial position. While revenue production <strong>and</strong> containment<br />

of expenses will play a large role in financial success, staffing, programming, publicity, maintenance <strong>and</strong> upkeep, user-<br />

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