m-ncppc, annual report 2010

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The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission,Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Maryland

Serving Prince George’s County Communities

Founded in 1927, The Maryland-National Capital Parkand Planning Commission is a bi-county agencyserving Prince George's and Montgomery counties inMaryland, located just to the north and east of

Washington, DC. The original purpose of the Commission,or M-NCPPC, was to practice "long-range planning and parkacquisition and development." Since its inception, however,the Commission's responsibilities have expanded to includeadministration of Prince George's County's public recreationprogram.

Our strategic focus includes: Mission-driven core services,revenue diversification, customer-focused programs,management and employee accountability, contemporarytechnologies, a prioritized capital improvement program, andperformance measurement.

A well-respected leader in the field, the Prince George'sCounty Department of Parks and Recreation providesquality recreation programs, facilities, and services for resi-dents and visitors. The Commission operates and maintainsmore than 26,000 acres of parkland throughout the county,including land developed to provide parks, picnic areas,athletic fields, historic sites, community centers, andrecreation facilities. In an effort to maintain the county'snatural beauty, a large percentage of the land has been leftundeveloped to serve as buffers and to provide naturalopen spaces.

With cooperation and input from diverse communitiesthroughout Prince George's County, the Departmentoperates a comprehensive park and recreation system thatoffers programs and facilities designed to meet the needs andinterests of patrons of all ages. Outdoor festivals, liveperformances, trips, self-improvement classes, teen andsenior activities, summer camps, fitness and sports programs,art and nature programs, and more than 40 miles ofhiker/biker/equestrian trails are just a few of the recreationalamenities offered.

A skilled and qualified workforce of communityrecreation specialists, park planners, naturalists, park police,support staff, and many others helps the Department providequality services to the residents of Prince George's County.

Impact of Programs and Services

2010

“The mission of the Department of Parksand Recreation, in partnership with countyresidents, is to provide comprehensive parkand recreation programs, facilities, and serviceswhich respond to changing needs within ourcommunities. We strive to preserve, enhance,and protect open spaces to enrich the qualityof life for present and future generations in asafe and secure environment.”

2 M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Maryland

Programs and services offered by M-NCPPC’s Departmentof Parks and Recreation impact Prince George’s Countyresidents in positive ways.

• Healthy, longer lives• Life skills and job opportunities• Safe activities for all ages and abilities• Family and community connections

Recreation services become even more important ineconomic times like these, to provide people opportunitiesto unload their worries through vigorous, or even passive,activity.

Our investment in recreation keeps children and youthactive and engaged in appropriate activities.

Our approach is to introduce, teach and provideopportunities for our young people to experience new andexciting leisure activities, including sports, arts and culturalprograms.

Demographic changes in Prince George’s Countycommunities have intensified the need for culturallydiverse youth services. We must provide successful,accessible programs no matter what language they speak,their physical and mental abilities, or where they live inthe county.

Young people are our greatest priority.

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”– Frederick Douglass

Developing Children and Youth


Youth development focuses on the potential ofchildren and adolescents as positive contributors tothe larger community.

M-NCPPC is at the forefront in creating and implementingprograms that respond to community needs. Guided by ourYouth Action Plan, we offer young people recreation activitiesand facilities that enrich and enhance their physical health andwell being, as well as their mental and social development. Weare, in fact, a national leader in Youth Development—we wonthe National Association of Counties 2010 Achievement Awardand Best in Category Award for our Safe Summer youth pro-gramming. And, we are a finalist for the Harvard Innovations inGovernment Award which will be announced in early 2011.

We see young people where they are spending their free time,when they are out of the classroom and with their friends andaway from their parents. They need—and want—competentadult leadership. The research shows that a positive relationshipwith a caring adult is the single most critical factor in the successof any youth program.

