2016 annual report website

2016 Annual Report to the Community Bentonville Parks & Recreation

Bentonville Parks & Recreation 215 SW A Street

Bentonville AR 72712

479-464-PARK

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Bentonville Parks and Recreation continues to play a leading role in defining the character of our community. Our team talks about the value and the importance of our parks and trails to Bentonville. For example, arguably the most common landmark in our community is the Downtown Bentonville Square. But when people think of Bentonville, they also think about the Crystal Bridges Trail, Slaughter Pen, Memorial Park or the Bentonville Community Center. These parks define our character or our personality.

Cities, like people, have personality traits. It is important as we move forward to keep public recreation spaces in the forefront of what Bentonville’s personality is.

Our public recreation spaces and creative programs offer residents and visitors diverse opportunities for social, cultural, educational and physical fitness activities. With more than 22 parks, 50+ miles of trail, and more than 92,000 square feet of facility space, there is something for everyone. Our team has the privilege of witnessing the usage patterns for our facilities and seeing firsthand the positive return in the investment our City makes into public recreation.

It is with great pleasure to present Bentonville Parks and Recreation’s annual report to the community. This 2016 report outlines the many programs, projects and accomplishments our dedicated staff delivers to our citizens. With record numbers in parks usage, recreation program participation and revenue, we are proud of Bentonville’s active and fun personality.

Thank you for your support of Bentonville Parks and Recreation.

Sincerely, David Wright, CPRP Bentonville Parks and Recreation Director

Our Mission TO ENRICH LIVES THROUGH RECREATION, LEISURE, AND CULTURE

Our Vision Bentonville Parks & Recreation is the choice provider of recreation, leisure and culture. Our parks, trails, programs and events make Bentonville a premier destination for residents and visitors. The parks system and its beauty encourage active lifestyles and enhance quality of life for citizens. We shape the character of Bentonville with parks, greenways and trails that are sustainable, well-maintained and safe. As an innovative organization, Bentonville Parks & Recreation offers comprehensive and diverse recreation programs for people of all ages, abilities and interests.

Our Core Values Quality

Integrity

We strive to provide the highest quality amenities to our citizens.

Our team strives to make decisions that reflect the highest standard of accountability. We uphold the highest ethical principles while demonstrating honesty and sincerity in all of our dealings.

Creativity Our work environment empowers staff to think creatively, constantly striving for improvement.

Leadership

Our work can be intense and having fun helps us keep it in perspective.

We respect the vision and leadership that built the parks and recreation system and recognize the need for ongoing leadership in achieving excellence.

Building A Legacy

Exceptional Customer Service

Fun

Our organization is bigger than any one individual and the work we perform will benefit residents for generations to come.

We want to exceed your expectations by providing accurate information, helpful assistance, and great solutions.

We Are A Team Our team works as one with the community to create great things.

Safety We never compromise in creating the safest environments for patrons and employees.

Accessibility Bentonville Parks and Greenways are available to and welcome everyone.

Health & Wellness We encourage citizens to live a healthy lifestyle. We model that message in our daily work environment.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Five Fundamentals As we progress as a department and a community, we all agree we want Bentonville to be the community of choice in Northwest Arkanasas. We should be proud of our history, but excited and prepared for the future. As we grow, our department must focus on five (5) main fundamentals: conservation, beautification, health & wellness, fun, and legacy. These pillars will be the concepts of what we stand for.

Conservation Goal: Serve as the community leader in caring for the community’s natural resources.

Objective: Connect Bentonville residents to the outdoors through our parks, trails and programs.

Objective: Conduct conservation projects that will enhance that natural beauty and natural rescources of the community.

Beautification Goal: Be the cleanest, prettiest city in Arkansas.

Objective: Parks & Recreation facilities are attractive, well maintained and free of litter.

Objective: Bentonville facilities are inviting and accessable.

Health & Wellness Goal: Lead Bentonville to improved health through public parks and recreation.

Objective: Create and deliver wellness programs that encourage citizens to be healthy.

Objective: Provide a variety of facilities that encourage citizens to participate in non-structured, healthy activities.

Fun Goal: Ensure that Bentonville offers enjoyable and family friendly activities that strengthen our community.

Objective: Ensure that Bentonville offers enjoyable and family friendly activities that strengthen our community.

Objective: Activities and programs are diverse and appeal to many segments of our population.

Legacy Goal: Expand public knowledge of Benonville’s public recreation facilities and programs.

Objective: Create a culture where Bentonville residents feel a sense of ownership of parks and are adamant of the importance of recreational spaces as a part of everyday life.

Objective: Residents understand and appreciate the value of public parks and trails.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Chris Sooter City Council Appointee 204 Devon Green Bentonville, AR 72712 (C) 366-1551 csooter@membserv.com

Amy Davis Term (1) expires December 2017 329 Crestview Bentonville, AR 72712 (C) 903-5425 amydavis13.1@gmail.com

Mike Power Term (1) expires December 2018 202 NW Olinka Pass Bentonville, AR 72712 (C) 936-0526 (W) 464-0550 mpower@fsbank.com

Holly Hook Term (1) expires December 2017 2609 SE 6th St. Bentonville, AR 72712 (H) 273-727 (W) 366-8448 hookidr@juno.com

Thomas Butrynski Term (2) expires December 2018 3804 NW Creekstone Blvd.

Bentonville, AR 72712 (H) 402-214-9582 (W) 204-9127 Thomas.butrynski@walmart.com

Tom McCoy Term (2) expires December 2016 23 Glenbrook Bentonville, AR 72712 (W) 273-0094 (C) 936-6383 mccoy40@sbcglobal.net

Jonathan Terlow Term (2) expires December 2018 207 SE 3rd Street Bentonville, AR 72712 (H) 479-282-5355 (C) 204-9083 jonathan.terlouw@walmart.com

Tregg Brown, Chairman Term (2) expires December 2016 5 Robson Way Bentonville, AR 72712 (H) 464-8849 (W) 366-0459 tregg@teamdirectmgmt.com

Shara Fisher Term (1) expires December 2017 1201 SW Westbury Place Bentonville, AR 72712 (C) 295-3701 shara@nwafishers.com

Courtney Schaefer Term (1) expires December 2016 35 Glenbrook Bentonville, AR 72712 (C) 790-5096 skapikca@hotmail.com

