South Suburban Parks and Recreation 2023 Candidates Answer The Questions

Question 1

When I look at the assets under the District’s control and look at the District’s definition of sustainability – using resources in a responsible manner to preserve opportunities for the next generation – I first think of the financial burden to sustain those assets. Like with our personal budgets, it is usually easiest to look at cost savings over increasing income to be financially sound. It is imperative that the District continue to adapt to new best practices or new technologies that can save costs – whether that be for mowing and watering grass or energy usage. The District should also consider alternatives (artificial turf) for playing fields to eliminate ongoing mowing and watering costs.

Question 2

As a nature photographer, I appreciate the desire to share that experience. I was also involved with The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network and one of its goals was to educate the public about “living in harmony with wildlife.” The first thing that comes to mind for me, is to promote the existing activities and Children’s Summer Nature Programs. Even though I live near I-25, I do frequent the South Platte trails, Carson Nature Center, Hudson Gardens, etc., but I don’t know if other residents “on this side of town” know about these beautiful nature trails and the associated activities and programs. I’d talk with SSPRD marketing people to see what information they may already from prior surveys and see if there are ways to reach – and attract – more people.

Another thing that comes to mind, is to provide opportunities to have local wildlife organizations interact with children at facilities or other venues – children may be there for skating, hockey, tennis, soccer, basketball or swimming, but seeing a live creature or photos of wildlife in a local park or open space could be a great catalyst to getting them outside. Hawk Quest, for example, has educational birds – eagles, hawks, owls – that are very interesting to see up close. I know there are specific bird watching opportunities at Hudson Gardens and Carson Nature Center, but even in my neighborhood along the Willow Creek Park and greenbelt, I have photographed fifty different bird species as well as Bobcats, Foxes, Coyotes, and Mule Deer.

Question 3

The simple answer is I’d talk with residents and listen to any concerns they have about the District. It is always important to seek feedback from residents to understand the nature and extent of their concerns and then be able to respond directly to those concerns. Understanding the financial requirements of the District is one of my top priorities, because that influences the sustainability of the both the assets and the organization.

In the Draft Master Plan Update, the survey results show that different areas in the District have different priorities. I did like the note that said “Continued dialogue with residents and municipal and county partners should continue to ensure the community’s desires for priorities are understood over the next ten years.” I see where active recreation is wanted by residents and the District is responding to that want – same as the desire for passive recreation opportunities.

Since I have spent more time on trails (walking, bike riding) than on fields, I see lots of people enjoying passive recreation, whether it be children on playgrounds, people walking their dogs, families throwing frisbees, and so on. On the flip side, I am amazed at the level of participation related to active recreation – again, seeing various ages at the Sports Complex with youth hockey participants, high school aged lacrosse players, outdoor fields full of soccer players and a gymnasium filled with pickle ball players who are of various ages. I spent many years in team sports and attribute most of my success in life to being a member of a team – in sports and in business.

Question 4

My wife and I have two horses that we board down in Franktown at an equestrian center that abuts the Hidden Mesa Open Space. I have enjoyed many hikes after horse-duty through that open space and appreciate the importance for spaces like that – particularly in South Metro where urbanization has consumed so much space. I enjoy riding my bike from Willow Creek up to Bluffs Regional Park and onto parts of the East-West Regional Trail. Even riding downstream, I enjoy the Willow Springs Open Space, the Holly Dam/Open Space and then for miles along the Highline Canal. I’d like to learn more about where SSPRD could partner with SMLC on open space opportunities.

What impresses me most about the Draft Master Plan is the number of people from outside organizations who contributed to the Plan. I also appreciated the number of other plans that had to be considered while writing the Draft Master Plan – from Counties, municipalities, and other entities (for example, the 2030 Douglas County Parks Trails and Open Space Master Plan, the 2017 High Line Canal Vision Plan, 2017 City of Centennial Trails and Recreation Plan, 2017 Arapahoe County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan). That shows me two main things: 1) that a lot of work has been done by other, larger organizations, on a variety of subjects, which can benefit SSPRD by not having to “recreate the wheel”, and 2) that SSPRD needs to collaborate with these diverse organization to create outcomes that are beneficial to a broad number of stakeholders.

Question 1

SSPRD has a responsibility to their citizens to safeguard all facilities in the community--financially, physically and with attention to preserving natural resources.

