Parks, Facilities, Natural Resources and Programming Many districts are reporting the need for additionalopen space and a concern for the increased cost of land,particularly in urban areas. Some expect corporate support for open space. Regarding programs, district officials predict moresatellite locations for community recreation centers dueto lack of space in existing facilities and cultural diversity. Bringing programs to the consumer through outreach isalso important. A major technology change cited is online registration,which will affect staff hours dedicated to this as well assecurity and reliability concerns.
Officials expect moremarketing via agency Web sites.
Concerns about technology include funding to keep computer equipmentand software current, and being able to afford staff withexpertise in this area. Staff training and moretechnology-related partnerships will be key. Human Resources More than 60 percent of current directors of parkand recreation agencies are expected to retire in the next10 years. Agencies will need to offer competitive salaries, hiremore new employees due to retirements and considerbenefits for part-time staff. Skills expected from staff inthe next 5 to 10 years include computer and Internettechnology, communication skills, customer-service, bilingual skills and ability to work with different culturesand special populations.