(BLOOMINGTON) – The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department invites members of the community to preview and learn more about the new Master Plan that will guide the Department through the next five years.
A virtual open house, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 14 from 4:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., will include a 15-minute presentation at 4:30 p.m. by Troyer Group, the firm contracted to collect data and to develop the plan. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback, and to review information gathered via the online tool Miro, which will be reviewed at the meeting and available afterward for additional comments.
The link to participate in the presentation via Zoom is available on the Bloomington Parks and Recreation website at bloomington.in.gov/parks.
Jonathon Geels, Principal Landscape Architect with Troyer Group and the Master Plan team lead, said, “The open house will be an opportunity for the community to see the outcome of the feedback they have given us over the past few months. We will show how we synthesized the survey results and feedback into more than 47,000 data points to identify the goals that are in the plan.”
The group led 17 different input meetings with stakeholders that included Parks and Recreation employees, Bloomington Parks Foundation members, Department volunteers, and City administration. In addition, randomly selected residents were invited to take a survey to provide feedback about the importance and condition of Bloomington Parks and Recreation parks, facilities and programs.
The four overarching Master Plan goals are:
- Protect and enhance natural and cultural resources
- Reinforce activities and programs to make positive public health, environmental justice, and resiliency impacts
- Prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion across all facets of the Department
- Develop administrative and staffing capacity
Each goal includes several strategy recommendations, and over the next few months Parks and Recreation staff will focus on the creation of short- and long-term action plans to achieve these goals.
Paula McDevitt, Administrator of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, said, “The Master Plan outlines the Department’s goals and strategies for the next five years. We are grateful for the community response to the data collection efforts that far exceeded the data collected for previous plans. The Master Plan allows us to respond to expectations, ensures we remain relevant and provides a level of accountability for achieving the goals of the Parks and Recreation Department .”
Troyer Group also updated the Department’s mission statement, based on feedback from the public and stakeholders during the information gathering part of the Master Plan process.
“The mission reflects the organizational purpose, and is the roadmap to achieve the vision,” Geels said. “This updated mission reflects the Department’s contemporary values of sustainability and social equity.”
The Department’s proposed new Mission Statement reads:
The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department will enrich community well-being and positive development through the equitable, just, and environmentally sound provision of essential parks, greenways, trails, and recreation facilities as well as programs and events.
Once finalized, the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be available for view and download through the Parks and Recreation website at bloomington.in.gov/parks.
For more information about Bloomington Parks and Recreation’s Master Plan, contact Bloomington Parks and Recreation at (812) 349-3700 or parks@bloomington.in.gov.
