Park district ready to meet challenges

As the Naperville Park District continues to be challenged by the economy like many other businesses and individuals, it is more important than ever for us to find ways to continue to be good stewards of our resources. To that end, I'm encouraged to report that the district realized significant savings during 2009 through the fostering of partnerships, efforts of our Green Team and leveraging the current competitive nature of the construction market. Some of the highlights included:

• Securing construction contracts for park development and maintenance projects at 16 percent under budget resulting in a savings of more than $900,000.

• Partnerships like the one with Wheatland Athletic Association in which they committed $80,000 toward the development of a ball field in Commissioners Park.

• Volunteers who drive the success of our youth sports programs, park beautification, special events and more, saving us more than $1 million annually.

• Realigning staff responsibilities and using new software to increase efficiency and productivity while maintaining or reducing staffing levels.

• Strides made across the organization through the encouragement of our Green Team that resulted in a savings of approximately $60,000 over the past year.

Looking to 2010, additional initiatives are planned that continue to challenge the park district staff and board to realize efficiencies. We will be implementing additional energy conservation measures in our parks and facilities, making enhancements to our online program information to help reduce the reliance on the program guide publication, and continuing to grow our volunteer base. With our newly adopted five-year strategic plan, which will help guide our success, the park district is prepared to meet the ongoing economic challenges while continuing to provide the quality programs and services our residents expect.

Ray McGury

Executive director

Naperville Park District