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Department Employees Parks and Recreation Director:

David Wright

Parks Maintenance Manager:

Crant Osborne Lee Farmer

Recreation Services Manager: Recreation Program Supervisor:

Josh Stacey Daniel Bartlett Jenn Valentine Kyle Payne

Recreation Program Specialist:

Layne Moore Hayden Bough Katie Morrison Chris Cuchia

Administrative Assistant:

Angel Stuler Tracy Acosta

Crew Leaders:

Jimmy Walden/ Sanitation Jack Cartwright/ Turf Maintenance Monte Wilson/ Community Center

Horticulturist:

Tim Perkins Megan Love-Limpscomb

Parks Worker III:

Chris Little Jerome Todd Bobby Hinton Bill Beck Tim Dawson

Parks Worker II:

Michael Van Horn

Parks Worker I:

John Francis Chris Flores Steve Parker Devin Strickland Gerry Mendoza Ken Bruce Rick Gaddie Garret Rogers

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Facilities, Parks and Trails

Facilities Bentonville Community Center

1101 SW Citizens Circle 80,000 square foot facility serving residents of all ages.

Amenities include: aquatic center featuring a zero-depth entry family leisure pool and a 25 yard competitive pool.

The facility also includes a fitness center, dance/aerobics studio hosting over 75 classes per week, gymnasium, indoor running track, community rooms, arts & craft room, Kids Center, senior activity lounge and more.

Downtown Activity Center

215 SW A Street 8,378 square foot facility. Hosts 2 studios for multiple fitness activities, at various times throughout each weekday and on Saturdays. The center is also home to the Bentonville Parks & Recreation Administrative Staff and is complete with a large comfortable entertaining lobby with two flat screen TV’s, board game tables with chairs, conference room, and restrooms with showers & lockers.

Lawrence Plaza

214 NE A Street 7,000 square foot multi-use facility. A Splash Park during summer months and an outdoor Ice Rink in the winter.

The Splash Park is a free, fun spot for everyone to cool off May through September. The outdoor ice rink provides ice skating & entertainment for the entire family, November through January.

Melvin Ford Aquatic Center

401 NE Martin Luther King Jr Parkway Olympic size pool, separate slide and diving pool, and a wading pool featuring a rain drop fountain. The Aquatic Center is open to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day, allowing patrons to beat the summer heat.

Parks

Austin Baggett Park

601 SE D Street This 1.2 acre park opened in 2012. The facility features two age appropriate playgrounds, pavilion, picnic areas, and an open play space. In 2016, a spinner, one belt swing, and one bucket swing were added to the park. The facility was named in honor of Eddie Austin and Mary Baggett, two long serving city council members.

Bark Park/ Bike Playground

2400 N Walton Blvd An off-leash recreation area opened in 2009 for dogs and dog lovers, just west of the North Bentonville Trail.

Provides exercise and socialization opportunities for pets, while promoting responsible dog ownership through events and programs. A Bike Playground was built in 2016. Features of the playground include tunnels, bridges, and a pump track to help all ages develope their cycling skills.

Bella Vista Lake Park

2400 N Walton Blvd 132 acre Community Park located off of Hwy 71. Fitness trail, covered pavilion, picnic tables, play structure, and disc golf course. Home of the Veterans Wall of Honor.

Citizens Park

1101 SW Citizens Circle The Bentonville Community Center sits on this 35 acre park. Park includes 3 soccer fields and a restroom/ concession facility. A pavilion and 1 mile walking trail will be added in 2017.

Dave Peel Park

206 E Central Ave. Two acre park located one block east of the City Square. A local favorite for families with young children. Playgrounds for various ages, a pavilion, a restroom, and several picnic tables.

Downtown Bentonville Square

1 E Central Ave Centrally located in the middle of downtown Bentonville. Provides easy access to Walmart Museum, Crystal Bridges Trail, Lawrence Plaza, Compton Gardens, other city parks, and various restaurants & retail businesses.

Durham Place Park

913 Durham PL Located off of SE 8th St. on Durham Place. The park sits on .24 acres and includes a play structure, benches, and a covered picnic table.

Enfield Park

1205 NE Waverly Way This 2.5 acre park is located in the Kingsbury Subdivision. The park provides wide walking & bike trails, a pavilion and open play area surrounded by attractive landscaping. The Enfield Park Trail leads from the park to the Crystal Bridges Trail and Razorback Greenway.

Gilmore Park

503 SW D Street Located on the southeast corner of SW 5th and SW D St., adjacent to the Downtown Trail. Serves as a one acre neighborhood park with playground equipment, pavilion, and picnic tables.

Lake Bentonville Park

1900 Block of SW I Street 20 acre park located 1/2 mile south of highway 102 on SW I Street. Complete with picnic tables and spacious settings. A great spot for fishing. The park includes a pavilion and a playground.

Memorial Park

401 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway Community park with 73 acres. Located on E. Central Ave. (HWY 72) and Martin Luther King Jr Parkway. Home to Melvin Ford Aquatic Center.

Includes a Benton County Memorial and a Benton County historical settlement marker. Also includes four lighted softball fields, five lighted baseball fields, eleven lighted soccer fields, four lighted basketball courts, four t-ball fields, concession stands, restrooms, four lighted sand volleyball courts, twelve lighted tennis courts, playground areas, skateboard park, a perimeter walking trail, and a covered pavilion.

Merchants Baseball Park

201 Elm Tree Rd. In the spring of 2015, Bentonville Parks and Recreation completed the third phase of the baseball park renovations out by Elm Tree Elementary. The Park was renamed Merchants Baseball Park after the Bentonville Merchants, a former semi-pro baseball team who had previously founded the local baseball organization in 1954. What once started as four youth baseball teams in 1954 has grown to over 150 youth baseball teams including over 1800 young boys. The volunteer effort the Bentonville Merchants team put forth warranted an appreciation, and therefore we named the newly renovated baseball park in their honor. The ball park now includes four baseball diamonds, a restroom and concession stand, a completed parking lot, and batting cages.

Old Tiger Park

517 Tiger Blvd.

Formerly the Bentonville High School Football and Track Stadium, Bentonville Parks and Recreation acqired this property from Bentonville Public Schools in 2009 as part of an agreement for the Memorial Park Tennis Courts. This property, located at 517 Tiger Blvd, is six acres in size. It includes a track, a full size football field and a safe route to school trail that connects to the school administration building and Lincoln Jr. High.

