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Operations and Maintenance
Consultations with Division maintenance staff revealed several issues of concern in regards to operations and maintenance. Increased in responsibility as facilities are added to the system, as well as increased user pressure, are having an adverse effect on achieving maintenance service objectives and meeting maintenance priorities. The primary concerns voiced by staff are:
1 . Increased workload and resulting staff shortage means that maintenance tasks cannot be performed as frequently as they should.
2. Irrigation systems should be designed to be as foolproof and low maintenance as possible. Source mains tend to be of inadequate size and need to be upgraded.
3. Park equipment should be selected not only on basis of initial cost, but on basis of maintenance requirements and longevity. Facilities should be 'bulletproof,' and easily maintained.
4. Pet wastes are a health hazard and cause damage to turf.
5. Design of parks should facilitate ease of maintenance.
6. Clearly defined procedures and performance standards are needed.
As part of developing recommendations for enhancing the work of the Parks division, maintenance service objectives need to be identified. Levels of maintenance and maintenance priorities can then be established and applied to existing and proposed facilities.
Maintenance Service Objectives
Maintenance and Service Objectives identify minimum acceptable levels of maintenance to be provided. Parks maintenance is the key to protection of the public's health, safety and welfare, as well as the basis of the publics image of the quality of community facilities and services. The following objectives are tailored to assist in establishing a comprehensive maintenance program:
1. Safety: Maintain parks and landscapes in a condition which protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
2. Cleanliness: Maintain facilities in a clean and sanitary condition.
3. Facility Performance: Maintain facilities in a condition which allows for the intended recreational use.
4. Resource Protection: Protect natural resources, developed improvements, and equipment from deterioration, vandalism and waste. Manage efficient use of time.
5. Responsiveness: Respond to public needs, requests and unsolicited concerns in a timely way.
Levels of Maintenance
The Flagstaff Parks and Recreation system features a broad array of facilities accommodating diverse activities. While this requires a number of different approaches to parks maintenance, a systematic approach can be identified. This allows the Division to categorize maintenance activities based on certain facility characteristics and facility types. Based on these, a general list of maintenance tasks can be defined for each maintenance level. Maintenance levels do not necessarily imply quality. They are developed in response to meeting maintenance service objectives and the level of effort required. The primary basis for establishing maintenance levels is the frequency at which maintenance is required. These frequencies are based on peak seasonal use from April through October, inclusive.
Facility Characteristics
 | heavy use |
| intensive development for active recreational uses |
| located in proximity to large number of users |
| easily accessible to large number of users |
Example Facility Types
| streetscapes |
| developed areas in parks of all classifications |
| any turf |
| playgrounds |
| heavily used parks such as Cheshire Park, Wheeler Park |
Tasks
| mowing |
| irrigation system testing and checking |
| empty trash receptacles |
| litter removal |
| sweep walks and courts |
| clean ramadas, picnic tables, and BBQ grills |
| rake sand in playgrounds |
| ballfield maintenance |
| safety checks - play equipment, fences, bleachers, etc. |
| special facility maintenance - skating rink, pools, gyms, etc. |
| new plant/sod maintenance |
Level Two: Weekly
Facility Characteristics
| heavy use at peak times (weekends and holidays), moderately heavy use at other times |
| intensive development for active recreational uses |
| located in proximity to large number of users |
| easily accessible to large number of users |
Example Facility Types
| irrigation systems |
| recreation center exteriors |
| ornamental plantings |
| heavily used open space areas |
| picnic areas in natural settings |
Tasks
| building maintenance |
| litter removal |
| pruning shrubs and vines |
| weeding planters and ornamental plant beds |
| check/repair area lighting |
| warrantee issues |
| plant establishment |
Level Three: Semi-Monthly
Facility Characteristics
| moderately heavy use at peak times (weekends and holidays), moderate use at other times |
| mix of passive and active recreational uses |
| located in moderate to lower density of development |
| accessible to moderate number of users |
Example Facility Types
| open space areas with easy accessibility or relatively high use levels for passive activities |
| ornamental plantings |
| Flagstaff Urban Trial System (FUTS) |
Tasks
| check FUTS in low use areas |
| open space liability issues - downed trees, erosion, vandalism rough mowing |
| check/repair area lighting |
| check/repair site furnishings |
| warrantee issues |
| plant establishment |
Level Four: Monthly
Facility Characteristics
| moderate use at peak times (weekends and holidays), low use at other times |
| predominately passive recreational uses |
| located in moderate to lower density of development |
| accessible to moderate number of users, distance from users begins to limit accessibility |
Example Facility Types
| sidewalks and bike paths |
| open spaces subject to moderate use |
| undeveloped park sites |
Tasks
| sidewalk sweeping |
| rough mowing - seasonal for fire protection |
| check/repair site furnishings |
Level Five: Every 6 Weeks or As Needed
Facility Characteristics
| low use at all times |
| predominately passive recreational uses, open space |
| located away from developed areas |
| distance from developed areas limits accessibility |
Example Facility Types
| turf areas |
| medians |
| open space areas |
| low use, undeveloped areas in partially developed parks |
Tasks
| tree trimming |
| turf management - aeration, fertilizing, top-dressing |
Maintenance Priorities
Maintenance priorities have been established in response to the Maintenance Service Objectives. These are based on key issues including protection of public safety, maximizing the usability of facilities, and instilling community pride in its parks systems.
I . Safety inspections and repairs: playground equipment, ballfield facilities, site furnishings, and athletic equipment.
2. Lighting: maintaining safe illumination levels for sports fields, pedestrian plazas and walks, parking areas, and building entries.
3. Restrooms
4. Lifter control
5. Surfaces: clearing of snow and cinders, making repairs as required.
6. Turf maintenance: mowing at sufficient frequency to allow optimum intended use, application of correct amounts of water and fertilizer, aerating, and thatching.
7. Irrigation systems: balancing and adjusting, start-up and shut-down.
8. Disease, weed, and pest control.
9. Tree maintenance: pruning, removal of damaged limbs, and application of correct amounts of water and fertilizer.
10. Landscape maintenance: pruning, seasonal maintenance of ground covers and annual plantings, and application of correct amounts of water and fertilizer.
Recommendations: Operations and Maintenance
Prepare an Operation and Maintenance Program Guide. This would develop detailed guidelines for:
| personnel issues, including organizational structure, communications, record keeping, |
| training and questions and answers |
| equipment management system |
| time and resource management system |
| maintenance and task specifications |
| maintenance task cost analysis |
Establish a time and resource management system. This would track employee time and maintenance expenses, allowing the Division to monitor actual maintenance expenses in a detailed manner and allocate resources more accurately. Components of this system would be as follows:
| assign 'project numbers' to each facility. Employees would charge time to these, or to an 'overhead' number if involved in non-park specific maintenance |
| develop a concise list of task categories for tracking time |
| where possible, charge supplies to a specific project number, or apportion according to a percentage of use at different facilities |
| charge equipment to separate project numbers and apportion to appropriate project or task |
| Using the maintenance task specifications and cost analysis developed in the Operation and Maintenance Program Guide, establish procedures for contracting out certain elements of required parks maintenance. Contracting work to the private sector could reduce cost by lowering staffing levels and equipment/supplies budgets. |
Source: Wirth Design Associaties. (1996). Long Range Master Plan for Parks, Recreation and Open Space. Flagstaff, AZ: City of Flagstaff Parks and Recreation Division
Copyright
2001 Northern Arizona University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
