TABLE OF CONTENTS SigniďŹ cant Accomplishments Department Overview Organizational Chart Developing our Parks Improving our Parks Upcoming Projects Planning our Parks Maintaining our Parks Improving our Operations Maintaining our Playgrounds Maintaining our Trails Events in our Parks Engaging our Community Urban Forest & Natural Areas Cemetery Community Gardens Life is Cool at the Pool Keeping Billings Active We Make Aging Fun Patrolling our Parks Financial Overview
1 2 3 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 18 20 22 23 24 27 28 29
2019 Significant Accomplishments • New playground equipment was installed at Primrose Park. The new playground features a large selec on of play features for all different ages and ability levels. • 2 new vault restrooms with ADA accessible parking and a route to the restrooms were constructed at Riverfront Park adjacent to Norm’s Island. • Thanks to a Land Water Conserva on Fund grant; staff was able to install addi onal ameni es at Hawthorne Park including 4 shade structures and five pieces of musical play equipment. • The pump sta on at Riverfront Park was replaced. The old pump had well exceeded its useful life. A new Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) pump sta on was installed. This makes the fourth VFD pump sta on in the parks, Veterans, Amend and Stewart all have been updated. • The Parks Division is moving to a new irriga on control system (IQ Central Control System) for all irrigated parks. The transi on began in 2019 when 7 parks were converted to the new system. • The Recrea on Division implemented new so ware and hardware components to our RecTrac registra on so ware. These new components include a Point-of-Sale system for Rose Park Pool and the StrikeZone Ba ng Cages and a Facility Management system. • Phase 1 of Centennial Park is under construc on. • Thanks to funding from the South Billings Urban Renewal Authority tax increment-financing district, funding has been made available to develop a synthe c soccer/lacrosse field. Once the design has been completed and permits obtained, construc on will proceed, most likely in the spring of 2020.
Department Overview And Who We Are WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO
Our mission is to provide accessible, safe and quality parks, facilities, open spaces and recreational opportunities for all. WHAT WE ASPIRE TO BE
To be Montana’s Leader in connecting people, nature and healthy lifestyles.
Michael Whitaker Director Customer Service Coordinator
Administrative Support II
Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator
Park Planner Park Police OďŹƒcer
Parks, Urban Forestry & Cemetery Division Parks Superintendent Parks Supervisor
Parks, Cemetery Supervisor
Forester/ Natural Resources Supervisor
6 Senior Equipment Operator/ Maintenance Workers
Senior Equipment Operator/ Maintenance Worker
1.5 Arborist
5.5 Equipment Operator/ Maintenance Workers
2 Equipment Operator/ Maintenance Workers
Mechanic
Recreation, Aquatics & Senior Services Division Recreation Superintendent 3 Recreation Specialists Senior Services Specialist Admin Support I Facility Maintenance Support II
Developing Our Parks Centennial Park Phase 1 In June of this year, construc on began on the development of Centennial Park. This is the first Community Park built since the early 1980s. Centennial Park is located on the northwest corner of 32nd Street West and St Johns Avenue and is 23 acres in size. Ameni es in the first phase of park development will include a fenced 6-acre dog off- leash area, 2 large mul use open areas, an 81 stall off-street parking lot, an internal sidewalk system, a year round restroom facility, irriga on and grass. The exis ng four baseball fields will remain. Unfortunately, due to early snow storms and cold weather, work has been suspended. It is an cipated that the project will be completed early spring of 2020, weather dependent. The park has been designated as an arboretum and funds from the very successful “Trash for Trees” recycling program will be used by Parks Staff to purchase and plant trees over
the next 3 to 5 years. The arboretum will display a wide variety of trees that can grow in the Billings area. Trees will be iden fied and informa on will be made available to the public. Even though construc on will be completed this coming sping, the grass will need me to germinate and grow into a thick enough turf to support ac vi es. This will likely take several weeks into the summer months to be established. We ask that the public be pa ent and allow this process to occur. Future phase II development of Centennial Park will include a large and small picnic shelter, a des na on playground, a splash pad, pickleball and basketball courts, 2 addi onal small parking lots, and 4 shelters and pathways in the dog off leash area.