Orchards Park

NE J Street & John DeShields Blvd.

Located on the southeast corner of the intersection of NE J St and John DeShields Boulevard. Perfect wedding setting. Designed as a premier passive park with walking paths, beautiful landscaped areas, a pavilion, water feature, a pond, and an amphitheater.

Park Springs Park

300 NW 10th Street Park Springs Park features a large covered pavilion that can comfortably host large groups for special events. The park also includes a natural environment playground with climbing boulders, swings, restrooms and hiking and bicycle trails that connect to three adjacent schools. Several shade trees and landscaped gardens connect with a beautiful wooded walking trail and natural spring.

Phillips Park

3108 SE J Street 40 acre community park located west off of SE J St. Features five lighted baseball fields, two softball/ t-ball fields, two lighted football fields, a play structure, one large picnic pavilion, restrooms and concession stand.

Slaughter Pen Park

Along the North Bentonville Trail lies the hidden gem of Bentonville. Slaughter Pen Hollow Park is a multi-use trail system made up of over 21miles of soft surface trails. While the park is a multi-use facility, its primary recreation activity is mountain biking. With several high quality single track trails and features (such as a downhill course and flow trails) Slaughter Pen has become a destination for riders both locally and nationally.

The trail system is so highly thought of that IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) declared it a Silver Level Ride Center in 2014 (one of only nine in the United States). Slaughter Pen Hollow Park not only features fantastic single track trails but also boast a large free ride jump park, trials obstacles, and a pump track.

Slaughter Pen Hollow Park is also host to several events each year including the Slaughter Pen Jam and was host to the IMBA World Summit in 2016.

Town Branch Park

401 SE 2nd Street 601 With a trail that connects to Central Avenue, this park is accessible by foot via the Downtown Square and Dave Peel Park. This park serves as the trailhead for the Town Branch Trail with a beautifully designed gazebo that is perfect for small weddings, family reunions or quiet picnics in the park.

Train Station Park

412 South Main Street Located in the 400 block of South Main Street, accross from the Bentonville Public Library. Features a gazebo, benches, and beautiful landscaping in a passive setting.

Accessible from the Downtown Trail.

Wildwood Park

3800 Bright Road A new 5-12 year old play structure was installed in 2016 to replace an older unit that was starting to have some safety issues. Parks Staff, Parks Board, RJR Enterprises Inc. along with the 5th grade class at Brightfield Elementary School came up with the design as the students studied kinetic energy.

Brightwood Subdivision POA also donated monies to provide a fence around the play structure. Features include a restroom, playground, picnic tables, lighted pavilion, and two lighted tennis courts.

Trails

Arkansas Missouri Trail

This trail is .75 miles and connects to the Moberly Lane Trail, just south of Walmart’s David Glass building. The trail parallels the Arkansas Missouri Railroad crossing under Interstate 49 to the Northwest Arkansas Community College.

Crystal Bridges Trail

This one mile trail skirts the western perimeter of the Crystal Bridges Museum of America Art. Several museum amenities such as sculptures and a sky space are accessible from this trail. Parking available at Compton Gardens located at 312 N Main Street or the Crystal Bridges Trailhead at 906 NE A Street.

This trail is part of the Razorback Greenway.

Downtown Trail

This is an 10’ wide, 1.5 mile concrete linear pathway, improved with lighting and seating areas.

The Downtown Trail was extended in 2013 and connects Walmart home office and Razorback Greenway. The sidewalks along Main St. provide a link to the Town Square and Compton Gardens.

Parking is available on the east end of the trail at the Bentonville Public Library, 405 South Main Street.

Moberly Lane Bike Trail

8’ wide, 2 mile concrete sidepath that creates a linear pathway along Moberly Lane, between SE 28th St. and Central Avenue. Connects to the Memorial Park Fitness Trail. Parking available on the east side of Memorial Park on N Moberly Lane.

NE J Street Trail

8’ wide, 1.1 mile concrete sidewalk along NE J St. This trail creates a linear pathway between Central Avenue & Tiger Blvd. and connects to Memorial Park via the trail along John DeShields Blvd. Parking available on the west side of Memorial Park on John DeShields Blvd.

North Bentonville Trail

Trailhead located at 2400 North Walton Blvd with parking and restrooms. Trail travels 2.2 miles through natural wooded areas, with a 10’ wide concrete linear trail and an adjacent jogging path.

The trail connects to Wishing Springs Trail at the north and Crystal Bridges Trail at the south.

North Walton Boulevard Trail

The 10” trail travels 1.5 miles parallel from Walton from Wal-mart to 1301 N. Walton. The trail will eventually tie the Bentonville Community Center to the North Trail and the Razorback Greenway.

Park Springs Trail

A nature walk trail equipped with nice wooden bridges. Trail travels through a wooded area complete with a natural spring and large rock bench seats to enjoy the scenery. Accessible from 2 locations, 1) Parks Springs Park located at 300 NW 10th St., 2) Tiger Blvd. & A street. intersection.

Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Trails

A 25+ mile single track trail system located on the mountainside just north of NW A St. and east of N Walton Blvd. This trail was designed specifically for mountain bicyclists. Trails are available for beginners, intermediate, and advanced riders and comes equipped with special features such as log rides, drops, jumps, a free ride area with table top jumps, bermed turns, and a wall ride. Parking available at 2400 N Walton Blvd., just south of the Bark Park.

South Bentonville Trail

This trail is 2.5 miles in length and connects the southern most area of Bentonville to the downtown area, via the Town Branch Trail. It also connects Bentonville’s trail system to the Rogers trail system at SE Riviera Rd. From south to north it passes by the NW Medical Center, federally protected wetlands area, Sam’s Club Home Office, Bentonville High School, and the Walmart Fitness Center.

Tiger Blvd. Trail

A 1.5 mile sidewalk along Tiger Blvd., between NW A and NE J streets. Provides a connection to the North Bentonville Trail and the NE J St. Trail.

Two Cities Trail

10’ wide path that currently runs approximately 1.7 miles from the BCC to Dodson Road where in the near future Rogers will extend from Dodson to the Razobackback Greenway completing a loop around town.

