FY 2007-08 parks annual report : parks scores increased for third year and differences between district averages narrowed

2009·2.3 MB·English

by  San Francisco (Calif.). Office of the Controller. City Services Auditor Division

SANFRANCISCOPUBLICLIBRARY
FY 2007-08 PARKS
ANNUAL REPORT:
Park Scores Increased for Third
SanFranciscoPublicLibrary Year and Differences Between
District Averages Narrowed
GovernmentInfomrcatioflCenter
SanrranciscoPublicLibrary
100LaricinStreet,5thFloor
SanFrancisco,CA S4102
REFERENCE BOOK
Not to be takenfrom the Library
GOVERNMENT
DOCUMENTS DEPT
FEB -4 2009 February3, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO
PUBLIC LIBRARY
CONTROLLER'SOFFICE
CITYSERVICESAUDITOR
TheCityServicesAuditorwascreatedwithintheController'sOfficethroughanamendmenttothe
CityCharterthatwasapproved byvotersinNovember2003. UnderAppendixFtotheCityCharter,
theCityServicesAuditorhasbroadauthorityfor:
• ReportingonthelevelandeffectivenessofSan Francisco'spublicservicesand
benchmarkingthecitytootherpublicagenciesandjurisdictions.
• Conductingfinancialandperformanceauditsofcitydepartments,contractors,andfunctions
toassessefficiencyandeffectivenessofprocessesandservices.
• Operatingawhistleblowerhotlineandwebsiteand investigatingreportsofwaste,fraud,and
abuseofcityresources.
• Ensuringthefinancial integrityand improvingtheoverall performanceandefficiencyofcity
government.
Theauditsunitconductsfinancialaudits,attestationengagements,andperformanceaudits.
Financialauditsaddressthefinancial integrityofbothcitydepartmentsandcontractorsand provide
reasonableassuranceaboutwhetherfinancialstatementsarepresentedfairlyinall materialaspects
inconformitywithgenerallyacceptedaccountingprinciples. Attestationengagementsexamine,
review,orperform proceduresonabroadrangeofsubjectssuchasinternalcontrols;compliance
withrequirementsofspecifiedlaws, regulations, rules, contracts,orgrants;andthereliabilityof
performancemeasures. Performanceauditsfocusprimarilyonassessmentofcityservicesand
processes, providingrecommendationstoimprovedepartmentoperations.
WeconductourauditsinaccordancewiththeGovernmentAuditingStandardspublished bytheU.S.
GovernmentAccountabilityOffice(GAO). Thesestandardsrequire:
• Independenceofauditstaffandtheauditorganization.
• Objectivityoftheauditorsperformingthework.
• Competentstaff, includingcontinuingprofessionaleducation.
• Qualitycontrol procedurestoprovidereasonableassuranceofcompliancewiththeauditing
standards.
3 122308514 6653
1
City and County of San Francisco
Office of the Controller - City Services Auditor
FY2007-08 ParksAnnual Report: February3, 2009
ParkScores IncreasedforThirdYearand Differences Between DistrictAverages Narrowed
PurposeoftheReport
TheCityServicesAuditorCharterAmendmentrequiresthatstandardsbeestablishedforparkmaintenance,
andthattheCityServicesAuditor(CSA)issueanannualreportonperformanceunderthesestandards.
Thisreportprovidestheresultsfrom inspectionsofallopenCityparksinfiscalyear(FY)2007-08, discusses
theRecreationand ParksDepartment'seffortstousethestandardsandresultstoinformoperational
decisions, and includesrecommendationstoimprovetheCity'sperformanceintheseareas.
Highlights Recommendations
Parkscores increasedforthethirdconsecutiveyear. AllopenCity Thereportincludessix
parkswererated byCityServicesAuditor(CSA)and Recreationand recommendationsforthe
ParksDepartment(RPD)stafffrom July1, 2007toJune30, 2008, Recreationand Parks
usingtheSan Francisco ParkMaintenanceStandards Manual. Departmenttomake
improvementsintheparks
Parkscoresarebasedonthenumberofeachfeature'selements, standardsprogram and
suchaslawnsortreesorchildren'splayareas,which passthe
incorporate inspection results
standard. Ascoreabove85percentwouldgenerallyindicatethatthe
intooperational planning.
parkiswell maintained andthatitsfeaturesareingoodcondition.