The Department of Parks and Recreation is a safe and stim-ulating place where young people establish connections withtheir community, develop skills, enhance their sense of self dis-covery, and become resilient. This happens at community cen-ters, in nature centers, during volunteer opportunities, at artsprograms, sports activities, summer teen centers and camps—allacross the range of youth activities within the Department. Andas part of our Ready by 21 framework, we are teaching youngpeople about values and communicating our expectation thatthey will be ready for school, ready for work, and ready for lifeby age 21.

• More than 30,600 children participated in M-NCPPCsummer playgrounds, day camps, child care and after-schoolprograms in the past year.

• The Safe Summer late-night recreation program forteens attracted almost 40,000 visits by teens and youngadults at sites throughout the county, providing safe havensand lowering incidents of crime and other anti-socialbehavior in the surrounding communities.

• Year-round Xtreme Teens programs provided teensand pre-teens with constructive Friday and Saturday nightcommunity center activities.

• 45 SAT prep classes were held, and 237 teensparticipated in Building Block readiness training to preparethem for volunteering and their first jobs.

In his recent book, “Last Child in the Woods”, authorRichard Louv quotes a student as saying that he preferred to playinside since that is where the electrical outlets are!There’s no doubt that computer games have a hold on theattention and imagination of many of our young people—as wellas some of their parents. This certainly poses challenges for en-gaging them in making a difference in their community. Parksand Recreation is the antidote to that.

We are the largest seasonal employer of youth in PrinceGeorge’s County. We also provide thousands of young peoplewith volunteer work and training, so they can meet high schoolgraduation requirements, learn job skills, develop a lifetime habitof volunteerism and become productive and well-rounded adults.


Developing a Lifetime of Health

• Children’s sports programs include the PrinceGeorge’s Boys & Girls Club, Inc.; NFL Punt, Pass and Play,and Flag Football; Gloves Not Guns boxing programs;The First Tee golf training; inter-center basketball leagues;ice hockey; gymnastics; tennis; and swimming.

• 18,144 people learned to swim at M-NCPPCfacilities last year. The Aqua Access program provided freeswim lessons to youth and teens to save lives by drowningprevention.

• Health and nutrition are featured in all M-NCPPCKids’ Care and after-school care programs.

While we’re already including thousands of children,teens and young adults in our health-related activitiesand programs, we need to do even more. We are faced

with an epidemic of childhood obesity: the Prince George’sCounty Child and Adolescent Health Assessment report saidobesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise are among parents’ tophealth concerns and are areas for which they think currentresources are insufficient. Nearly 40 percent of our children 2to 11 are overweight. And almost 25 percent of our children sitinside watching television or playing video games more thanthree hours a day.

We’re embracing First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move”curriculum in our various programs and services. We areimplementing the President’s Council on Physical Fitness testing,and building stronger partnerships with Prince George’s Countyschools and the health department—along with othercommunity stakeholders—to jointly address obesity and otherhealth problems in the county.

M-NCPPC is committed to developing and carrying outa “Comprehensive Prevention Plan” that will keep our countyhealthy and fit.

Supporting Families

Half of M-NCPPC parks in Prince George’s County are located in neighborhoods, makingthem convenient for after-school play, family picnics, and local celebrations.

The majority of our facilities and programs are accessible to people with disabilities. M-NCPPC’sstrong Inclusion Program encourages everyone to engage in leisure pursuits together, and we also offerspecialized therapeutic recreation services.

Multi-generational programs include fitness and sports, performances and concerts, crafts and skillsclasses, nutrition workshops, health fairs, and special events such as the Winter Festival of Lights,Kinderfest and Festival of Nations.

Nearly 1500 family groups rented shelters and other facilities for family reunions in our parkslast year. This level of demand ensures that Prince George’s County continues to be known as a majorfamily reunion destination on the East Coast.

Safety is an important part of what makes our facilities and programs attractive to families.The Maryland-National Capital Park Police works 24 hours a day patrolling our park system toprevent crime, apprehend criminals, and enforce criminal and motor vehicle laws and parkregulations. A recent survey showed that 92% of the people who use the park system perceive itas safe.

