City Manager's Review Committee on the Library and Parks & Community Services Departments
Posted June 21, 2011
Last Update: March 11, 2013
Purpose
The City Manager’s Advisory Committee on the Library and Parks & Community Services Departments was formed in early 2011 to find ways of improving the efficiency and delivery of Parks and Library services in light of ongoing budget constraints.
Membership
- Ramon Guajardo, Chairman
- Linda Christie – Park Board/Tarrant Regional Water District
- Walter Dansby – Fort Worth Independent School District
- Carlos Flores – Neighborhood Representative
- Dr. Joy Gates Black – Tarrant County College
- Jennifer Harnish – Neighborhood Representative
- Sheila Hill – Parks and Community Services Board Chair
- Marty Leonard – Nature Center
- Adelaide Leavens – Streams and Valleys
- Elaine Petrus – Neighborhood Representative
- Erma Bonner Platte – Neighborhood Representative
- Ann Rice – United Way
- Brenda Sanders-Wise – Neighborhood Representative
- Jane Summerford – Past Library Board Chair
- Libby Willis – League of Neighborhoods
- Adam Wright – North Texas Library Partners.
Status
The committee issued its final recommendations the Fort Worth City Council in June 2011. Recommendations included:
- Consider risks and benefits of shifting management of the Botanic Garden, Nature Center & Refuge, Log Cabin Village and the Cowboy Santas program from the City to their respective non-profit support groups.
- Update (Jan. 8, 2013): Informal Reports were presented to City Council for the Log Cabin Village and the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge regarding their respective management on January 8, 2013. A Management and Operational Review of the Log Cabin Village was presented to the Parks and Community Services Department Advisory Board on Nov. 16, 2011, and the Parks Board voted on December 14, 2011 that the Log Cabin Village should remain under City of Fort Worth management. The Management and Operational Review for the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge was presented to the Parks and Community Services Department Advisory Board on Aug. 22, 2012, and on Sept. 26, 2012, the Parks Board approved a motion that the Nature Center remain under management of the City of Fort Worth.
- Assess the 2008 Aquatics Master Plan to determine the feasibility and applicability of the proposed facilities and establish recommendations to amend the plan.
- Update (Feb. 23, 2012): Council will consider an update to the Aquatics Master Plan at 10 a.m. March 20 at City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton St. View the staff recommendation, presented to the Park Board Jan. 25.
- Update (March 1, 2012): March 3 public meeting about Forest Park Pool postponed to allow a donor to conduct an engineering assessment of the site.
- Cross-promote programs and create joint strategy for children/teen programming.
- Explore joint-use facilities in the future.
- Create a strategic mission and plan for delivery of services and continued study of costs compared to programs in other cities.
- Update the pro forma on the golf system and clearly establish objectives on the financial structure of the system for sustainability.
- Update (March 7, 2012): Council will vote April 3 on a resolution to repurpose Z Boaz Golf Course.
- Keep Library and Parks & Community Services departments as separately managed entities.
To see the full list of recommendations, download the final report.