Metro Parks took another step toward implementing its exhaustingly-complex master plan for the future this week. The focus? What Tacomans want from their parks, what they don’t want, and how best to frame planning efforts to meet those goals. As part of a years-long inventory, consulting, planning, strategizing, visioning and information-gathering extravaganza, several meetings were held to gather public input recently.



The Weekly Volcano sent me to represent you, dear readers, as Colorado-based consultants GreenPlay gathered feedback that will help Metro shape its parks plan. Questions ranged from “Do you feel safe in Tacoma’s outdoor facilities?” to “Did you eat any of the fish in Wapato Lake?” OK, not that last one. But there were a lot of questions that anyone who likes to get out in Tacoma should consider answering.



We only get to do this once, folks, at least for a while.



“This started when (we) adopted our strategic plan in August 2006,” says Amanda Westbrooke, strategic planning associate for Metro Parks. “This builds upon the plan. We have divided everything we do into three categories — culture and heritage, community wellness and active living, and nature and environment. We are looking at all the things we have in our strategic plan and how we can prioritize what the public wants with those three categories in mind.”



The process began a couple of years ago when Metro Parks took an exhaustive inventory of every program, community center, park, program, amenity, etc., etc., which resulted in a list that spans hundreds of pages, says Westbrooke. That inventory, along with census numbers, demographic information, public feedback, and all sorts of other data, will become the foundation of a GIS (geographic information systems) map that will help Metro Parks figure out where strengths, weaknesses and gaps in service exist.



A meeting at Henry Foss High School led by GreenPlay Principal Karon Badalamenti provided a microcosmic glimpse of what’s on people’s minds when it comes to Metro Parks and all that it offers. Fifty percent of the group of 14 people said Tacoma needs more culture and heritage programming, for example. The group also indicated a need for more arts and tourism programming. A majority of attendees said that both indoor and outdoor facilities needed improvement, and admissions fees for events and programming seemed a little high.



Metro Parks officials received high marks for customer service. The group also indicated that Tacoma needs more trails and connections between existing trails, and there was a strong call for more environmental education. About half of the people there said they felt safe at indoor facilities, and half said they felt safe at events. There was a clear call for more community gardens, dog parks, and free, outdoor reggae concerts. OK, that last one was mine.



Despite the small sample, there was a clear indication that Metro Parks is taking public feedback very seriously, and Badalamenti said that many of the concerns expressed in Tacoma are reflected in other cities she has worked in. For those excited about having their say, Westbrooke says there will be a heap of invitational public meetings that will help flesh out the roster of contributors to the agency’s grand vision. Hopefully, when all is said and done, the Metro folks will have a clear picture of what Tacomans want. Westbrooke honorably acknowledged recent public concerns about transparency within the parks agency, and says this process is intended to be crystal clear.



“We are here to serve our community, and we are here to serve the citizens,” she says. “So when we hear that we haven’t done a good job communicating, we take that seriously and try to find out how we can do better. We know that love is in the details with people.”



For more information, or to get involved, visit MetroParksTacoma.org.