Park rangers focus their efforts on community outreach, security and safety patrols, wildliferesponse calls, and special event support. Last year, they provided educational programs to more than15,800 youth and adults.

As families become more stressed due to economics and social pressures, it will be even moreimportant to offer high-quality, low-cost recreational activities and opportunities to county residents.



Serving Seniors

Being a senior in Prince George's County is better than ever.Today’s seniors are active and energetic, and looking toprolong a healthy life. Offering a wide range of programs,

facilities and services, the Department of Parks and Recreation isdedicated to meeting the social, intellectual and recreational needs ofolder residents.

• Seniors (age 60 & up) participate at M-NCPPC’s Senior ActivityCenters, and also in regular classes and activities alongside people ofall ages at community centers and other facilities

• Seniors receive free use of community center fitness rooms, aswell as program discounts

• More than 52,000 seniors have SMARTlink accounts with us,and the number is increasing quickly

People age 60 and older come to M-NCPPC facilities andprograms for social activities, fitness/health/wellness programs andclasses, sports, the arts, trips, crafts, hobbies, games, movies, nature andmore. They learn, play, relax, socialize and stay fit at M-NCPPC parksand facilities. They attend classes, or go to an exhibit orperformance. Seniors who responded to a recent survey said theymost often use our parks, trails, and picnic areas. We offer grandparent-and-child activities—everything from holiday programs to art classes tosports. This growing group has more time for leisure, and they are en-joying it.

With Baby Boomers entering their senior years and people livinglonger, healthier lives in their own homes, we must respond quickly totheir changing needs for more active recreation and increasing leisuretime activities. Seniors expect—and deserve—high quality programs andfacilities.

Developing Experiences

• Introduction to various sports• Arts and cultural opportunities• Nature experiences• Activities to capture the imagination

Parks and Recreation fills the gaps in people’sexperiences, and offers exposure to the arts, historyand culture, the environment, and sports that may

lead to the next great scientist, professional sports hero,celebrated artist, or wonderful writer. Or, we might pro-vide the catalyst for someone’s second career or fulfillingretirement. And don’t forget the sorely needed fun and re-laxation.

Because M-NCPPC is a public agency, we offer theserecreational experiences at lower cost than others. Inaddition, we participate in a wide range of partnershipswith organizations such as the Prince George’s CountyBoys & Girls Club, sports leagues, the YMCA, and faith-based organizations to further expand our network ofprograms. Additionally, many of these organizations allowour youth to further enhance individual skills, which af-fords them the opportunity to pursue their interests atcompetitive levels.

Our ongoing partners include wonderful educationresources such as the University of Maryland, Bowie StateUniversity, and Prince George’s Community College.We also have strong partnerships with the NationalChildren’s Museum and National Harbor. All of theselocal resources make our programs stronger and impactthe experiences people have at Department of Parks andRecreation programs and activities.


Nature

• Hands-on nature activities, outdoor events and environmentaleducation for families and school groups build an appreciation for theenvironment and allow children to experience life outdoors

• Community gardens allow residents to reap nutrition benefits andexperience the joy of locally grown food while working side by sidewith neighbors

• Increased community pride resulted from 10 cleanup days and 40tons of trash collected from wooded areas, streams and streets in 2010

Experiences in nature are healthy, and will result in renewedappreciation for conservation of land and natural resources, bothnow and in the future. It also is an opportunity for residents to link

with the county’s agricultural history.Our nature centers at Watkins and Cosca regional parks provide

natural history and environmental education opportunities for more than10,000 visitors each year. Programs include family campfires,discovery hikes, and elementary school environmental education.One great example of renewed interest in the outdoors is our overnightcamping program offered to at-risk teens each summer; a number ofparticipants had never been out of an urban area, and had never slept in atent or cooked a meal over a campfire. Those were rated the campers’favorite activities at the end of the week.