The Mission Statement of the District reads: Fostering healthy living through stewardship of the environment, parks, trails and open space and by providing recreational services and programs.

I served on the Board when the Master Plan that includes that Mission Statement was developed. All Board members considered the wording very carefully because it was important to us that the statement succinctly describe our vision for the direction that the District should take.

Because we live on the high plains, water conservation is often foremost in our thoughts. South Suburban has installed a Central Control System that allows for very close monitoring of water use and water requirements. Staff can control any system in any park daily and also is alerted if there is a problem in a specific area—such as a leak in a system.

Limiting indoor water use is also necessary. Bathrooms and showers throughout SSPRD facilities have been converted to low flow water fixtures when possible. This practice should continue whenever a repair, replacement or new construction occurs.
Limiting power usage has also been a priority. Most buildings now are equipped with automatic on-off sensors for lights, and almost all light fixtures have been changed to low power LED. In addition, the District has participated in a solar farm project to lower costs and provide an alternative source of electricity.

Finally, in demonstrating the dedication and ingenuity of the SSPRD staff, the parks and trails department reorganized its maintenance crews to minimize travel time within the District and to alter mowing patterns in parks and open spaces to improve water requirements and save energy. Crews with different maintenance responsibilities work and travel together in specific patterns throughout the District during each week to minimize gas usage and redundancy in travel routes.

These projects were proposed, and implementation began, when I served previously (2010-2018). This was accomplished through a cooperative process between the Board, management, and staff. I see this collaborative process as a primary responsibility of each Board member, and I intend to help foster more of these initiatives if elected in May.

Question 2

There are so many opportunities for unstructured outdoor play throughout the District. South Platte Park in Littleton is an excellent example. The “five little lakes” along the trail through the park offer all kinds of fun in water and mud. There are ducks, creepy crawlies, weeds, and flowers. My children always loved playing around water, as I’m sure most kids do. The park is an amazing resource for parents who want to get their kids outside—and it’s free.

Also free is admission to Hudson Gardens, which is a family friendly facility where everyone can learn about plants and their relationships with animals, run along trails, and climb on the sculptures, rocks and logs.

The staff members at these facilities have developed programs with public schools in the District to introduce classes of children of all ages to the glory of being in nature. In my opinion, if these programs capture the imagination of children, their parents will follow—that is, they may become aware of opportunities for their kids that they hadn’t previously known about.
This is an aspect of SSPRD that is of special interest to me, and as a Board member I will support more development of outdoor spaces which allow kids to be creative in nature. The District has started using logs from downed trees in some parks so kids can just crawl all over them. What a great idea!

Question 3

I am puzzled by this assertion. The District receives praise for the variety of their facilities and programs, both free and fee based. The parks and trails are very well maintained, and playgrounds are updated on a manageable rotation. Hudson Gardens has free admission, and South Platte Park is a mecca for bird watchers. The entire Mary Carter Greenway offers hiking, biking and birding as well.

The District has a staff of rangers who patrol all these amenities day and night. A specific problem with some of the parks and trails is related to homeless encampments and sometimes homeless individuals who loiter, intimidating some families. Rangers have had special training for dealing with these issues, and they are in contact with officials in the various municipalities as well as organizations that are available to help. This works towards keeping District areas clean and safe while treating individuals in a humane way.

The recent CAPRA certification which was earned by SSPRD requires a balance of structured and unstructured opportunities for recreation. As a Board member I will fully support all activities that enhance the health and wellness of the District’s citizens.

Question 4

The SMLC has been instrumental in the Progress Park renovation project. The success of this project demonstrates the collaborative efforts required to accomplish good things in our communities. The City of Littleton can apply for grants, on a limited basis, from Arapahoe County Open Space (ACOS), (whose proceeds come from a county-wide $0.01 sales tax. SSPRD offers additional funds and in-kind services to enhance such projects. The partnership of these funding sources—SMLC, ACOS, and SSPRD—has made the Progress Park renovation project viable.

As a Board member I always encouraged and supported SSPRD in their efforts to leverage dollars and services with all municipalities and organizations within the District. The Master Plan and accompanying Strategic Plan and Five-Year CIP help guide these efforts.