Town Branch Trail

Trail begins just southeast of the Town Square and east of Dave Peel Park. This trail travels 2.5 miles through downtown neighborhoods and passes the beautifully designed gazebo at the the Town Branch Park. Trail ends at the intersection of SE 8th and SE J Street.

Wishing Springs Trail

From the southwest corner of the Lake Bella Vista Trail, this 1.6 mile trail travels northeast under Benton County 40, following McKissic Creek and connecting to the North Bentonville Trail behind the Wishing Spring Medical Clinic.

Razorback Regional Greenway

Bentonville is proud to be apart of the 36 mile Razorback Regional Greenway that stretches from Bella Vista to Fayetteville.

Enfield Trail

This trail is .21 miles and begins at Enfield Park, off Waverly Way in the Kingsbury Subdivision. This trailhead provides a connection from the NE “J” Street (Memorial Park) area to the Crystal Bridges Trail as well as the North Bentonville Trail. It is a short trail with moderate grade that is adjacent to a spring and intersects with a Crystal Bridges soft surface trail.

There is limited parking at Enfield Park. Additional parking is available at 906 NE A St. and at Memorial Park.

Heritage Trail

This trail is 2.5 miles and runs parallel SW “I” from the Bentonville Community Center to Walton Avenune.

The trail ties Downtown Bentonville to the Bentonville Community Center.

Lake Bella Vista Trail

This trail is a 1.8 mile loop trail that circles Bella Vista Lake. The loop trail and park are the northern boundary to the Bentonville City limits and the beginning of the Razorback Greenway.

Memorial Park Fitness Trail

10’ wide, 1 mile, asphalt trail, located along the east, south, and west perimeter of Memorial Park with a link along John DeShields Blvd. to the NE J Street trail.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Five Fundamentals

Strategy for Success

Conservation

Beautification

Health & Wellness

Fun

Leaving A Legacy

Conservation Tree Planting

Parks Maintenance and Recreation Staff planted 140 trees on Make-A-Difference Day. The 15 gallon trees included Pines, Oaks, Elms and Ginkgos.

In December of 2016, with a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, Bentonville Parks and Recreation planted 120 large caliper (4.5” to 6”) trees along the Razorback Greenway.

Sixty of the trees were planted along the South Bentonville Trail (21st street to 28th street) and 60 were planted along the Bentonville North Trail, beginning just north of the new Bicycle Playground and extending north along the Wishing Springs Trail.

The various species of trees planted include the Overcup Oak, Red Oak, Nuttall Oak, Willow Oak, Jefferson Elm, Dawn Redwood and Bald Cypress. The trees were purchased from Select Trees out of Athens, Georgia using a grant from the WFF. The trees were selected from this company based on their practice of maintaining the highest industry standards for species selection and care. According the Arbor Day Foundation, a single large shade tree can generate over $160,000 in environmental benefits: • • • •

$31,000 worth of generated oxygen $62,000 worth of air pollution control $37,500 worth of recycled water $31,500 worth of soil erosion control

Greenhouse Growth

The city greenhouse is the primary source for many of our annual and perennial plant production. In 2016, $2,800.00 dollars was spent on plant material. The estimated value of plants materials is $22,300. This means the greenhouse has a cost savings of $19,500. This cost savings includes all summer/fall annual production, perennial, and tropical production.

Beautification Summer Planting

1650 summer annuals, 1200 perennials, and 325 shrubs/trees were planted in the downtown core and Orchards Park.

Fall Planting

1200 fall annuals and 6,250 bulbs were planted in the downtown core and Orchards Park.

Wildflower Meadows

Parks and Recreation is attempting to utilize wildflower meadows to increase visibility to our parks system, but also reduce the amount of mowing expenses. Two major wildflower meadow projects were at Bella Vista Lake and Slaughter Pen. A grant from the Walton Family Foundation allowed Parks and Recreation to initially seed the meadows in January 2016. A mix of 26 different species of plants, mostly native to the Southeast region of the United States, were used for the project. The Orchards Park wildflower meadow was reseeded in 2016 as well.

Health & Wellness Fitness Center

As a Parks and Recreation department, helping people make healthy choices is a big part of our job. We strive to create programs that encourage our citizens to live a healthy lifestyle. By utilizing the Bentonville Community Center fitness, gym and aquatic space, we are able to help our patrons make healthy choices. In 2016, we had 103,454 patrons visit our fitness center, with an average of 2,100 patrons per week.

Fitness and Wellness Classes

The Bentonville Community Center and Downtown Activity Center offer wellness classes to adults and children which include 103 wellness classes, 11 aqua classes, and 16 mind and body classes. In 2016, we had 62,052 Wellness Class participants between the Community Center and the Downtown Activity Center. We also offer adult individualized wellness options: personal training, wellness coaching, 12 weeks to success introductory wellness plan, weight room orientations, body assessments, and sport conditioning depending on the participant’s current fitness level. Our community completed over 1,453 hours of personal training. We introduced a year long, monthly based fitness challenge program with 97 participants, and 18 yearlong finishers. Our Annual October Ironman Triathlon Challenge saw over 150 participants.

Fun Camp Bentonville

1,420 campers participated in Camp Bentonville in 2016.

Thirty-six camps were offered including favorites such as Camp Adventure, Camp Lego, Camp Super Science, and Camp Broadway. Camp Soccer was the largest camp with a total of 340 particpants. In addition, new camps such as Camp Archery, Camp Basketball, and Camp Lacrosse were added.

4th of July Celebration

Every July 4th, Bentonville Parks and Recreation hosts An Evening at Orchards Park; the City’s Independence Day Celebration. Over 10,000 patrons attend this event annually. An Evening at Orchards is a true City Event with several departments all working together to offer the citizens of Bentonville a free family friendly event.

Special Events

The Bentonville Community Center offered a wide variety of Special Events to the community. Events such as Father/Daughter, Mother/Son, Grandparents Dance, gave an opportunity for families to spend time with eachother and have fun. 650 families participated in these special dances. Other events included the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration essay contest, Halloween weekend pumpkin painting, Halloween dance, and “A Morning with Santa”.

