TITLE
Recommendation to receive a report and adopt the proposed Parks, Recreation and Marine Department Strategic Plan 2022-2032. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) provides stewardship of 3,125 acres of land and offers extensive recreational, social, and cultural programs in nearly every one of Long Beach’s unique neighborhoods. To do this, PRM has an extensive operation that manages 167 parks, places and open spaces, 27 community centers, a five-course municipal golf system, 6 miles of beaches, management of the largest public marina system in the country with 3,335 boat slips, and a ‘Compassion Saves’ Animal Care Services operation. PRM also offers recreation programs from arts and cultural, sports and fitness, and enrichment curriculum, for all ages from preschoolers to elders. Long Beach’s parks, community facilities, and beaches draw visitors from near and far, bringing tourism revenue to the City, boosting our local economy, and helping to create strong neighborhoods for Long Beach residents.
Parks and open spaces have never been so appreciated or as heavily used as they are now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, parks and open spaces were deemed essential and remained open and are now critical to survival and recovery. Parks are also an essential part of the City's entrepreneur ecosystem as parks host many emerging small micro-businesses and special events providing recreation programming and vendor spaces to the public. All of this is made possible by 252 full-time and 450 part-time/seasonal employees, numerous volunteers, park partners, and community-based organizations.
To plan for the future, PRM began updating its Department Strategic Plan (Plan) in 2019, which was last updated in 2003. This new proposed Plan (Attachment) will cover a ten-year period (October 2022 to September 2032) and will guide programmatic, staffing, and budgeting decisions for PRM. The proposed Plan will deter...
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