The success of the Master Plan is ultimately measured in its ability to provide a higher level of service to Columbia citizens. To a large extent this will be governed by the ability of the Department of Parks and Recreation to effectively incorporate the management of Master Plan projects into their ongoing citizen services. In 1984, full-time staffing for the Parks and Recreation Department was 49.4 budgeted positions. During this same period there has been a significant increase in responsibilities.
Position serves both division.
Columbia full-time staff maintain almost twice the park acreage of staff in comparable communities. On the average, staff in Columbia maintain 77.50 acres per full-time staff member. The city would need to double the present number of maintenance personnel in order to reach the average maintenance staffing of surveyed communities. The City of Columbia would need to add 18 full-time maintenance positions in order to reach the average maintenance staffing levels for surveyed communities. Columbia does not make up this acreage difference through employing part-time maintenance staff.