Thecitywideaverage in FY2007-08was86.2 percent, upfrom 83.7 Specifically, RPDshould:
percentin FY2006-07and81.2 percentin FY2005-06. Differences • Utilize inspectionsresultsto
betweendistrictsdecreased, andthelowestperformingdistrictscored betterinform operational
higherthanfourdistrictaveragesin FY2006-07. Eightofthe 1 decisions.
districtsscored higherin FY2007-08thanthepreviousyear.
• Closelymonitorandevaluate
• Mostparksin FY2007-08receivedanAorBgrade;threeparks parkmanagementplans.
receivedaDorFgrade, downfrom 16parkslastyear.
• Sixtypercentofparksscored higherthanlastyear. • Improvequalityofinspections
throughtargetedtrainingand
• Averagescoresfor13of14parkfeaturesimproved. improved inspectiontools.
TheCityServicesAuditorCharterAmendmentrequires RPDto • Design newreportsto
establishand postmaintenancestaffschedulesandthatcompliance communicateinspection
asgcahiendsutletsheisne2s0c0h6e,dRulPeDsdbiedcnhoetcukpedda.teAfttheremesotnabalirsehgiunlgaarnbdaspiosstuintnigl dreysnualtmsicinwmaoyrs.etargeted,
thisyear.
Therevised maintenancestaffschedules, published inJanuary2008, • Developa morerobust
wereratedforcompliance,withmixedresults. CSAfound scheduled reportingsystem totrackstaff
staffata park40 percentinquarter3(January-March 2008)and 54 schedulecompliance.
percentinquarter4(April-June2008); RPD-ratedcompliancescores
were71 and66percentinquarters3and4. • Createatwo-yearroadmap
forthefutureofthepark
Parksupervisorystaffcreatedworkplansforeach parktodefinethe standardsprogram.
staffingrequirementstomaintainallofthepark'sfeatures. These
workplansledtothedevelopmentofparkmanagementplans,which
RPDimplementedinJuly2008.
Copiesofthefullreportmaybeobtainedat:
Controller'sOffice • CityHall,Room316 • 1Dr. CarltonB. GoodlettPlace • SanFrancisco, CA94102 • 415.554.7500
orontheInternetathttp://www.sfgov.pro/controller
Pageintentionallyleftblank.
CITYANDCOUNTYOFSAN FRANCISCO
OFFICEOFTHECONTROLLER Ben Rosenfield
Controller
MoniqueZmuda
DeputyController
February3, 2009
Honorable MayorGavin Newsom
1 Dr. Carlton B. GoodlettPlace
CityHall, Room 200
San Francisco, CA94102
President David Chiu
Board ofSupervisors
CityHall, Room 264
San Francisco, CA94102
DearMayorNewsom and PresidentChiu:
TheCityServicesAuditorCharterAmendmentrequiresthatstandards beestablished forparks
and thatthe CityServicesAuditor(CSA)issuean annual reporton performance underthe
standards. This report providesthe resultsfrom inspections in FY2007-08, the Recreation and
Parks Department's (RPD)effortsto usethestandards and resultsto inform operational
decisions, and includes recommendationsto improve the City's performance in these areas.
Wefound thatCityparks performed betterin thisyear's ratings-thecitywide averagewas 86.2
percent, upfrom 83.7 percentin lastyear's ratings. Differences between districtscores
decreased, with 8.8 percentage points separating theCity's highest(District9)and lowest
(District 10)scoring districts, betterthan the 18.1 percentage pointdifference lastyear.
The reportprovides six recommendationsforRPDto improve the parks standards program and
incorporate park inspection results intooperational planning.
Wethank RPD staffforthis year'sworkon the implementation ofthestandardsand
improvementin parkscores. Weare interested in improving the City'swork in this area and
inviteyourideasand comments. Ifwe can answeranyquestionsorprovideadditional
information, pleasefeelfreetocontact Peg Stevenson, Natasha Mihal ormeat(415) 554-7500.
