Report: Juneau’s Parks & Rec at risk of failure

The Augustus Brown facility includes two pools, a sauna and an exercise area. (Photo by Aaron Russell)
A report says some Parks and Recreation facilities are deteriorating and not being properly maintained. (Photo by Aaron Russell)

Juneau’s Parks and Recreation Department is “at risk of failure unless immediate changes are made.” That’s according to a 36-page report produced by a consultant and made public in late January.

Before the $35,000 report came out, city manager Kim Keifer was already considering implementing one of its recommendations — new leadership.

“It wasn’t a cause and effect. It definitely just confirmed what I was going to do,” Kiefer says.

Kiefer made the change as a cost saving measure, but the report says it was needed to inject new life into the department.

Former city Public Works Director Kirk Duncan took over Parks and Rec Jan. 5. Previous director Brent Fischer is now a buildings maintenance and parks and landscape superintendent.

Before leading Public Works, Duncan was the manager of Eaglecrest Ski Area for 7 years. He says he’ll bring new ideas. He agrees with the report when it says the department suffers from a culture of negativity.

“Parks and Recreation has taken a lot of cuts in the budget cycle and you can get into victim mode when that happens or you can take that as a challenge and opportunity to reinvent what we do and so that’s my role here,” Duncan says.

Kirk Duncan become Juneau's Parks and Recreation Director Jan. 5 (Photo by Lisa Phu/KTOO)
Kirk Duncan became Juneau’s Parks and Recreation Director Jan. 5 (Photo by Lisa Phu/KTOO)

Parks and Rec employs more than 300 people. Most work a few hours here and there as game officials for recreation leagues. Duncan plans on conducting customer service training for the department’s 61 benefitted employees. Comment forms will also be placed at facilities and on the Parks and Rec website.

The report also recommends the department develop a fee policy. Duncan says he wants to establish a variable pricing model at the Treadwell Ice Arena and the city’s two swimming pools.

“If you’re in the pool at a very busy time, you’re going to pay a different rate than if you’re in the pool at a less busy time,” he explains. “So looking at doing some deep discounts in the off-peak times to get people into the facilities.”

Duncan says he’s injecting a business mindset into a government operation and will come up with a marketing plan. He wants to roll out a $99 pool pass during the winter. Other fee changes could be made in the coming months.

The report mentions deteriorated facilities and a lack of upkeep at parks. In addition to the swimming pools and ice arena, the department manages Centennial Hall, Jensen-Olson Arboretum, Zach Gordon Youth Center and parks throughout Juneau. Duncan says they’re maintained as well as resources allow.

He says a solution, also outlined in the report, is a private-public partnership in the form of a parks foundation, which has been discussed by the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.

“There is money out there in the community — private people as well as other foundations — that want to give us money to improve our facilities. We’ve got to look at non-conventional ways to finance what we need to do,” Duncan says.

One recommendation Duncan is not sold on at the moment is putting all youth programs under Zach Gordon. He says the center does a great job and he doesn’t want to dilute its mission.

Duncan does agree that parking shouldn’t be under Parks and Rec, as recommended in the report. In December the city hired consultants to look at the parking issue. Their report is due mid-March.

While Duncan doesn’t plan on eliminating any jobs, he’s not going to fill the aquatics manager position. The current manager is leaving at the end of the month. But if the Assembly decides to form an empowered board for the swimming pools, those kind of staffing decisions will no longer be made at the Parks and Rec level.

The Assembly plans to discuss the empowered board option at its committee of the whole meeting Monday night.

Full disclosure: Kirk Duncan is on KTOO’s Board of Directors.

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