Legacy Bike Playground

In November, our team officially opened the new Bike Playground. This new playground is the first if its type in Northwest Arkansas and one of the first in the country. Amenities include a beginning level circular trail, tunnels, ramps and a pump track that allows young riders to develop their cycling skills. Also included in the projects were benches, picnic tables and landscaping to make the total experience enjoyable for the entire family. The project was paid for in part by grants from the Walton Family Foundation and Visit Bentonville.

Greenway Tree Planting

In December of 2016, the Bentonville Parks and Recreation planted 120 large caliper (4.5” to 6”) trees along the Razorback Greenway. Sixty of the trees were planted along the Bentonville South Trail (21st street to 28th street) and 60 were planted along the Bentonville North Trail, beginning just north of the new Bicycle Playground and extending north along the Wishing Springs Trail. The trees were purchased from Select Trees from Athens, Georgia, using a grant from the WFF.

Wildwood Park Project in Partnership with Brightfield Middle School

In fall 2015, Parks and Recreation Staff worked closely with 5th grade science teachers from Brightfield Middle School. Students were learning about kinetic energy and as part of their study, students designed a playground apparatus. In January, 5th Grade Students, presented their playground designs to Mayor McCaslin, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, parents and the general public, in a science fair format. Parks and Recreation Staff worked with Game Time Playgroundsto create a sustainable design, with the elements the 5th grade students enjoy.

In November 2016, the playground was installed, and Brightfield Students celebrated the grand opening of the playground with an official ribbon cutting.

Two Cities Trail

Two Cities Trail was built in 2016. The trail has a 10’ wide path that runs approximately 1.7 miles from the BCC to Dodson Road where in the near future, Rogers will extend from Dodson to the Razobackback Greenway completing a loop around town. In addition, a Hawk Crossing was installed accross South Rainbow Road connecting Two Cities Trail.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Programs & Activities

Facility Report Bentonville Community Center In 2016, the Community Center served 401,867 visitors, and was awarded 2016 Facility of the Year by the Arkansas Recreation and Parks Association. In 2016, the Bentonville Community Center produced 5,039 active memberships and over 120 programs. The Bentonville Community Center continues to be the choice provider for citizens around Northwest Arkansas.

With a daily attendance of 1,104, patrons participated in the numerous activities and classes offered at the Community Center. Families utilized popular fitness classes with a total of 62,052 participants, as well as the Kids Center’s which had a total attendance of 31,657. The combined rentals for the facility were 505 events. The rentals included pool parties, conference meetings, and birthday parties. The Community Rooms accommodated 11,893 guests and the pool party room welcomed 5,560 guests.

The Bentonville Community Center had a great year in programming with 68,829 participants. Programs such as Aquatics, Senior Focus, Camps, Art classes, and Special Events gave citizens an opportunity to enhance their lives at the Community Center. Bentonville Parks and Recreation will continue to formulate new and unique programs to enrich lives through leisure, recreation and culture.

Downtown Activity Center

The Downtown Activity Center continues to be a recreation hub in downtown Bentonville. The DAC is a main meeting spot for cyclist and runners as well as fitness class participants with 24,000 patrons visiting in 2016. The DAC is the main source of information about recreational opportunities in Bentonville. In 2016, the DAC was host to the Run Bentonville Half Marathon Training Program, Couch to 5k Training Program, Picking at the DAC, and the Bentonville Film Festival Volunteer Hub. 238 bikes were rented from the DAC in 2016 and our conference room was rented 122 times this year.

Lawrence Plaza

Lawrence Plaza continues to shape the character of downtown Bentonville. In the summer time, 25,000 patrons splashed in the fountains at the Splash Park. In the winter, 13,000 patrons enjoyed skating at The Rink. Lawrence Plaza also serves host to several events during the year including the Square 2 Square Bike Ride, Frosty 5K, Bentonville Film Festival, New American Town Criterium and many other community events.

Fitness & Wellness Fitness and Wellness Classes

The Bentonville Community Center and Downtown Activity Center offer wellness classes which include 103 wellness classes, 11 aqua classes, and 16 mind and body classes. In 2016, there were 62,052 Wellness Class participants between the Community Center and the Downtown Activity Center.

In addition, adult individualized wellness options were offered such as personal training, wellness coaching, 12 weeks to success introductory wellness plan, weight room orientations, body assessments, and sport conditioning depending on the participant’s current fitness level.

Senior Focus

In 2016, the Silver Sneakers Program expanded to an all-time high of 310 patrons. The program allows eligible patrons 65 and older to have access to the Community Center and Downtown Activity Center, with full cost coverage from their insurance company. Senior Focus Fitness Programs have been on the rise as well, with an average of 25 participants in the Senior Fitness Wellness Class, and over 30 participants in the Monthly Senior Focus potluck socials. Also in 2016, the first Annual Grandparents and Grandchildren Dance was held at the Community Center. This two hour, dancing extravaganza had 80 participants, dancing and celebrating to a 1950’s Sock Hop theme.

Yoga in the Park

One of the more rewarding programs offered through Bentonville Parks and Recreation, is Yoga in the Park. Yoga in the Park takes place at Orchards Park every Saturday morning throughout the summer, free of charge. In 2016, Yoga in the Park had 537 participants in a total of 15 sessions, averaging 31 participants per session. In May of 2016, one session saw over 80 participants.

Recreation Programs Baseball

Bentonville Parks and Recreation facilitates the field usage for the local baseball league, operated by Bentonville Youth Baseball. Bentonville Youth Baseball serves 2,049 people annually by offering a baseball program for young boys ages 4-16. The program takes place at three different parks: Merchants Baseball Park, Memorial Park, and Phillips Park.

Bentonville Youth Baseball has been running the baseball program locally since 1954.

Softball

Bentonville Parks and Recreation served 969 girls in the 2016 softball program. 75 teams competed in the two seasonal leagues. The softball program offers a variety of programming for various skill levels of girls ages 3-16.

Games, practices, and activities took place at Memorial Park and Phillips Park.

Tournaments

In 2016, Bentonville Parks and Recreation held 18 tournaments across three different sports. Each sport was sanctioned with a national governing body: softball and baseball were sanctioned with the United States Specialty Sports Association and tennis was sanctioned with the United States Tennis Association. The tournaments brought 523 teams to Bentonville and 6,500 players to compete.

