\u201cAs trusted stewards of Boulder County\u2019s future, we provide the best in public service.\u201d So states our inspiring Boulder County mission. But as we go about our everyday work, how do we know if we\u2019re hitting the mark?<\/p>\n
Many years ago, the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department developed goals and objectives to guide how we provide the best in public service in all our activities. In July, the Board of County Commissioners approved the 2020 Strategic Vision.<\/p>\n
Staff and members of the public had a voice in crafting the 2020 Vision. Staff input began with a brainstorming session at the spring 2015 all-staff meeting, and public opinions were sought through surveys and public meetings. Managers refined the concepts at a retreat in the winter of 2015.<\/p>\n
Park visitors are an important constituency, and to find out their priorities for county open space, staff included a question on the five-year visitor use study deployed at 19 county open space properties during the summer of 2015. Visitors were asked to write one thing that they wanted Boulder County Parks and Open Space to achieve in the next five years. Not surprisingly, the most common responses relate to more trail access, whether that is to build more trails, or more trail connections between properties and communities. The next most common responses were to acquire more open space and to maintain and manage the properties we already own.<\/p>\n
| Priority<\/th>\n | Response Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build more trails<\/td>\n | 14%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Build\/open more bike trails<\/td>\n | 10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Build off-road connector trails between properties and communities<\/td>\n | 9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Don\u2019t know or don\u2019t live in area<\/td>\n | 8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Buy\/acquire more open space<\/td>\n | 6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Maintain\/manage land\/preservation and \nstewardship of land<\/td>\n | 6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Keep up the good work<\/td>\n | 4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Flood repairs\/re-open closed properties and trails<\/td>\n | 4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Improve and maintain current trails<\/td>\n | 3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||
| Increase access to current land\/open properties.<\/td>\n | 2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n 2015 5-Year Visitor Study Results (59% or 1348 responses)<\/em><\/p>\n A broader perspective on public opinions comes from the telephone survey conducted by Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy, Inc. in June of 2016. The 2016 Boulder County Issues Survey was designed to test the idea of extending the existing open space tax on the 2016 ballot. Registered voters were asked to rate the importance of five overarching reasons to support the extension of the County\u2019s open space tax. Among this constituency, the top three reasons to extend the open space tax are to preserve wildlife habitat and corridors, manage existing open space, and restore wetlands and areas damaged in the 2013 flood.<\/p>\n Results based on 605 telephone interviews; margin of error is +\/- 4%.<\/em><\/p>\n Following a meeting with stakeholders in March 2016, managers refined strategic categories and fleshed out objectives. Staff then presented the 2020 Strategic Vision to the department\u2019s citizen advisory committee (POSAC) in June and to the Board of County Commissioners in July for approval and adoption.<\/p>\n The strategic focus will guide our daily work as well as planning efforts to navigate shifts such as climate change and demographic trends. Under Goal G, Adapt to Climate Change, objective G-4 states \u201cBecome a leader in carbon sequestration through land management.\u201d Objective E-1: \u201cCreate a diversity plan to engage new, diverse and underrepresented populations and partners\u201d will ensure that we meet the needs of diverse populations in our outreach and educational programming.<\/p>\n |