COMMENT:  Agency provided:
a.
b.Needs Assessment Presentation 2008 vs. 2022 and Recreation Preferences Survey 2022
c.
d. Recreation Preferences Survey 2022
e.
f.
g.
h. After Program Report
i.
j. The Annual Operating Budget

Need: Are there examples of data gathered for the other areas A, C, E, F, G, I? Any evidence supplied needs coinciding narrative.

RESPONSE:
a. Recreation and demographic trends; 
PRC analyzes the needs of its residents, usage of facilities and trends in the parks and recreation community and periodically accesses their impact through the Recreation and Leisure Trends Policy (10.5.1 EOC 1). This Policy outlines the importance of conducting a comprehensive survey every decade that will guide the department in decision making and support its goals and objectives.

In 2022, PRC contracted with WBA Research to conduct its latest comprehensive Residents Recreation Preferences Survey which presents information on uses of the park system and trends in types of recreational activities.

PRC also uses the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Top Trends in Parks and Recreation in assessing societal trends.

By using these two methods of analyzing trends and needs assessment, underutilized tennis courts were converted to new Pickleball courts at Tibbetts Brook Park, and the County’s first full Cricket Pitch now resides on an underutilized ballfield in Croton Point Park. The Recreation Division now holds popular Pickleball Tournaments on these courts which is consistent with our Goal and Objectives.

ATV wheelchairs, through the program Trails without Limits, are now available to individuals with physical disabilities who can experience an outdoor hike that they would not otherwise have been able to before. Funded and administered through PRC’s not-for-profit the Westchester Parks Foundation, ATV wheelchairs were noted as an NRPA Top Trend in 2023.

c. Community inventory;
Various community inventories are updated as needed and serve as guideline to assure that PRC provides and enhances but does not duplicate facilities and services offered within the 45 local municipalities of the County. PRC also uses parkland information and inventory found in Westchester Land Use Report as part of the Westchester 2025 A Partnership for Westchester’s Future effort headed by the County Planning Department. The PRC Community Inventory is now included as EOC 7.

e. Program and service statistics;
PRC collects and analyzes statistics on programs and services to evaluate and develop for the future. The Pride in Parks (PIP) Performance Based Management Program includes an ongoing updated summary of service statistics (EOC 8) department-wide for attendance, expense and revenue for continual analysis. After Program Reports analyze statistics including the weather forecast. For example, the Italian Heritage Celebration (EOC 9) in 2022 attracted 3,000 to 3,500 in attendance on a day with high humidity temperatures in the high-nineties, comparably the Celebration’s 2023 attendance was 5,000 to 6,000 with low humidity temperatures in the mid-eighties. Nature Centers keep Annual Statistics of general public, programs, groups and volunteer hours and attendance. By studying statistics from Cranberry Lake Preserve from 2019 and 2020 (EOC 10), the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic reveals that while general attendance tripled other categories were noticeably down due to New York State social distancing restrictions for programs and events. In addition, PRC measures and monitors its actual Attendance Plans, and its annual Westchester County (WC) Adopted Operating Budget (EOC 3) which publishes a year by year comparison of attendance amongst other service indicators.

f. Inspections;
The Pride In Parks Program (PIP) is a comprehensive, outcome-based performance measurement system that generates frequent, random, and detailed inspections of our parks and playgrounds. Administered by a senior management employee, this program provides Parks & Recreation management, elected officials, and the public with a broad indicator of the condition of parks. The program has been designed to reflect conditions encountered by the public when using Parks facilities. The PIP Performance Based Management Program Booklet is now included as EOC 12 and a sample report from 2023 is included as EOC 13.

g. Customer feedback;
PRC works hard to provide Westchester County residents with an excellent experience. Customer feedback and input is essential so that we can continue to provide a quality experience when patrons are in our parks and participating in our programs.  Feedback is essential to ensuring the community’s needs are met. Some samples of QR Code survey results from 2023 are now included as EOC 14.

i. Risk management reports
PRC has the responsibility to protect the safety of those using their parks and facilities. This responsibility includes identifying, addressing, and minimizing risk in parks and during programming. Two sample risk management reports from 2023 are now included as EOC 15.

COMMENT: Need: Is the Annual Budget comparison column from year to year the only fiscal performance analysis that the agency completes?
RESPONSE: The Annual Budget comparison column from year to year is not the only fiscal performance analysis the agency completes. PRC completes 3 budgets forecasts during the year – Q1 which is completed each April, Q2 which is completed each July and an 8 month forecast which is completed each September. The 2023 8 month forecast is now included as EOC 11.