We also have a number of well-known specialty areas, such as the newDinosaur Park where children, families and researchers have made majorpaleontology finds. We have a coastal plain magnolia bog which is hometo rare and beautiful carnivorous plants. The Patuxent Water Trail alongour eastern border is becoming a tourist attraction which attracts kayak-ing and canoeing enthusiasts to explore the beautiful river, camp alongits banks, and visit parks, historic sites, and refuges in the area. The trailis a cooperative project by M-NCPPC with the state government, con-servation organizations, volunteer groups, and the business community.


• The cultural diversity of Prince George’s County iscelebrated in the arts

• Residents explore visual arts, music, dance, theater, andliterary arts as spectators or participants. More than 232,000people attended arts events and performances last year

• M-NCPPC manages arts centers offering classes,exhibitions, dance and music concerts, and performances forchildren and seniors

• We partner with agencies and community arts organiza-tions to provide festivals and cultural celebrations that at-tracted 96,000 people last year

• M-NCPPC manages historic sites and museums that tellthe story of our county’s rich history

Prince George’s County benefits from artists and artsorganizations that make this an electrifying and inspiringplace to live. M-NCPPC’s wide variety of arts programsand services let residents explore visual art, music, dance,

theater and literary arts as enthusiastic spectators or eager stu-dents, and artists are encouraged to share their work with thecommunity in many ways.

M-NCPPC manages art centers that offer art exhibitions ofemerging and established artists, dance and music concerts, per-formances for children and families, teas, festivals, and classesin the visual and performing arts. Programs such as CaféGroove, Expressions and The Prince George’s Children’sTheatre encourage youth to explore their own creativity.Several performance and exhibition spaces are available forrental by community-based arts organizations. M-NCPPC

partners with other agencies to provide festivals and otherarts related activities, and county-based artists can receiveinformation on professional development, exhibition, perform-ance and teaching opportunities. We also are participating inthe redevelopment of the Route 1 corridor, with majorfinancial and programming support for the Arts District. OurBrentwood Arts Exchange is located at the Gateway Arts Cen-ter, and offers visual arts classes for all ages, coupled with anart gallery and a store selling fine craft items by local artisans.

We operate 12 historic sites and museums where residentscan learn about the county’s history through tours, exhibits,lectures, and special events. Several of these historic sites alsoare available for public rental. These important sites range fromthe popular College Park Aviation Museum, which tells thestory of the oldest continuously operating airport in the worldand its connection to many firsts in aviation, to the MountCalvert Historical and Archaeological Park, which describes thearchaeology of 8,000 years of American Indian presence,includes colonial development and the first seat of governmentin Prince George’s County, moving on for the stories of thosewho lived and worked on a tobacco plantation. Othermuseums document Prince George’s County’s connection withthe Lincoln assassination, the founder of the University ofMaryland, and slave quarters with recovered artifacts andinformation about the lives of African American slaves andtenant farmers. M-NCPPC’s Black History Program conductsresearch about the history of African Americans in PrinceGeorge’s County, and provides exhibits and cultural programsfor schools and organizations in the county. Several of ourmuseums and history programs have affiliations with theSmithsonian Institution, and collaborate with other museumsand historians.

Expanding Arts and Culture


Sports• County residents take advantage of M-NCPPC sports

teams and leagues to play soccer, basketball, tennis, football,and baseball. Others use our facilities to play or train ingymnastics, swimming, golf, track, and boxing.

• The Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complexremains the most popular facility M-NCPPC operates.

• Specialized facilities such as the Prince George’sEquestrian Center and ShowPlace Arena, and the PrinceGeorge’s Stadium serve distinct market segments

In addition to our own sports facilities, leagues andprograms, we have strong collaborations with local sportsproviders. For instance, we installed an artificial turf fieldwith a financial donation from DeMatha High School—this

benefits not only DeMatha’s teams, but also other groups inthe community. We partner with the University of Maryland fortraining facilities. And a new partnership with the WashingtonNationals brought their Winter Caravan of players and coaches toPrince George’s County for the first time, and providedopportunities for hundreds of our county youth to see aprofessional ballgame, work out with Big League players atclinics around the county, and walk onto the field atNationals Park.


