Res 24-527 Adopt 2024 City of Oshkosh Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (Plan Commission and Advisory Park Board Recommend Approval)
BACKGROUND
A Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) is a formal document designed to assist communities in the development of park and open space that will satisfy the needs of their citizens. The plan provides a means of identifying, analyzing, promoting, and responding to changes in society, both present and future. The document is needed as a prerequisite for participation in outdoor recreation grant programs.
This document is an update of the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan adopted by the City of Oshkosh in 2018. This plan also follows the general guidelines as provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
ANALYSIS
This plan begins with the establishment of goals and objectives to provide guidance to city staff and officials in their decision-making process with regard to open space and recreation matters. It also provides important information about the social and physical characteristics of the City of Oshkosh. These characteristics when applied with guidelines set by National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) provide a basis for understanding the needs for open space and recreation facilities in the City of Oshkosh. The NRPA guidelines represent minimum goals for the supply of outdoor recreation space and facilities, and cannot be used as definitive evidence that the needs for open space and recreation in the City of Oshkosh are being met. Based on this factor, a current needs assessment was conducted with input from city staff and officials, comments received from citizens at public input meetings and online survey results.
Based on this information, a list of recommendations is prepared for various park facilities throughout the City of Oshkosh. The recommendations are integrated into a Capital Improvements Action Plan, in which each project is described and given an anticipated year for completion (1-5 years, 6-10 years, 11+ years). A list of funding programs, both existing and potential, is identified for implementation purposes. Adoption of this Comprehensive Outdoor Park and Open Space Plan by the City of Oshkosh and endorsement by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will maintain city eligibility for the next five years to apply for and receive funding from either the state or federal government.
The process for updating the City of Oshkosh CORP began in August, 2023 when the city entered into an agreement with Rettler Corporation of Stevens Point to assist city staff. The Advisory Park Board discussed and developed various chapters of the plan at their February, May and August meetings, which included opportunity for public comments and suggestions. In March 2024, an online citizen survey was conducted with these results reported to the Advisory Park Board in May. A total of 483 on-line surveys were submitted.
At their August 12th meeting, the Advisory Park Board unanimously recommended to the Plan Commission and Common Council approval of the plan.
On September 17th, the Plan Commission reviewed the plan and unanimously approved it and recommended approval by the Common Council. The Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is attached.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is obviously no fiscal impact to approving the plan. The fiscal impact for future years will be based upon the projects approved by the Common Council in future operating budgets or the Capital Improvement Program. The estimated total of all projects included in the Action Program of the plan is $6,788,500. This is not a complete total, as projects that are part of specific park plans have been excluded from this total, and other projects have yet to be determined costs. The costs of all projects will be reflected in future Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs).
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Common Council adopt the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.
