Rec and Park Blog: General Manager Phil Ginsburg and other Rec and Park staffers are contributing regularly to a new department blog. Read it here.
RPD Capital Project Updates: For a complete list of opening and closure dates for RPD capital projects, click here.
RPD Commission Meetings
Rec and Park Commission meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at 4 PM (note the new, later start time). Click here for meeting schedules. Public comment is now at the beginning of every meeting.
MONTHLY UPDATES
December 2009
Combined RPD and Controller's Office park evaluation ratings reach 90% for Park Maintenance Scores!
For the first time in the nearly 5 year existence of the Park Maintenance Standards Program, San Francisco's parks have reached a rating of 90%.
Each quarter, RPD and Controller's Office staff conduct park evaluations, rating items such as turf conditions, cleanliness of bathrooms and grounds, functionality of play equipment, condition of plants and trees, and so on. Having set the target of 90% at the inception of the program, RPD is pleased to have achieved it and looks forward to maintaining this goal.
The rating reflects the dedicated work of Recreation and Park Department staff in serving San Francisco residents and visitors, as well as the hard work that NPC did during the 2007-08 budget year to advocate for 15 new gardeners, 35 custodians and 13 park patrol officers!
Creation of Family Accounts for SF Recreation Programs Now Possible Online
In response to the community's desire to enhance access to the Recreation and Park Department's programs and services, Rec and Park GM Phil Ginsburg recently announced that SfRecOnline expanded its services to allow on-line family account creation by customers. This NEW service went live on Friday, November 13, 2009. The department will soon be adding on-line family account forms in Spanish and Chinese. Ginsburg thanked Ana Alvarez, Annemarie Donnelly, Pat Cox and all other staff who helped implement this important customer service objective.
RPD Staff at Washington Square Park Receive Praise from Park Users
In November, the City received calls praising staff who maintain Washington Square Park in District 3. The callers noted that the park is looking a lot better than it has in the past and wanted to acknowledge and appreciate the work being done. To praise work well done at your park, go to ParkScan.org.
6 Winners Chosen for Park Improvement Idea Contest
The six entered their suggestions-- simple, low-cost solutions to improve city parks-- to the Running Start Fund, a partnership between the city’s Recreation and Park Department, San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) and the San Francisco Parks Trust (SFPT) that was created to commemorate new Rec and Park general manager Phil Ginsburg's (pictured above, at extreme right) participation in the San Francisco Marathon last summer. To read the complete press release and list of winning ideas, click here.
October 2009
RPD Permits and Reservations Office Clarifies Policies and Fees at September 17th RPD Commission Meeting
As part of the General Manager’s Report, Dana Ketcham of Permits and Reservations gave a presentation at the latest RPD Commission Meeting on RPD policies and fees related to using department facilities. Ketcham explained that her goal as manager of Permits and Reservations is to ensure fairness and consistency across the board. She also noted that the Department is looking for ways to partner with community-based organizations to host public events without permit fees.
Contact Dana Ketcham directly to find out more (Dana.Ketcham@sfgov.org). To watch the presentation, visit sfgovtv.org and select the Sept. 17th Recreation and Park Commission. To reserve RPD facilities and see fee schedules, visit the Permits and Reservations website here.
Clubhouse Leasing Survey and RFQ
Prompted by the current economic downturn and city budget shortfall, the Recreation and Park Department is looking to lease four clubhouses in the city to private recreation providers who would use the space to offer programming to the public for an enrollment fee.
The clubhouses are:
• Cow Hollow - Miley Alley (near Baker and Filbert)
• Laurel Hill - Euclid and Collins
• Louis Sutter - University and Wayland
• Merced Heights - Byxbee and Shields
To assist the Department in determining the future use of these four facilities, we are inviting you to take part in a short survey. Click here to take the survey!
