Park Districts

Road Kill on the Information Super-Highway? by David Bryden, CLA

No era has been affected by one single item more than the last fifty years have been affected by the computer. Government's use a/computers and their capabilities has been lame at best and is just now merging onto the expressway that much of the business world has been on for years.

The "Information Age" that the world is now in has sped off, leaving governments of all levels with tire tracks across their chests and their proverbial thumbs out looking for a lift in order to catch up with the rest of society. No era has been affected by one single item more than the last fifty years have been affected by the computer. Government's use of computers and their capabilities has been lame at best and is just now merging onto the expressway that much of the business world has been on for years.

One example of government "changing lanes" is in suburban San Francisco, where the village of Cupertino is putting into operation a home computer/phone modem system allowing for home application of various city permits and pet licenses. Meanwhile, California as a state is putting electronic kiosks (like bank ATMs) into shopping malls from which residents can renew drivers licenses, register their cars, and tap into other state services.

Another exciting opportunity that just came on line is the Illinois Park and Recreation Association Facility Management Section's new computer bulletin board. It allows the recreation professional to post job announcements, send electronic mail, review legislative updates, and share word processing files, all with fax-like speed that saves time, postage, and headaches that result from faxes (curly paper, reentering into computer, or incomplete transmissions). The technology is there, but by and large, recreation agencies are not using it to anywhere near its fullest extent.

For a computer system to be truly innovative, it would provide new types of information, not just yielding the same old information only faster. Within parks and recreation agencies, nowhere is this need for more information (not just more efficient information) greater than in revenue generating facilities (waterparks, fitness facilities, golf courses, and the like). This is because typically these are the most complex operations and have the largest staff sizes within the agency and because these are typically the only operation within government that are operated like private businesses. Why? Since one main purpose of these facilities is to generate excess revenues for other areas within the agency, improving the bottom line is of utmost concern. Hence, facility managers have a greater need for more information such as concession revenue per capita per hour, pool water chemistry analyzation and tracking, and occupancy/vacancy figures — information which is incredibly costly and time consuming to get without a computer. In the past, facility managers had to beg, borrow and steal time on the secretary's PC and develop their own spreadsheets to obtain or track some of the data needed because the software available was heavily skewed toward accounting functions. But even this had its problems.

One, it is very labor intensive for a facility manager to re-enter the various information so that he/she could manipulate it as needed. Two, most of the information used is only available on a basis from the business office. This only allows for eleven chances per year to discover problems, trends, and opportunities and to act upon them, which just is not sufficient with the role of "financial carrier" that these facilities play.

Government's, and hence recreation agencies', computer systems began with accounting, churning out essentially the same financial statements, budgets, and payroll as before. While this was done faster than in the past, it was often still two to four weeks after the fact. New technology can give pre-analyzed data the second it happens.

Next came clerical uses in word processing leading up to desktop publishing and simple spreadsheets, with several agencies now using

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computerized program registration. New developments in these areas would automatically place program information into the desktop publishing mode for final refinements, allow for phone-in registration, and schedule rooms for each program, printing out daily room setup needs for the custodian.

Impossible? Too expensive? Then take a look at what the Fox Valley Park District in suburban Chicago is doing. At their Phillips Family Aquatic Center, Aquatics Director Jim Ensign states "I often hear park districts assume that' we could never afford to do that! Our pool operation is only three months long.'" But Ensign says "Those that do not have a system like ours must have money to bum. My system paid for itself in the first month we used it. How do you think we can sell water park season passes for only $25 if we are not frugal?"

A stroll around Phillips Park enables one to witness staff "clocking in/out" by swiping a barcoded photo identification card that automatically performs all payroll functions (and won't allow someone to clock in if not on the schedule without manager approval). One would also see cashiers with computer registers tied into the main system that gives Ensign "real time" (up to a second) financial performance figures and analysis. Also, an inventory tracking system that suggests product orders based on stock levels that are adjusted with each purchase will self-generate purchase orders once the order is confirmed.

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP. That is the sound of Ensign's text pager that is also tied into the computer system. It will automatically page him with a text message for numerous things including when there are more lifeguards on duty than are needed for the number of bathers, anytime a cashier voids a transaction, and when the pool's water chemistry becomes out of balance. If that is not enough, the computer, affectionately named Phil 9000, can automatically issue rain checks to anyone who paid a daily fee one hour or less before a sudden storm crops up and closes the park — even if the decision to do so is made days or weeks later.

All these features are not just fancy whistles and bells, but very real and very needed abilities which do indeed enhance the bottom line. At Phillips Park, revenues improved by 10% and expenses decreased by 20%. It not only saves money, but also time and aggravation while improving service to customers, an image of professionalism, staff communication, networking between agencies, response time to problems, and overall control of the operation. In fact, the software, conceptually designed by Ensign and written/developed by Tom Waller of Results Management in Montgomery, Illinois is called "In Control," and is available to others who may be interested in it.

Waller, who is also the system operator for IPRA's new Bulletin Board, comments that "park districts' staff have the technological awareness to dial in and share information with the convenience of modem efficiency, and it's been made available for free. Some love it and are already dialing in regularly. But its like the old horse and water story, we can lead people to new technology, but we cannot make them use it." However, in today's Information Age, only those districts that struggle to keep up in the fast lane of technological advancements will remain competitive. If recreation professionals resist technology, there will be thousands of computer literate residents who will likely be frustrated by living in a district that still operates in the "dark ages." Like so many other things, its just a matter of time. Like it or not, technology will eventually force recreation agencies to at least stay in the slower right lane or may make some special facilities take the next exit on their way out of business.

David Bryden is Superintendent of Revenue Facilities/Aquatic Center Manager for the Bolingbrook Park District and is a member of the IPRA Facility Management Section.*

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