Respectfullysubmitted,
Ben Rosenfield
Controller
cc: Board ofSupervisors
Civil Grand Jury
BudgetAnalyst
Public Library
415-554-7500 CityHall•1 Dr.CarltonB.GoodlettPlace•Room316•SanFranciscoCA94102-4694 FAX[phone]
Pageintentionallyleftblank.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
FY2007-08 Highlights 1
Background 5
Methodology 5
Chapter 1 - Park Inspection Results 9
Citywide Results 9
Individual Park Results 11
District Results 12
Features Results 15
Chapter2-ParkStandardsas ManagementTool 17
Revised Staffing Schedules 17
Creation ofPark Management Plans 20
Increased Staffand Inspection Results 21
Chapter3- Recommendations 23
StatusofFY2006-07 Recommendations 26
AppendixA-Detailed Methodology A-1
Appendix B-Individual Park Results B-1
AppendixC-District Results C-1
Appendix D- Department Response D-1
LIST OF ACRONYMS
CSA CityServicesAuditor
NSA Neighborhood ServicesArea
Prop C Proposition C
RPD Recreation and Parks Department
OfficeoftheController,CityServicesAuditor
FY2007-08ParksAnnualReport
INTRODUCTION
Thisthird annual reporton the condition ofthe City's parks
addresses and describes progresson thefollowing goals:
• Fairlyassessand communicate conditionsofthe
park system tothe Recreation and Parks
Department(RPD) managementand staff, elected
officialsand the public;
• Understand the link between parkconditionsand
departmental resourcesand improve park
conditions byefficient resource allocation and
improved park maintenance; and
• Assist RPD in scheduling and prioritizing
maintenancefunctionsto betterallocate resources.
Parkscoresare based on standards that identifydesired
parkconditionsand cover 14featuressuch as lawns, trees,
children's playareasand benches and tables. Generally, a
score above 85 percentwould likelyindicatethatthe park is
well-maintained and thatitsfeaturesare in good condition.
Each park is ratedforthefeatures presentand the park
score is the percentageofelementsofeach featurethat
passthestandard. Formoredetail, see page 5.
EXHIBIT 1 Citywide parkscoreaveragecontinuesto increaseand district
averages notasextreme
"1 CitywideAverage y HighestScoringDistrict | LowestScoringDistrict
100%
District3
District1 905%
87.7%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
FY2005-06 FY2006-07 FY2007-08
CitywideAverageand DistrictHighs& Lows
Source: CSAandRPDparkinspectionresultsFY2005-06,FY2006-07.FY2007-08
7
OfficeoftheController,CityServicesAuditor
FY2007-08ParksAnnualReport
FY2007-08 Highlights Parkscores improved infiscal year(FY)2007-08,with the
citywideaverage increasing 2.4pointsto 86.2 percent.
More parksscored higher, with onlythree parks receiving D
orFgrades, downfrom 16 in FY2006-07. District
averages increased and nodistrictscored below82
percent, comparedtofourdistricts lastyear.
Mostparks receivedAorB grade.
Aswith the improving citywideaveragescore, individual
parkscoreswere higherin FY2007-08. Assigning grades
to numerical values, over80 percentofparksscored anA
Citywideaverage 86.2 orBgrade. Onlythree parks received a DorF, downfrom
percent, upfrom83. 16 lastyear.
percentlastyear
Collis P. Huntington Parkin District3 received the highest
score in FY2007-08, 98.9 percent. Richmond Recreation
Centerin District 1, FayPark in District3, and Midtown
Terrace Playground in District7all scored above 98
percent.
EXHIBIT2 Parksscores higherin FY2007-08
Z
TennisC3.ouFratysPt.nk'
a.5-He"Mlyme<Pln-ea>Wiifl"lcse"H1°u-ict<i)i,|yfje/.tpMo.iniCttinffiPLi;..
Playground p.„k
h
Source: CSAandRPDparkinspectionresults FY2007-08;SanFranciscoEnterpriseGISProgramdata