The tournaments took place in Bentonville at Memorial Park and Phillips Park. Each tournament held its own theme, rules, and specific format to provide a variety of offering for incoming teams. In July 2016, Bentonville was host to the USSSA Midwest National Championships in softball. 88 teams from 11 different states competed in the tournament. Bentonville is set to host the tournament again in 2017.

Soccer

Bentonville Youth Soccer continues to be one of the largest soccer programs in the state of Arkansas with 3,868 players in 2016. Nationally, soccer is currently the 3rd most participated in sport behind basketball and baseball/softball, but locally soccer has the largest participation over all other sports. The Bentonville Youth Soccer program emphasizes equal playing time and sportsmanship in a fun environment to grow the love of the game for our players.

In 2016, a recreation high school soccer league and the Plus 1 Program were introduced. The High School league was started in partnership with Sporting Arkansas to offer high school aged players the chance to play in a recreation league. Sporting Arkansas provided professional coaches for each team. The Plus 1 program is a developmental program that gives players an extra night a week of practice with a professional coach.

Tennis

The tennis program grew exponentially in 2016, with 3,253 participants. 2,449 private lessons were taught, and tennis programs offered through the year served 5 year olds to adults. Programming such as tennis drills, private lessons, cardio tennis workouts, leagues, and USTA Team Practices make up some of the offered programs. The tennis program has both a recreational component and a competitive component.

Aquatics

Bentonville Community Center - Competition & Leisure Pool

The Community Center was host for Bentonville High School, Bentonville West High School, NWAA Sharks, and the Bentonville Barracudas swim practice. In addition, the Community Center will host the High School State Championships for the next 5 years. 1,000 participants registered for group and private swim lessons.

The Bentonville Barracudas had 119 registered participants in 2016.

Melvin Ford Aquatic Center

Bentonville Parks and Recreation offered various programs for patrons to participate in over the summer.

31,521 swimmers enjoyed the Melvin Ford Aquatic Center. Wibit Wednesday, Jr. Lifeguard Camp, Youth Triathlon Camp, and Bentonville Barracuda Recreational Swim Team are programs that are always sought after during summer time. Melvin Ford swim lessons had 541 registered participants. During the summer, Bentonville Barracudas had 108 registered participants.

Run Bentonville Run Bentonville Race Series

Run Bentonville had 7,013 runners participate in the seven races throughout the year. Run Bentonville has been committed to the mental, physical, and social benefits of running. We strive to offer high quality events and programming that allows our runners to continue their own pursuit of physical and mental fitness while inspiring others in the process. Run Bentonville conducts several unique events and programs throughout the year to attract new runners and continue to grow the running community. Run Bentonville utilized 531 volunteers throughout the race series events.

Run Bentonville Training Programs

Our 5k and Half Marathon Training Programs help us to change the lives of our patrons who are just starting to begin a running regime. The Half Marathon Training Program filled 357 plus spots in just a few hours when registration opened on Labor Day.

Run Bentonville Half Marathon

The Run Bentonville Half Marathon celebrated its 6th year in April with 2822 participants competing the in the half marathon, relay, and 5k races. 2016 was the largest Run Bentonville Half Marathon to date. We saw an increase of 17% participation in the half marathon event alone. Additionally, there were over 31 states were represented in the race. The success of these races once again was due in part to our 531 volunteers.

Bike Bentonville Cycling Events

In 2016, Bike Bentonville offered six cycling events for riders of all ages and disciplines.

Mountain Bikers participated in the Slaughter Pen Jam Mountain Bike Festival, which was once again the largest cross-country mountain bike race in Arkansas and also the 19 & Under Mountain Bike Championships, a cross-country race only for kids ages 19 and under; the only race of its kind in the region. Road and trail cyclists enjoyed the bi-annual Square 2 Square Bike Ride which utilizes the Razorback Greenway from Bentonville to Fayetteville. Road riders also participated in Ride, Run, Rock N Roll which had a 25 and 55 mile road ride.

Cyclocross was added to the 2016 event list with the CycloPath Cyclocross race at Slaughter Pen and had the largest turnout for a CX race in the state.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Parks Maintenance & Improvements

Park Improvements & Maintenance Christmas Lights

In 2016, Bentonville Parks and Recreation installed a total of 1,008,400 lights or roughly 47.1 miles of Christmas lights on the Downtown Square. 834,240 white lights blanketed the tree branches and 14,000 red lights wrapped the tree trunks. 120,000 green lights enveloped the ground and 9,600 white rope lights dressed the knee walls. In addition, 24,000 red rope lights brought Christmas cheer to the light poles. Twenty 10� lighted orbs, totaling 2,000 lights, gave off a soft winter glow. Fifteen 3’ lighted grapevine balls, totaling 3,000 lights, added to the Christmas magic. A favorite feature was the 39 RGB light strands that cloaked the Bentonville Square Fountain. Christmas light installation started September 19th and lasted until November 18th. 3,448 hours were spent installing Christmas lights.

Bella Vista Lake Wildflower Meadow The Parks Maintenance Department is attempting to utilize wildflower meadows to increase visibility to our parks system, and also reduce the amount of mowing expenses.

One major wildflower meadow project was at Bella Vista Lake. A grant from the Walton Family Foundation allowed Parks and Recreation to initially seed this meadow in January 2016. A mix of 26 different species of plants, mostly native to the Southeast region of the United States, were used for the project. In the spring of 2016 three different species of Poppy began blooming in the meadow which ranged in color from orange to red to pink.

The Poppies faded around late-May and at that time many of the summer annuals and perennials such as Gaillardia, Coreopsis, Shasta daisy, Rudbeckia and Purple Coneflower began blooming. In the fall, Cosmos began blooming and many of the summer bloomers persisted.

Tennis Courts

Memorial Tennis Courts need to be resurfaced approximately every 5-7 years. In 2016, we resurfaced courts 5-8. This maintenance will keep the tennnis courts in favorable playing condition as well as aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The cost per court is approximately $5000.

Trail Signage

Trail signs identifiying all of our soft surface trails were installed in 2016 at Slaugther Pen, Park Springs, and Bella Vista Lake. These new signs are a new uniform design that is being used in Bentonville, Bella Vista, and Rogers.

Trail Art

Two art pieces were installed at the North Walton Tunnel and South Walton Tunnel. The Tunnel Vision Project was installed on October 14th at the North Walton Tunnel and Aura Activity was installed October 4th-6th at the South Walton Tunnel. The cost of each art piece installed was $2,000.

