Each year the Office of the Controller for the City and County of San Francisco releases an annual report which examines park "report cards" and Recreation and Parks Department staff compliance with posted maintenance schedules. (View the full report here: http://co.sfgov.org/webreports/details.aspx?id=873)
The report, released on February 3rd, 2009, boasts an overall increase in park grades above last year, with a citywide average park grade of 86.2%. However, we know that RPD is about 200 gardeners short and has $1.7B in deferred capital maintenance needs. Interested to learn your park's score? Skip straight to the scores by visiting http://www.sfnpc.org/files/IndividualParkResults.pdf
Many park advocates across the City express frustration with the level of maintenance that their park receives. How does your park's grade align with your feelings about its maintenance?
NPC has long advocated for detailed park work plans to be developed in conjunction with park volunteers, to remove the mystery of how and when a park is maintained. With work plans, specific tasks for volunteers could also be identified to supplement the maintenance of the park. We must continue to work toward that goal, especially given the severity of budget cuts that RPD faces this year.
The Controller's report notes that the City Services Auditor (CSA) found scheduled staff at a park 40% of the time in the 3rd quarter of last fiscal year and 54% of the time in the 4th quarter of the year. RPD staff also checked for compliance with schedules, and rated themselves differently than the CSA did: RPD reported 77% staff schedule compliance in the 3rd quarter, and 66% in the fourth quarter of last year.
Park advocates expect accountability and transparency with respect to park staffing, maintenance and evaluation. The value of grading our parks and verifying staff compliance with posted schedules is to get an accurate understanding of how the park system is performing. Alignment of park system performance with the identification of maintenance and staffing shortages can give clear direction to the community, RPD and elected officials about how to prioritize park improvements.
NPC urges you to view the report and consider how your park's grade compares to your personal experiences in the park. Then contact your elected officials, RPD and NPC to communicate your thoughts.
Contact information:
Elected officials: http://www.sfnpc.org/electedofficials
RPD: http://www.sfnpc.org/contactRPD
NPC: stewardship@sfnpc.org
--Meredith Thomas, Deputy Director
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