Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/13/2016

Home

Zack Ellsworth City of Ramsey Parks and Recreation Intern, 2015 10/28/2015 • Programming, especially outdoor and athletic programming, for ages 55+. • A teen center/teen specific programming. • Programming for children and adults with special needs. • Programming for all ages and abilities for emerging recreational activities such as stand- up paddle boarding, bubble soccer, ultimate Frisbee, videogame programming, and gardening. • Programming for all ages and abilities of activities that may be covered by the inventory, but may be at the fringes of the study area or only offered at only one or two locations when demand is higher than can be accommodated (e.g. a book club for each age group). • New twists on common programming like combining wine and cheese tasting with an art class for adults 21+. Areas that are well covered and would likely not benefit from additional programming include • Privately operated training facilities for activities like gymnastics, aerobics, dance, and karate. • Athletic activities covered by the ARAA. • Activities with many organizations offering them such as ice skating lessons, swimming lessons, yoga, and musical instrument class. Limitations of the study • Some organizations put out catalogues every season, so by the time each was studied, there may be new information available and the links referenced in the comments may be outdated. However, because most organizations put out a similar roster of programming each year, the overall data should remain accurate. • Some catalogues were only available for the current season, so programming from other seasons may have been omitted. • Though effort was made to include as many categories as necessary, some activities did not fall neatly into a category, so users of the information may not find what they are looking for in the spot they think it should be. Conclusions Taking into account Ramsey's current and projected demographics and identified potential existing gaps in program offerings, it is recommended that the city move forward with a citizen interest survey focused on those potential gaps and whether or not demand exists to fill them in.