Recreation dept. to see changes
Alfred, who has been in his position since June, said changes have been in the works before he got to Madison, he just carried the ball to the court.
The Parks and Recreation department not only maintains 35 neighborhood parks—including the city’s two biggest parks, Dublin Park and Palmer Park—but department head Kory Alfred said the department handles much more than most people think.
“What I do is administer the budget, oversee 40 full-time and 40 seasonal employees, oversee the projects that go on and long-term and strategic planning,” Alfred said. “The two major areas of focus are Dublin and Palmer parks.”
Alfred said 2011 is going to bring a great deal of changes and improvements to the city’s parks.
He said a long-time challenge he has been tackling is meeting the demand of soccer services.
“Soccer is a big concern for us,” he said. “The biggest issue is finding enough space to accommodate the soccer players. Field space and times are a challenge for us, not only with sports associations, but people who want to come in from outside and have tournaments for their sports. Finding areas and times is hard for the staff.”
He said the demand has gotten so great that some soccer games have to be played on baseball fields.
He said two fields at Palmer Park will be lit for soccer use and a trailer will be removed to provide additional field space.
“We make sure every hour and space is utilized to the maximum capacity,” Alfred said. “The downside is that people play on the grass field and we have to give it time to grow. It’s a balancing act.”
Two new soccer fields are planned to be built at Columbia and Mill Creek elementary schools, which the park department will be able to utilize on weekends.
Future plans the department is looking into doing is expanding non-sport special events and interests programs, like the holiday craft program where the public was invited to make ornaments and the Trail of Fears Halloween event.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve constructed the dog park at Mill Creek, which has seen a phenomenon amount of usage,” he said.
A contract to build a restroom and concession building at Dublin will be presented to the city council at the Jan. 24 meeting. He said the building should be complete by April 2011.
“These things have been planned for a while, I just carried the ball to the court,” he said.
Alfred started his position in June. He previously worked in the Parks and Recreation Department in Warrensburg, Mo. and in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in the same department.
“The people here are great,” he said. “The mayor’s office is supportive of recreational department. In some places, recreation isn’t a priority. The police, fire and streets are the focus. Here in Madison, the council and mayor consider Parks and Recreation an essential service to Madison.”
