parks.columbusga.govParks and Recreation | Columbus Consolidated

Government Parks & Recreation Department 1111 1st Avenue tel: (706) 225 - 4658 email: parksandrec@columbusga.gov Toggle navigation Home Community Schools Cultural Arts Britt David Studio Northside Pottery Studio Psalmond Road Studio Parks MA Rainey Home Lake Oliver Marina South Commons Pools Double Churches Pool Psalmond Road Pool Rigdon Park Pool Shirley Winston Pool Columbus Aquatics Center GRPA State Swim Meet July 2023 State Swim Meet Events 2023 GRPA Swim Meet - Hotel Bookings Recreation Centers 29th Street Recreation Center Boxwood Recreation Center Carver Recreation Center Comer Gym Greenpower F24 Racing Frank Chester Recreation Center Haygood Gym Michael Fluellen Recreation Center Northside Recreation Center Pop Austin Recreation Center Psalmond Road Supercenter Shirley Winston Recreation Center Rentals Senior Centers Senior Center Rules Edgewood Senior Center Frank Chester Senior Center Gallops Senior Center Sports Adult Youth Soccer Boxing Tennis Therapeutics • « » A Strong and Vibrant City Tomorrow’s Vision and Beyond Education - "Professionalism of the Parks and Recreation Profession" Columbus Parks and Recreation must continue to ensure the professionalism and credentialing process of its staff. This may be achieved by: Training staff in preparation for the next level of responsibility Establishing a primary or departmental goal to have all management team members certified as a CPRP, Certified Parks and Recreation Professional, within a specified time frame To revisit the Department’s commitment to accreditation Economic Impact Columbus Parks and Recreation Department is vital to economic development. Various opportunities present themselves throughout the fiscal year: Meetings and Conferences Athletic league play Athletic Tournaments Structured Programming Fine Arts events Family Entertainment Concerts Regional event planning Attraction of jobs and industry via ‘quality of life’ issues where potential employers lure their blue-chip employees to our community. The employers consider the viability of the communities in which they settle from the perspective of: the cost of doing business in a community the educational/skill level of the residents of the community the quality of life as determined by the local government’s provision of essential and recreational services to the community Continue to support the efforts of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau and the tourism industry through: Athletic events Special events Special programs Quality of life issues Environment We must be the source of concern and preservation efforts for our natural resources – specifically, water, air, green spaces, and recreation and leisure resources. Partnership / Collaboration – This is Now” Periodically the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department completes a project that affects the community as a whole. We must continue to develop key partnerships throughout our community. Columbus Parks and Recreation Professionals have proven themselves as masters in this area. Some of our more obvious partnerships include but are not limited to the following: Muscogee County School District Georgia Recreation and Parks Association National Recreation and Parks Association Private / Corporate community Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau Columbus State University Columbus Fire/EMS Department Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Neighborhood focus groups Sports Associations Greater Columbus Sports and Events Council Job Training Partnership Program Professional Sports Franchises Other City Departments of Consolidated Government Leadership The objectives of our organization serve three main purposes: To establish a future state that the organization is trying to realize, and thus, to set down guidelines for the organization to follow; To legitimatize the existence of the organization; and To provide a standard for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. To set and achieve our department’s objectives, we must encourage visionary, charismatic leadership through the following strategies: Provide opportunities for advancement, training, and development for key staff members. We must continue to profess a regionalistic theme…for together we are stronger than apart. We must develop a system of readiness and preparation for our young professionals. We must continue to seek and develop partnerships, which provide us opportunities to lead. We must continue to take a team” approach to leadership. Diversty More and more departments within the city are convinced that in today’s global economy, those companies that can turn work force diversity into a competitive advantage are much more likely to succeed. We must continue to be aware and sensitive of the talents and abilities of different genders, races, and cultures. Columbus Parks and Recreation professionals should take the lead in developing a more diverse and open culture. We should continue to encourage minority and women’s participation in social and civic organizations. Our professionals need to continue to work together to achieve a free” and racially just” society. Management needs to remind our supervisors to provide a gender and racially balanced staff that is reflective of the demographics of our community. Diversity should remain a top priority, not an afterthought. Arts and Culture Music / Art / Drama should continue to be a significant component of our programming efforts. Columbus Parks and Recreation professionals need to ensure that a continued balanced approach to programming is the standard by which our programs are measured. We need to continue our sensitivity to diversifying programs and prioritizing citizen choices”. will continue to positively influence our youth with quality intervention programs. It is to the Department’s advantage to be an active voice in the early development of our youth. Elderly – seniors have become the largest segment of our community population. More people over the age 60 are actively participating at our centers. We need to continue to monitor this demographic and to develop our programs to accommodate the population as needs are indicated throughout our community. The Special Needs population continues to grow as the senior population does. We must continue to target and expand programs for our physically and mentally challenged citizens. Modern technology, professional development, and education continue to be our most effective resources infusing this segment into the mainstream. Planning Our strategic plan must become a continual work in motion, reflecting the changing needs of our community as quickly as these shifts become apparent. We congratulate our previous and current administrations for their cooperative efforts in bringing a strategic plan to life and implementing this plan across all spectrums of city government. We will continue to strive to accomplish the goals and objectives collectively set by the professionals and various advisory groups to the organization. The staff is currently visiting the strategic plan for the department, and we will continue to work to achieve those needs as indicated through our various means of data collection, measurement, and evaluation. We will continue to plan annual retreats to update and revise the future direction of our department. All employees are encouraged to be active participants in our future direction. Budget and Financial Plan We must continue to adhere to a fiscal policy that balances our annual revenue and expenditures. The rapid growth and change of this community continue to be the unprecedented public / private partnerships that have been developed in our community. The continuation of these in the future is paramount to our quality of life. The Recreation Advisory Board continues to provide leadership and vision for our department. The department must continue to be supportive and creative in maintaining effective utilization of all resources. These resources must...