Question 1

To promote environmental sustainability, I start by acknowledging that climate change is real! I make that statement because according to NASA, 97% of climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change. Having said that, the District in its 2017 Master Plan very clearly articulated a Guiding Principle to “Lead Sustainability”. I also know that SSPRD in its yet-to-be adopted 2022 Master Plan lays out a Sustainability Plan and Natural Resource Management Plan. The District, as I understand it, will also reinstate an Internal Sustainability Committee this year following a hiatus resulting from the pandemic.

In short, my intent as a BOD member will be to evaluate how the commitments we made in the 2017 Master Plan as it relates to Sustainability were met or not met. Furthermore, how do we intend to meet the moment with our 2022 Master Plan as we all tackle climate change and environmental sustainability.

Question 2

Studies show that a relationship or connection to nature and wildlife can improve our kids' wellbeing and lead to them becoming better environmental stewards. As I stated last year, a key factor in my decision to run for the SSPRD Board was to preserve and build upon the comprehensive programming that the SSPRD offers its residents, including the opportunity for children to connect with nature. Over the years, my children and I benefited from a number of nature and outdoor programs at the South Platte Park and Carson Nature Center. We would wait with bated breath for the Summer Catalog to show up in the mail.

I anticipate the adoption of the District’s new 2022 Master Plan and the goals and guidance it sets for itself sometime over the next couple of weeks. I will look with specific regard to what the Plan says about how we better connect Kids with nature, building on our 2017 commitments. Having said that, and as a Board member, I will lend my voice to the chorus in the community that ensures that the Staff and Leadership of SSPRD hold ourselves accountable and live out and work on the Connect with Nature goals and principles we set out in the 2022 Master Plan.

Question 3

I believe that the process of soliciting active community engagement in the soon to be adopted 2022 Master Plan will go towards dispelling the notion that SSPRD values active recreation over passive recreation. As a Board member I will be committed to being a good steward of the public interest as we evaluate competing parks and recreation priorities.

Question 4

(No response provided)

Question 1

As of January 2023, SSPRD has re-established a Sustainability Committee. This Committee is chaired by Ryan Hegreness, SSPRD’s Deputy Director of Business Services and is made up of 11 SSPRD employees. I see this as a great opportunity to promote environmental sustainability by sharing the information, goals and achievements produced by this committee. If I am elected to the SSPRD board, an important contribution that I could make to promoting environmental sustainability is requesting that the Sustainability Committee be more than just an internal committee and include participation and input from interested local organizations.

Question 2

I will connect our children and youth with nature through a focus on community engagement and public outreach. I believe SSPRD could be doing more to inform and involve our in-District families. Now that SSPRD owns and operates Hudson Gardens as well as the South Platte Park there are even more opportunities to connect children with nature. A strong commitment to partnerships with our in-District schools and youth organizations will provide even more access to these opportunities than just publishing a catalog or listing the events on a website. If I am elected, I will make community engagement a regular consideration for the SSPRD board.

Question 3

I will improve transparency. This is one of the main reasons I decided to run to be a member of the SSPRD board. Our in-District community should be able to clearly understand how their taxes are being spent. What percentage is going to construction of new facilities and paying for the employees that operate fee based activities, and what percentage is being spent maintaining and operating our passive recreation amenities? Currently, that information is not easily available. By providing this information to the SSPRD community we will be able to understand SSPRD’s priorities based on facts, not general statements.

Question 4

I am a long-time SSPRD resident. We moved into our house in Centennial when my daughter was one week old. That was 19 years ago. She’s now a sophomore in college. I also have two high school-age boys that attend an LPS school.

Being a part of the SSPRD community has provided so many benefits for my family. All three children attended preschool at Goodson and learned to swim at the Goodson pool back when the slide was a green frog. We’ve benefited from the availability of so many SSPRD classes, camps and art activities. I have to say my favorite memories from their childhood are the times we spent outdoors just enjoying our local neighborhood park or walking the nearby trails. SSPRD should continue its commitment to our local open spaces and natural areas.

After reviewing the Draft SSPRD Master Plan, it seems clear that the in-District community also values open space and natural areas. For example, page 50 of the plan shows results from a 2022 Community Survey “Community desires - improve aging and well-loved parks, trails, and facilities over new facilities.”

I am asking for your vote because I believe the SSPRD in-District community needs a strong representative on this board of directors dedicated to transparency and ensuring SSPRD’s direction is aligned with input received from our community.