• M-NCPPC capital development is driven by community needs

• Number of active projects: 120+

• Estimated contract value: $130 million

• Estimated number of people employed by these projects: 1000+

• The Capital Improvement Program is a multi-year programdevoted to building and renovating facilities, as well as the acquisitionof land for potential parks

• Maintenance is a key part of the program, and growingin importance

The Department of Parks and Recreation’s capital development programgoes hand-in-hand with the expressed desires of residents, and their needfor spaces for programs, activities and services. All of our construction and

infrastructure projects generate jobs and tax revenue for Prince George’s County.And as part of our construction projects, we also improve and revitalize the over-all infrastructure of the county with new roads and traffic improvements, side-walks, lighting, trails and other amenities. All of this reverberates throughout ourcommunities.

One of our major focuses is ongoing maintenance and major maintenance ofour older, established facilities. We must remain good stewards of what we alreadyhave, and not keep building more and more new facilities that we will not have themoney to operate and maintain.

Right now, we have more than 120 active M-NCPPC construction projects.These range from simple playground upgrades and equipment replacements ofabout $120,000 to the $13 million for design and construction of the Southern Re-gional Tech Rec Complex. The projects are in various phases of development—some are in planning stages, some are in design, others are out for bid, and someare under construction. These active projects have approved budgets and designand construction contracts of $130 million—an absolutely amazing number dur-ing this period of decline in construction programs.

Infrastructure Development


Economic Development• Major parks and recreation events bring $35 million annually to the economy of Prince

George’s County, with 971,000 visitors last year

• The overall perception of the county is positively impacted by the value and marketability ofhigh quality parks and recreation facilities

• Investments in park land and open spaces help attract new business to our community andkeep existing businesses here

Parks and Recreation events and activities that attract tourism dollars—such as regional and na-tional track meets, horse shows, gymnastics competitions, swim meets, and softball tourna-ments—add to Prince George’s County collection of admissions and amusement taxes, hotel

and motel taxes, and sales taxes based on our visitors’ spending. M-NCPPC contributes to PrinceGeorge’s County having the highest total direct tourism tax impact of any county in the state($82,570,152 in FY09).

M-NCPPC Parks and Recreation provides important attributes that new and expanding businessesand new residents look for in a community. National surveys show that parks, trails, playgrounds, andother amenities are included in the mix of things being considered when it is time to relocate. In ad-dition to neighborhood parks, four regional parks in the county encompass nearly 2,500 acres ofmixed use recreational land which provides habitat protection and more than 100 miles of trails forhikers, bikers, and equestrians. We make Prince George’s County more attractive as a location.

In addition, M-NCPPC employees live and shop in Prince George’s County.And, our Glenridge Maintenance site in New Carrollton is directly in the path of the Purple Line.

This important part of the Transit Development Overlay Zone can be an important part of the countymatch for Purple Line light rail development.

• The CIP directly impacts the operating budget

• M-NCPPC uses the CIP to plan for facilities that will open in the future

• We are refining the focus for future development of recreation facilities

While the millions of dollars that may fund new construction mostly go directly into theCIP, there also is an impact on the operating budget of the Department of Parks andRecreation. A new community center, for example, will require personnel to staff it

and run programs. Utilities, janitorial services, and maintenance of equipment also require fund-ing. In addition, PAYGO is sometimes utilized, transferring cash directly from the Operating Budgetto CIP Projects in an attempt to provide immediate funding and reduce long-term debt burdens.

It is important that we set, follow and meet standards for the design, construction,maintenance and renovation of facilities and amenities so that we have long-term sustainability.

