Best Practices for Maintaining Government Parks

Government parks are the best part of many communities.  These spaces allow people to get outside, exercise, spend time with family, and take in some daylight. But, unfortunately, many are poorly maintained and troublesome for the local municipality.  

Poorly run parks can be a danger to the local community, the reputation of the community, and the financial situation of the local government.  Here are the best practices for maintaining government parks.

Great Scheduling for Cleaning and Maintaining

Cleaning and maintenance are vital.  A park couldn’t exist without them.  Taking the time to fully clean and prepare the park for every visitor may feel like a lot of work: and it should.  This space is somewhere that people want to feel safe yet still get to enjoy the outdoors.  Hiring and scheduling employees to take care of this park is a lot of work and should be taken seriously.  These employees are the only thing keeping the park from slipping back into being another part of the local forest.  Ensure they know how to do their jobs, and keep tabs on them.

Posted Numbers for Problems

Locals can’t report an issue if they don’t know who to say it to. So instead of hiding this information on a local government website, take the time to create signage with this phone number and information where people can see it.  It might not be the most aesthetically appealing park addition, but it will ensure that any hazards are taken care of quickly.

The most important numbers to include are emergency numbers like 911, the number for animal control in case something wanders into the park that shouldn’t, maintenance numbers in case a tree falls, or there’s a random issue like that, and also a general complaint line in case someone sees something happening in the park that shouldn’t be happening.

Although these numbers seem obvious for park maintenance, if someone is in trouble and doesn’t have access to these numbers, they could be in harm’s way.

Remembering Seasonal Changes

Although it may seem simple to keep a park up and going year-round: there’s a problem if the municipality treats the park the same year-round.  Employees need to be thoroughly trained on the different weather hazards the park faces. If it’s in a floodplain or snows and ices a lot in this area, there’s a lot that can go wrong.  This means snow shoveling in winter or heavy maintenance in the summer and enough understanding that the climates are shifting and the weather may be unpredictable.

Adhering to a Sunlight Policy

A sunlight policy generally ensures that nobody is at the park at night.  There’s nothing wrong with a camping park after dark, but keeping a normal recreation park open after dark could be asking for trouble.  People lose their inhibitions and might start drinking in the garden, teens may see it as permission to vandalize signage or plants, and it could become a hotspot for crime.  Avoid this by having the park closed after dark, and hire an employee who will lock and unlock the gate.