Citizens Park Restrooms

A new restroom/concession was built at Citizens Park in 2016. The facility is located on the SW corner of the park and will serve the new soccer fields as well as other areas of the park.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation Economics & Financial

Financial/ Economics Expense/ Recovery

In 2016, cost recovery was a strong focus for Bentonville Parks and Recreation. Our Department aimed at generating revenue to a sustainable point to offset the expense of operations. With the addition of the Bentonville Community Center in 2015, Bentonville Parks and Recreation had the opportunity to boost recreation offerings and increase revenue.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation achieved this goal with strategic planning , staffing, scheduling, and programming. According to the National Recreation and Parks Association, the average cost recovery for Parks and Recreation Departments is 29%. Bentonville Parks and Recreation exceeded the national average by covering our department’s expenses with our program revenue at a high rate. We achieved a 65% cost recovery and $3.9 million in revenue in 2016. This ranks Bentonville Parks and Recreation among some of the top departments in the nation.

Bentonville Community Center General Information

Total

General Information

Total

Total Attendance Average Daily Attendance

401,867 1,104

$146,915 120,989 1,420

Days Open Hours Open

Camp Revenue Camp Expense Camp Participants

667 4,965

Staff Expenditures Full Time Staff Hours Full Time Staff Expense

Aquatic Program Revenue Aquatic Program Expense Aquatic Participants

$119,295 $61,669 3,023

20,465 $361,758

Part Time Desk Staff Hours Part Time Desk Expense

24,781 $244,834

Fitness Revenue Fitness Expense Fitness Participants

$82,133 $186,858 62,052

Art Revenue Revenue Art Expense

$17,023 $9,651

Facility Revenue Senior Program Revenue Senior Program Expense Senior Participants

$1,510,469 5,039 309,789

Sports Program Revenue Sports Program Expense Sports Participants

$13,695 $6,658 103

Part Time Aquatic Staff Hours 23,543 $253,909 Part Time Aquatic Expense $860,501 Total Labor Expense Utilities Expense Electric Expense Water Expense Total Utilities

$424,650 $67,944 $492,594

Facility Revenue Membership Revenue Active Memberships Membership Usage

$1,510,469 5,039 309,789

Special Event Revenue Special Event Expense Special Event Participants

$7,755 $5,867 1,073

Day Pass Revenue Day Pass Attendance

$150,010 27,950

Dance Revenue Dance Expense Dance Participants

$5,869 $4,596 82

Rental Revenue Rental Attendance

$76,680 17,453

General Information

Total

Enrichment Revenue Enrichment Expense Enrichment Participants

$870 $240 332

Music Revenue Music Expense Music Participants

$910 $305 5

Under 5 Program Revenue Under 5 Program Expense Under 5 Participants

$9,605 $8,458 296

Miscellaneous

$12,405

Total Revenue Total Expenses Total Net Revenue

$2,158,976 $1,763,564 $395,412

Downtown Activity Center General Information

TOTAL

Total Attendance Average Daily Attendance Days Open Hours Open

23,999 81 297 3026

Staff Expenditures PT Desk Hours PT Desk Expense

3581 $42,972

Utilities Expense Electic Expense Water Expense Total Utilities

$10,808 $4,628 $15,436

Facility Revenue Bike Rentals Bike Rental Revenue Bike Rental Expense

259 $2,495 $1,586

Day Pass Revenue Day Pass Attendance

$1,585 296

Rental Revenue Rentals Pickin at the DAC Attendance

1680

Total Revenue Total Expenses Total Net Revenue

$4,635 $75,429 -$70,794

Melvin Ford Aquatic Center General Information JAN-APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT-DEC

TOTAL

Total Attendance Days Open Hours Open Average Daily Attendance Average Saturday Attendance Average Sunday Attendance Highest Daily Attendance

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

729 4 36 182 167 302 302

15,736 30 352 249 366 397 487

10,385 31 332 191 179 148 553

4,329 31 251 190 104 103 466

342 5 27 68 31 59 203

31,521 101 998 176 169 202

Staff Expenditures PT Manager Hours PT Manager Expense PT Head Guard Hours PT Head Guard Expense PT Lifeguard Hours PT Lifeguard Expense Total Labor Expense

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

19 $249 15 $195 146 $1,614 $2,059

479 $6,459 223 $2,902 1,607 $17,674 $27,036

402 $5,423 135 $1,761 2,678 $29,463 $36,648

308 $4,158 122 $1,586 1,571 $17,281 $23,025

8 $101 0 $0.00 78 $858 $959

1,214 $16,392 495 $6,444 6,081 $66,891 $89,728

$6,626 $416 $7,043

$1,840 $1,503 $3,344

$4,358 $4,277 $8,635

$4,033 $3,430 $7,464

$2,221 $1,931 $4,152

$11,382 $3,782 $15,164

$30,462 $15,342 $45,805

Chemical Expense Chlorine Expense CO2 Total Chemical Expense

N/A N/A N/A

$8,667 $463 $9131

$8,387 $463 $8,852

$8,667 $463 $9,131

$8,667 $463 $9,131

N/A N/A

$34,389 $1,855 $36,245

Facility Revenue Day Pass Revenue Day Pass Attendance

N/A N/A

$19,494 8,212

$12,062 5,029

$5,404 2,206

$804 323

Utilities Expense Electic Expense Water Expense Total Utilities

$1,484 631

$39,248 16,401

General Information

JULY

AUG

SEPT-DEC

TOTAL

$70 35

$104 52

$1,074 446

$1,720 769

N/A N/A

$7,500 N/A

N/A N/A

$2,921 2,925

$10,421 2,925

N/A N/A N/A

$850 4 250

$3,100 13 800

$1,050 5 300

N/A N/A N/A

$5,000 22 1,350

$6,740 N/A N/A

$8,390 NA N/A

$6,135 $4,530 $4,160 $4,000 332 209

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

$25,795 $8,160 541

Swim Team Revenue Swim Team Expense Swim Team Participants

$940 N/A N/A

$2,810 $1,440 N/A

$1,920 $870 $1,440 N/A

N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

$6,540 $2,880 84

Total Revenue Total Expenses Total Net Revenue

$7,680 $0.00 $7,680

$12,684 $28,871 $28,132 $9,480 $4,800 $91,646 $2,239 $29,344 $39,864 $25,026 $1,044 $182,818 $10,445 -$474 -$11,732 -$15,547 $3,755 -$91,173