In 2009, we began an evaluation of our programs and facilities to determine our capacity tomeet demands now and in the future. As part of this continuing 2010 and Beyond needs assessmentproject, we found that there was an expressed desire from the community for equitable distribu-tion of indoor facilities across the county. The majority of participants are not using the centers clos-est to their homes, but are driving or taking other forms of transportation to other sites.

At the same time, we need to move toward an urban recreation model, based on changing de-mographics in Prince George’s County. One of the strong recommendations from the assessmentproject is to change our service model and move from numerous small, single-purpose communityfacilities to building large, multi-purpose regional centers that offer classrooms for programmingfor all ages, gyms, fitness centers, indoor pools, and walking tracks—all in one place. Continuingto build stand-alone, small centers buried in neighborhoods not served by public transportation isfinancially unfeasible and unappealing to residents. We also need to re-purpose underutilized or less-desired facilities to meet current and future needs. These may include changes to tennis courts, ballfields, and other amenities.

Development Direction

Awards and certifications validate that M-NCPPC is one of the most respected departments in the parksand recreation industry. We are a five-time National Gold Medal Award winner, and recently earnedre-accreditation by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). We alsoearned re-accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

We have respected, professional management and staff, with a commitment to ongoing training and customerservice. Strong financial management structures are in place.

The management model for the Department of Parks and Recreation is based on a strategic vision of empoweringdivision chiefs and their staff members, employing the next generation of workers, encouraging new ideas and takingrisks, developing partnerships and collaborations, and responding to the needs of the community.

Prince George’s County has invested in its parks and recreation system at a level unmatched by others. Throughmandatory dedication of park land for active and passive recreation, M-NCPPC routinely gains valuable land underSubtitle 24 of the Prince George’s County Code. These lands include flood plains, sensitive wetland habitats, and othernatural resources. No other county in the nation provides this level of proactive opportunity.

As part of the 2010 and Beyond needs assessment, we set a goal of having 35 acres of parkland per thousandresidents. We are currently a bit under that number, and with the projected 12% population growth in the county by2040, we must add a total of 8,700 more acres to meet that standard.

The new acreage will need to serve a variety of purposes, including developed parks, natural and conservation areas,and trails. Some of this land will come from the mandatory park land dedication requirements of new developments—again, something Prince George’s County does that other park systems only wish they had, and that has allowed us tohave the wonderful park system now in place.

We are required by the State of Maryland to submit an Open Space Plan, and much of this research and informationfrom the 2010 and Beyond project directly impacts our state support through such funding sources as Project OpenSpace.


Management Effectiveness


Looking to the Future

Strategic initiatives and priorities are moving M-NCPPC’sDepartment of Parks and Recreation toward:

• More economic development impact

• Cost savings

• More connection with schools, colleges and universities;libraries and county agencies addressing public works,transportation, health, youth, and family services

• Increased connections and partnerships with communityresources and the private sector

A community’s system of parks, trails, natural areas, and civicor cultural areas is an interconnected system. It provides us with asignificant opportunity to uphold all three legs of sustainability—economic development, environmental stewardship, and social sta-bility. M-NCPPC’s Department of Parks and Recreation providesall three.

M-NCPPC Department of Parks & RecreationMain Contact Numbers

Customer Service Help Desk 301-699-2255

Park Permits Office 301-699-2400

Park Police (Emergency) 301-459-3232

Park Police (Non-Emergency) 301-459-9088

Park Police (Information) 301-459-9091

The mission of the

Department of Parks and

ehensive park and recreation

programs, facilities, and services

which respond to changing

needs within our communities.

We strive to preserve, enhance,

and protect open spaces to enrich

the quality of life for present

and future generations in a safe

and secure environment.

Our strategic focus includes:

Mission-driven core services,

revenue diversification, customer-

focused programs, management

and employee accountability,

contemporary technologies,

prioritized capital improvement

program, and performance

measurement.

m-ncppc, annual report 2010

Documents

impact of programs

sports programs

nature programs

customerfocused programs

park planners

park police

andrecreation facilities

ncppcs departmentof