Improving Our Parks Playground at Primrose Park
This past summer the Parks and Recrea on Department installed new playground equipment at Primrose Park. The design of the project was in collabora on with the School District 2 Quest Program (see page 17 for more informa on). The playground was officially opened with a ribbon cu ng ceremony in which the students of the Quest Program were able to a end alongside Mayor Cole and School District 2 Superintendent Greg Upham. The new playground features a large selec on of play features for all different ages and ability levels.
Norms Island Restrooms Restroom needs at Norm’s Island have always been served by portable outhouses. Portable outhouses require constant maintenance, pumping, and they freeze in the winter. Through the Montana Department of Jus ce, Natural Resource Damage Program, grant money became available to replace the outhouses. This grant money is compensa on paid to the State for damages and loss of use of the Yellowstone River during the oil spill in 2011. Two new vault restrooms with ADA accessible parking and a route to the restrooms were constructed. This project was a coopera ve effort between the Parks Department, the MT DOJ, Natural Resource Damage Program and the Yellowstone River Parks Associa on.
Annafeld Parks Within the Annafeld Subdivision located west of Maloney Lane and south of Elysian Road, are 4 new parks. Three of these are pocket parks nestled in among houses that provide in mate open space for residents to enjoy. A fourth larger 5-acre park located next to the Yellowstone River will provide a variety of outdoor ac vi es including a playground and open space to recreate. Along the east side of the subdivision is a so surface trail providing access from the large 5-acre park north of it to an exis ng trail along Elysian Road.
Improving Our Parks Hawthorne Park Shade Structures In 2018, the Hawthorne Park Playground equipment was replaced. Thanks to a Land Water Conserva on Fund (LWCF) grant; staff were able to install addi onal ameni es at the park including four shade structures and five pieces of musical play equipment. These addi onal features will provide much needed shade on hot summer days and more inclusive play features in the playground.
Optimist Park Playground
In early March of 2019,the Op mist Park Playground received new play equipment and fall protec on, a welcome upgrade since the old equipment had reached the end of its useful life. Through a coopera ve partnership with South Billings Urban Renewal Authority (SBURA), funding was provided to purchase and install new equipment. Billings Parks, Recrea on and Public lands (PRPL) managed the project and provided labor and equipment to remove old playground pieces, prepare the site for new equipment and install the new fall protec on saving the project nearly $30,000. The Parks Crew removed the old playground along with 750c/y of sand and soil to prepare the site for construc on. On May 30th PRPL hosted a ribbon cu ng ceremony to mark the grand opening of the new playground, just in me for summer.
Irrigation Pump at Riverfront Park The pump sta on at Riverfront Park was replaced this summer. The old pump had well-exceeded its useful life. A new Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) pump sta on was installed. This makes the fourth VFD pump sta on in our parks; Veterans, Amend and Stewart all have been updated. VFD pump sta ons run smoother, and are more efficient, producing shorter run mes and u lizing up to 15% less energy. The installa on of the new pump decreased day me watering by 50%, reducing the amount of water needed to irrigate and minimizing impacts to Park users.
Amend Park Synthetic Turf Field Thanks to the South Billings Urban Renewal Authority (SBURA) tax increment-financing district, funding has been made available to develop a synthe c turf Soccer/Lacrosse field. This new venue is currently in the design phase. It will include a regula on size high school field, 500-seat bleachers, and field ligh ng. This new field will allow for an extended playing season making it possible to play games earlier in the spring and later in the fall. Also, with the addi on of field lights, games can be played later into the evenings, allowing for more games played. Once the field has been designed and permits obtained, construc on will proceed, likely in spring of 2020 as soon as weather permits access to the site.
