Presented by: Paula Creech – Adult Program Specialist Sarah Davis – Front Desk Programmer

1. O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Repositioning Committee Presented by: Paula Creech – Adult Program Specialist Sarah Davis – Front Desk Programmer Paul Cook – Park Specialist I – Ozzie Smith Complex Brian Berger – Park Specialist I – Sports Park

2. Mission and Purpose of Parks and Recreation Dept. What are the Parks and Recreation Department current mission, purpose, and values? Mission: To be one of the premier parks and recreation destinations within the St. Louis area and the state of Missouri. Purpose: To enrich the quality of life through People, Parks and Programs. (Make available opportunities and environments for people to enhance their everyday lives in a safe environment. )

3. What are our Values? Community – Determine, evaluate and strive to meet the expectations of the community Communication – Provide open and honest communication with all stakeholders Quality Services – Deliver effective parks, facilities and programs that meet or exceed our community’s needs Innovation – Lead the way in concepts that improve the user experience

4. Repositioning Committee Vision • Repositioning committee established to help identify and educate everyone on the benefits and values, as well as the needs, of Parks and Recreation throughout O’Fallon. • Identified key values and benefits of parks and recreation: • Health & Physiological • Environmental • Sociological • Economic

5. Repositioning Committee Vision Be the best Parks and Recreation Department in St. Charles County and eventually statewide. Develop additional and improve existing programs and services, and park land and facilities.

6. Health & physiological benefits • Access and participation in Parks and Recreation opportunities lead to a healthier lifestyle for people of all ages • Parks and open space provide avenues for recreation and exercising which can help: • Reduce obesity, heart disease etc. and health the care costs associated with these issues • Balance lives and assist participants in achieving their full potential and gain life satisfaction • Provide opportunities for youth to make positive lifestyle choices and offer alternatives to self-destructive behavior • Trails and paths provide opportunities for people to walk or run which in turn reduces their medical expenses and improves health • Missouri is ranked 12th in the nation with 30% of the population obese or overweight

7. Environmental benefits • Parks and Recreation provide s the opportunity to experience ever-decreasing green space and natural resources • Preservation and conservation of open green space protects our natural resources • Open space conservation affordably helps to: • Safeguard drinking water • Clean the air • Natural run-off water filtration provided by “no mow” areas along creeks • Provide necessary wildlife habitat • Recycling is promoted throughout our Parks and Recreation programs assisting with the decrease of items sent to landfills

8. Environmental benefits • Walkable/Bikeable Plan was adopted by O’Fallon in 2009. The development of this plan has a substantial environmental impact: • Reduces energy costs • Improves air quality • Decreases traffic congestion • Beautification of our community improves the livability, and attracts businesses and residents. • The professional landscaping along our highways and in the parks attracts people in search of a higher quality of life

9. Sociological benefits • Parks and Recreation provide opportunities for social interaction that is critical to creating and maintaining a strong cohesive community • Recreating together builds strong families, the foundation for a strong society, and promotes ethnic and cultural harmony • There are hundreds of recreational opportunities provided throughout the City • All recreation programs and facilities are accessible to individuals of all abilities • Over 425 acres of active and passive park land

10. Economic benefits • Parks and Recreation adds to the quality of life for residents and plays an influential role in the city's’ economic development efforts • Accessibility is a large factor in an individual using the parks. The more parks/parkland, the more opportunities • Parks and open space often increase the value of nearby properties, along with property tax revenue • Parks and open space attract businesses and trained employees in search of a high quality of life • Parks and open space attract tourists and boost recreational spending • Parks and Recreation create full and part time jobs

11. Next Steps • Committee will work with Parks and Recreation Administration, Public Relations and O’FallonTV to identify and highlight stories that demonstrate the various benefits of the parks • Stories may run in City publications, during Energy (O’FallonTV’s Parks and Rec program), on YouTube or other social media options • Committee will establish a presence at city events to educate and promote the values of Parks and Recreation • We will update the Parks and Recreation Board and City Council on our progress over the next year