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Guiding Principles <br />In early 2013, the Parks and Recreation staff prioritized <br />city services into the following three priorities: <br />Maintenance — take care of what we have <br />Preservation of open space <br />Take care of our youth <br />These are viewed as core services which are defined as <br />the department's basic civic duty and prime value to the <br />community. The forthcoming guiding principles support <br />these goals of providing a dynamic high quality system <br />that is well - positioned to meet the needs of current and <br />future residents of Elk River. <br />Guiding Principle # 1 - Implement a <br />Balanced System Plan that Provides a <br />Consistent Level of Service within Each <br />Geographic Area of the City <br />As the City of Elk River continues to grow into the northern <br />area of the City, it will be important to provide residents <br />with a cross - section of recreational opportunities from <br />which to choose. It appears there are some overlapping <br />service areas within the existing park system. This indicates <br />there is potentially redundancy within the system and some <br />parks /recreation features may be unnecessary. <br />Guiding Principle # 2 - Maintain Adequate <br />Resources to Oversee Development, <br />Operations and Maintenance of Parks and <br />Trails and Administration of Recreational <br />Services <br />104 / Chapter 10: Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space <br />Elk River Comp ehensive Plan <br />Personnel should be planned for, hired and trained <br />prior to the date of actual need to ensure that a <br />consistent level of service is maintained as park <br />facilities are enhanced and local recreational programs <br />or services are expanded. Funding and resources <br />needs should be balanced. <br />Guiding Principle #3 - Plan and Design <br />Parks for Their Entire Lifecyc% <br />An important consideration in implementing the <br />system plan is the expected "lifecycle" of each <br />component or park unit, which is the time frame <br />between when it is initially developed until it is <br />redeveloped or refurbished. In most cases, parks have <br />an effective "lifecycle" of 15 to 20 years, although <br />this will vary substantially depending on the specifics <br />of the park in question. In addition, recreation trends <br />and demand fluctuate as some activites become more <br />or less popular or interest /demographics change. It <br />is important to plan for evolving recreation needs <br />by having flexible recreation spaces /facilities where <br />feasible. <br />Guiding Principle #4 - Clarify Park <br />Roles and Classifications <br />The system plan uses and a variety of park <br />classifications to assure that the spectrum of <br />recreation needs are being served within the larger <br />system. The park classifications should follow <br />guidelines and criteria set by national planning <br />organizations to simplify and define the roles <br />parks play and the services they provide. Those <br />national standards can be adapted to meet the <br />unique needs of Elk River. This will aid the City in <br />establishing long -term maintenance costs, community <br />expectations, and implementation. This principle <br />should be further defined by the Parks and Recreation <br />Master Plan. <br />Guiding Principle #5 - Foster <br />Community Involvement at Each Level <br />of System Planning and Implementation <br />Continuing community involvement in the decision - <br />making process as the plan is implemented is <br />fundamental to the City being successful in gaining <br />