Upcoming Projects Rose Park Playground Replacement The playground at Rose Park is due for replacement because many of the needed replacement pieces are no longer manufactured. Billings Parks and Recrea on Department plans to renovate the exis ng playground with new state-ofthe-art equipment that will drama cally increase playability and fun, while at the same me inclusive and accessible. To assist with this project, the Parks and Recrea on Department applied for and received a Land Water Conserva on Fund (LWCF)grant that will help make this a des na on playground. Over the winter, plans will be prepared and equipment selected, then next spring, as weather permits, equipment will be delivered and installed ready for play in 2020.
Lillis Park Court Resurfacing Large cracks at the Lillis Tennis Courts have developed in the surface and the colored overlay is peeling o making the courts unsafe for play. Resurfacing will be necessary to make these repairs. The Parks department is in communica on with pickleball groups in the community about the need for a dedicated pickleball loca on. Lillis Park tennis courts are a perfect ďŹ t since they need to be resurfaced and would only remove two courts from the current tennis court inventory, minimizing impact on the tennis community. A er comple on, the two old courts will become six dedicated pickleball courts. Local pickleball groups are interested in collabora ng with the Parks Department to enhance the courts beyond just resurfacing. Due to weather constraints, resurfacing will not be able to begin un l late spring 2020.
Ponderosa Park Playground Replacement Ponderosa Park is a very busy neighborhood park south of King Avenue East and west of Ponderosa Elementary School. This playground was installed nearly 25 years ago and over me has become obsolete with many replacement parts no longer available, necessita ng their removal to maintain a safe playground. Billings Parks and Recrea on sta are currently working to design a new playground with the latest play features that will be inclusive and accessible and a lot more fun. It is an cipated that equipment will be purchased over the winter and installed in spring 2020 as soon as the weather permits.
North Park Irrigation System North Park is a very popular park with a wide variety of ameni es including a playground, splash pad, picnic shelters, a neighborhood center and large open spaces for a variety of ac vi es and events. Currently, the park is irrigated by a manual system that is over 50 years old and needs to be operated by an a endant during the day, limi ng recrea onal access to por ons of the park. In this Fiscal Year, City Council approved funding to replace this an quated system with a new automated system that will not only allow the park to be irrigated at night, limi ng impacts to day me park users, but will free up the a endant to focus on other du es. It is an cipated the new system will be designed and bid over the winter with construc on beginning early spring of 2020 weather permi ng.
Planning Our Parks Coulson Park Master Plan Coulson Park is the site of the original town of Coulson along the Yellowstone River established in 1877, pre-da ng the city of Billings. It figures prominently in the early se lement efforts of this part of Montana. In 2018, efforts got under way to do a master plan for this 55-acre parcel to iden fy and understand the current condi ons of the park, to generate and build community interest and par cipa on in shaping a new and common vision of the parks’ future, and to develop a clear set of recommenda ons and implementa on strategy. Billings Parks and Recrea on collaborated with Big Sky Economic Development Authority (BSEDA), who provided fi y percent of the funding for the master plan, to appoint DHM Design out of Bozeman to undertake the study. From the very beginning of the study, engaging the community to get their input, ideas and sugges ons was a top priority. A er all, who be er to inform the direc on of the plan than the ci zens who will ul mately use the Park? A Steering Commi ee of ci zens and stakeholders was formed to advise the Parks and Recrea on Department. Many mee ngs with user groups, stakeholders, City Council and special interest groups were held to seek their input. Addi onally, numerous outreach efforts were organized, including providing opportuni es for feedback at the Strawberry Fes val, Ales for Trails, the Phillips 66 Annual Picnic at South Park and other community mee ngs. There was a special website created www. coulsonpark.com where ci zens could track progress and provide input along the way. The final plan has five components: 1. Coulson South, the entrance to the park with features including parking, a large shelter and lawn, nature playground, ar sts point and beach area. 2. Central Spine contains a dog park, Bike Park, landscape berms and outlook point, creek and wetland crea on and a shade structure. 3. Coulson Center includes central parking, a promenade, Coulson Square, a pavilion, berm and amphitheater sea ng and Coulson Pond. 4. River north contains parking, improved boat ramp, day-use/picnic sites, game area, Sculpture Park and a nature play area. 5. Far North Corridor includes a river overlook, and inspira on point. The plan, which is nearly complete, will go before the Parks, Recrea on and Cemetery Board some me a er the first of the year for their review and recommenda on to the City Council. Following that, it will go before the City Council for their considera on and adop on.
