For Frederick’s Parks, Stable Growth Requires Cooperation

By Cameron Rogers

Recreational areas like Baker Park delight tourists and residents of Frederick alike, but their operation and maintenance is not without issues.

Over the period of time between 2013 and 2015, the city’s anticipated revenue for recreational centers gradually declined from $733,098 to $636,020. However, the expenses accumulated by the department increased at the same time, going from $1.2 million to $1.3 million.

Bob Smith, the president of Frederick city’s Parks and Recreation, said that the budget for his department is organized based on considerations like park usage, age of equipment in recreational areas, and the condition of parks.

On the declining revenue, he said, “We are careful to keep expenses within the parameters of the approved budget.”

According to Alderwoman Donna Kuzemchak, an overall reduction in the budgets of various departments is part of an overall by the city government of Frederick.

“We are trying to lower the costs in all the budgets,” she said.

She said that the alternative to lowering budgets would be to raise taxes for Frederick’s citizens, and that she would prefer to avoid that if possible.

The frequent usage of parks by residents and tourists alike allow the funding to continue, in spite of the rising costs to maintain and build new recreational areas. The effects on the local economy are positive ones: homes around Baker Park saw large increases in pricing after the park was finished, and local businesses near the park see additional activity from people visiting it.

Some non-profit groups, such as Friends of Baker Park, assist the city government with upkeep, fundraisers, and maintenance projects. With repairs to Carroll Creek Park costing upwards of a million dollars, these groups help the city government compensate for higher expenses.

Peter Brehm, the president of Friends of Baker Park, said that his organization and all other non-profits work closely with the city government. In addition to working with Parks and Recreation, his group also meets with Public Works, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Planning.

“The city has the primary responsibility of maintaining the park,” he said. “Friends of Baker Park helps coordinate community support for park enhancements that the city cannot do on a yearly basis.”

Non-profit organizations cannot act without the permission of the city government. Ginny Brace, the president of Friends of Waterford Park, said that her organization had to submit a site plan and outline of their goals before they could begin work on the park.

Some maintenance tasks are performed exclusively by non-profit organizations. For example, the city’s Parks and Recreation department does not handle the forests around some parks, leaving invasive species removal to volunteer groups.

Brace said that the various non-profit organizations in Frederick often work together, as their interests for parks are usually aligned.

“We work in unison with Friends of Baker Park,” she said.

According to Paul Dial, the president of Frederick County’s Parks and Rec., cooperation is essential for ensuring that the needs of various communities are met. His department meets a few times a year with the city’s Parks and Rec., and assists non-profit groups however it can.

“We try to complement each other,” he said.

Dial said that the benefits created by this cooperation are numerous. Non-profit groups save the county a significant amount of money in donations and volunteering, and avoiding overlaps for services provided with the city allows for their budget to be spent more efficiently.

Smith expressed similar sentiments, saying that the help of neighbors and citizens is critical for the maintenance and overall success of parks.

“Non-profits play a significant role within Parks and Rec., and are extremely valuable to us,” he said.

Both Frederick County’s and the city’s Parks and Recreation departments work with each other and non-profit organizations to maintain recreational areas that are assigned to them.

For both the city and county departments, ongoing projects get the most attention and funding. Smith said that the city is close to completion on phase two of Carroll Creek Park’s development, and are working on a storm water management project for Culler Lake at the same time.

For the county, Dial said that several projects were in progress. Over $7 million will be used for the first phase of Othello Regional Park’s construction. Revitalization for other parks within their jurisdiction is also planned.

Grants programs also work in tandem with non-profit groups and Parks and Recreation. Programs like the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Community provide funding for environmental clean-up and park maintenance projects.

According to Brehm, non-profit organizations will always be essential for helping local governments with park maintenance.

“In a world of limited budgets, the city has no way of knowing from a community standpoint what is needed for the park,” he said. “It’s up to the citizens to do it if they really care about it.”