JAN-APRIL

MAY

JUNE

Camps/Group Revenue Camp/Group Attendance

N/A N/A

N/A N/A

$472 236

Special Events Revenue Special Events Attendance

N/A N/A

N/A N/A

Pool Rental Revenue Pool Rentals Pool Rental Attendance

N/A N/A N/A

Swim Lesson Revenue Swim Lesson Expense Swim Lesson Participants

Lawrence Plaza General Information

JAN

MAY-SEPT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

Total Attendance Days Open Hours Open Average Daily Attendance Average Saturday Attendance Average Saturday Attendance Average Sunday Attendance Highest Daily Attendance

2279 14 79 163 62 180 107 447

25,028 128 1408 196 331 437 251 1047

2,801 11 71.75 253 474 528 174 572

7,607 29 176 262 343 380 157 736

37,715 182 1,736

1054 $11,594 $11,594

623 $6,862 $6,862

969 $10,664 $10,664

3,591 $39,522 $39,522

Staff Expenditures PT Hours PT Expense Total Labor Expense

945 $10,402 $10,402

1,047

Utilities Expense Electric Expense Water Expense Total Utilities

$3,633 $211 $3,844

$3,036 $5,820 $8,856

$1,675 $203 $1,877

$2,990 $244 $3,234

$11,333 $6,478 $17,811

Chemical Expense Chlorine Expense CO2 Total Chemical Expense

$0 $0 $0

$1,020 $395 $1,415

$0 $0 $0

$0 $0 $0

$1,020 $395 $1,415

Facility Revenue Day Pass Revenue Season Pass Revenue Season Passes

$8,444 $50 $1

N/A N/A N/A

$11,880 $3,300 $66

$35,525 $2,050 $41

$55,849 $5,400 $108

Skate Lesson Revenue Skate Lesson Attendance Skate Lesson Expense

$360 6 $900

N/A N/A $0

$1,140 30 $0

$240 24 $1,400

$1,740 60 $2,300

General Information

JAN

Skate Rental Revenue

$900

Special Event Revenue Special Event Attendace

MAY-SEPT

NOV

N/A

$153

N/A 1,400

$625 62

DEC

TOTAL

$900

$1,953 $625

Letters to Santa Letter to Santa Expense

N/A $0

N/A $0

460 $404

663 $0

1,123 $404

Total Revenue Total Expenses Total Net Revenue

$9,754 $15,146 $-5,392

$0 $21,865 $21,865

$17,098 $9,143 $7,955

$38,715 $15,298 $23,417

$65,567 $61,452 $4,115

Recreation & Event Report Program/ Event

Adult Kickball Adult Soccer Adult Tennis Aquatics Programming Art Programs Baseball Tournaments BCC Halloween Festivities BCC Martin Luther King Jr. Event BCC Santa Photos BCC Sports Programs BCC Veterans Day Celebration Bike Events Camp Bentonville Community-Based Programs DAC Bike Rentals Dance Classes Easter at Orchards Enrichment Classes Evening at Orchards Park Family-Friendly Dances Family-Friendly Programs Fitness Assessments Fitness Challenges Ice Skating Lessons Kids Fitness Programs Kids Night Out Movies in the Park Music Class Personal Training Race Series RB Half Marathon RB Training Program Sand Volleyball

Participants

Gross Revenue

336 1,049 208 232 265 3,228 85 58 420 103 17 3,007 1,420 471 259 82 3,500 332 10,000 675 15,500 95 207 68 203 126 1,425 5 1,471 4,165 2,877 357 368

$6,000 $27,625 $10,950 $16,646 $17,023 $130,486 $405 $0 $0 $13,695 $0 $68,616 $146,915 $0 $2,495 $5,896 $0 $870 $0 $8,977 $0 $1,005 $11,465 $3,420 $6,476 $2,935 $0 $910 $54,991 $104,380 $169,284 $53,205 $5,900

Expenses

$4,278 $13,502 $9,308 $11,610 $9,651 $79,001 $465 $94 $289 $6,658 $300 $35,871 $120,989 $683 $0 $4,596 $8,505 $240 $12,475 $13,693 $28,913 $0 $5,500 $865 $4,747 $2,123 $4,379 $305 $36,570 $46,217 $73,781 $33,300 $2,235

Program/ Event

School of Fitness Senior Programming Softball Tournaments Special Event Rentals Swim Lessons Swim/ Dive Meets Tennis Lessons U5 Programs Wellness Classes Yappy Hour Yoga in the Park Youth Soccer Youth Softball Youth Tennis TOTALS

Participants

18 178 3,048 34,793 2,791 1,480 2,735 170 62,250 750 500 3,868 969 631 166795

Gross Revenue

$1,050 $5,342 $81,803 $11,363 $102,649 $0 $105,420 $6,670 $2,642 $0 $0 $200,965 $69,995 $105,654 $1,564,123

Expenses

$703 $5,179 $56,126 $0 $50,059 $0 $85,685 $6,335 $132,965 $1,350 $395 $98,821 $51,960 $93,011 $1,153,732

Economics Economics of Parks

As Bentonville Parks and Recreation strives to be the choice provider in recreation, our efforts brought both regional and national recognition. This allowed our department to make Bentonville a premier destination for tourists, travelers, and families looking to participate in our many sports programs and events. In 2016, Bentonville Parks and Recreation hosted 20 tournaments, including the 13AA United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) State Baseball Championship, the USSSA Midwest National Fastpitch Championship, the Great American Conference (GAC) Tennis Championship, and many others. Our department continued to preserve the Run Bentonville Half Marathon and Slaughter Pen Jam Mountain Bike Festival as premiere destination events. These programs boost Bentonville's economy by bringing participants to our hotels, restaurants, and stores. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the impacts based on the National Association of Sports Commissions standards. In addition, Bentonville Parks and Recreation increased its total economic impact by 20% in 2016 compared to 2015.

• • • •

Sport Programs: $2,156,723 College Sports: $223,804 Running and Cycling events: $594,512 Total Economic Impact: $2,975,039