Maintaining Our Parks Open Lands and Parks are a cri cal part of a vibrant healthy community. Since 1913 when the first park was dedicated, we have been crea ng and maintaining Billing's public space and protec ng the environment. Today woven throughout the city are 2,704 acres of park land. . Almost 10% of the land area of the city is set aside for Parks for the public to enjoy and recreate in. Parks vary in size and func on from large, community parks like Castle Rock, Pioneer and North, to smaller neighborhood parks like Trails End, Ponderosa, and Francis. The 2,704 acres consists of 1,223 acres of developed parks such as Sacajawea park, 1,213 acres of natural area parks like Riverfront and 268 acres of undeveloped parkland. The diversity in the parks system provides for a wide variety of ac vi es and experiences. Besides providing scenic beauty, Parks serve as sites for scien fic inquiry and educa onal opportunity, contribute environmental benefits like oxygen produc on, urban cooling, and filtering par culates from the air. Addi onally, we provide a vast array of recrea onal opportuni es for almost everyone’s interests and abili es. We take great pride in the care that we give our Parks and Natural Areas for the enjoyment and be erment of all ci zens in the Billings Community!
2,704
Acres of Total Parkland
1,223
1,213
Acres of Acres of Natural Developed Parks Area Parks
24,000 Acres Mowed Annually
A Park sweeper removes plugs from the turf at Dehler Park a er comple ng Aera on
160,000
Mutt Mitt Bags Provided
Maintaining Our Parks The Parks and Public Lands Division uses modern science to maintain and prepare Park spaces for public use. Integrated management prac ces like soil tests, targeted pes cide applica ons, and precise irriga on prac ces are used to safely and efficiently keep the parks healthy, whether it is in a developed park like Op mist or in an undeveloped park like Pow Wow. Below are some of the steps we take to improve our Parks.
Integrated Turf Management Parks uses an integrated management approach to provide a healthy stand of grass in all parks, and provide a safe surface for spor ng events. This integrated management approach includes using proper irriga on, fer lizer and targeted plant protectants along with proper mowing and other cultural prac ces like aera on. Using this integrated approach produces a healthy stand of turf while minimizing inputs like herbicides.
48,000
lbs of fertilizer applied
2,200
Acres treated for weeds
26
Restrooms
opened/closed daily
Park crew members aerate the turf at Amend Park.
250
Garbage Cans located in Parks
Improving Our Operations
1,200
Cubic Yards of Playground Fall Protection added
IQ Central Control Irrigation Systems
The Parks Department is moving to a new irriga on control system for all irrigated parks. The transi on began in 2019 when 7 parks were converted to the new system. The new pla orm enables staff to access the controls remotely and allow for more precise management of the system. Park staff can now fine tune the system by turning off irriga on because of rain, or increasing the amount of water because it is a hot day. The new system is a centralized system allowing for the control of all systems from any computer. The system also allows for mul ple sensors to assist in controlling irriga on run mes and offers flow managed programs. By having the ability to control irriga on to this level from remote loca ons there will be water and power savings, and the turf will be healthier.
IQ Central Irriga on controls at Amend Park
Automated Vehicle Location Technology The Parks Division has installed Automa c Vehicle Loca on technology into our Park vehicles, a GPS system that helps us track vehicle loca on allowing us to reduce drive mes and fuel costs by op mizing travel routes. By having the ability to locate vehicles in real me, we can instantaneously relocate workers based on their loca on and availability.
