Categories of professional organizations
The key to providing comprehensive recreation and park services for the community is professional management which includes professional organization and professional staff. They play an important role in building and maintaining a quality community recreation and park system as well as identifying the best services for the citizens. In corresponding to the size of the municipalities, there are a variety of types of organization which manages the parks and recreation in local governments.
The professional parks and recreation management board has a responsibility to observe and manage the total system. Typically, local government delegates some or all of its authority to three types of parks and recreation boards. Firstly, there are independent boards which set their own goals, policies, and procedures and have full authority in taxation and budget adopting. Secondly, there are semi-independent boards which are responsible for policy decisions and set policy but are not completely separated from the government. They have implementation powers but do not have financial authority. Lastly, advisory boards, like their name implies, mainly advise the local governing board about parks and recreation matters. They do not have authority to make final decisions.
The administrative division provides support functions such as personnel, finance, and budgeting, marketing, planning, computer support, registration, purchasing, policy administration, superintendents of athletics and parks division. This division also provides leadership and assistance to other departmental divisions and their staff, while organizing and establishing a strong public relationship with citizens. It may include public works which involve overseeing the day-to-day construction and maintenance of infrastructure, public buildings, fixed assets, equipment, public lands and grounds, and similar programs and services.
The recreation division is the most active division within the parks and recreation organization because it is responsible for promoting and offering activities which provide citizens a variety of enjoyable leisure opportunities, programs, and events. These opportunities are creative, fun, and enhance the quality of life for the people of the community by promoting social interaction and productive use of leisure time. This division operates many recreation facilities and coordinates programs with volunteers to expand programming space. The programs offered by the division include sports programs, special Olympics, aquatics, special events, and so forth.
The parks division is in charged with maintaining all parks and select greenway sections. Park assessments revealed what appeared to be a high level of general maintenance in the parks.