Maintaining Our Playgrounds Playgrounds Inspections The Parks Division has 6 cer fied Playground Inspectors on Staff who inspect and monitor the condi ons of our playground on an ongoing basis. There are currently 38 Playgrounds located within City parks that are inspected by our staff. Addi onally, the engineered wood fiber fall protec on is raked rou nely to ensure adequate protec on in areas of high use. When playground features are deemed to be unsafe, they are temporarily closed un l replacement parts can be ordered and installed.
Maintaining Our Trails
Miles of Hard Surface Multi-Use Trails
Miles of Soft Surface Trails
As the Heritage Trail system develops throughout the community, it will provide recrea onal opportuni es as well as an alternate transporta on corridor. Benches, picnic tables, shelters, trailheads, signage and restrooms are in place or being added to enahce the trail. As part of our Trail maintenance program, the Parks division mows trail edges once per month in natural area parks during the growing season to prevent tall grasses
Snow removal locations including Heritage Trail system
from encroaching onto trails. All hard surface trails were swept four mes during the summer to remove debris and materials that may be hazardous to trail users. Addi onally, we do our best to keep the trails open year round, removing snow from all paved mul -use trails throughout the winter months. The trail system is checked daily for trash, graffi and other poten al problems.
Events in Our Parks
The Magic City Balloon Fes val held at Amend Park
169 Park Use Permits
283 Building Rentals
575 Shelter Rentals
Community Connections
The Department works with over 80 organiza ons throughout the community to facilitate events in our Parks, ranging from large community events to company picnics. Some of the most notable events include Billings Symphony in the Park, Big Sky State Games, Saturday Live, Healthy By Design Southside Farmers Market, Heart & Sole Run, and many more! The following are organiza ons that we work with to ensure successful community events: Billings Scorpions Lacrosse Boulder Arrowhead Li le League Burlington Central Li le League Billings family YMCA
Billings High School Lacrosse
Billings United Soccer
Magic City Balloon Fest
Faith E Church
Healthy by Design Southside Farmers Market
Ironwood HOA
Alzheimer’s Associa on
Black Heritage Founda on
Peoples Community Outreach Roaring 20s Auto Club Picnic
Zarias Pink Ladiez
Heights Na onal Li le League
South Side Neighborhood Task Force
Riverside Li le League
Disc Golf of Billings
Billings Jaycees
Billings Tennis Associa on
Downtown Billings Alliance
Big Sky State Games
The Family Tree Center
Triple Play Academy
United Steel Workers
Montana Amateur SportsBillings Rugby Football Club Heart & Sole Run POWER Engineers Billings Central Big Sky li le League Upper Deck Baseball Yellowstone RimRunners Na onal MS Society Billings Kiwanis Club MSUB
Goal Fest 3v3 Soccer Tournament
July 5th Summer Jam Billings Hispanic Fiesta Eide Baily LLP Tractor & Equipment Riverstone Health
Brand Safeway Gracepoint Church Christs Church of Billings Billings all original car show Billings Federal Credit Union Local 532 1BEW Re rees
St. Vincent Healthcare Turley Dental Costco Phillips 66
Billings Jaycees 406 Race Series Yellowstone Valley Out of the Darkness Walk Billings American Legion Baseball
Her Campaign/Run for Her Montana Womens Run
Thomae Lumber
Avitus Group
Montana Marathon
Absorka Region porches Club of America
Saturday Live Yellowstone Relay for Life
Fraternal Order of Eagles #176
Exxon Mobile
Zoo Montana
Billings SymphonySymphony in the Park
Union Labor Day Picnic
Cys c Fibrosis Founda on
Riverstone Health
Harvest Church-Celebrate Freedom Meadow Lark Companies
406 Pride United Luv Montana Walk for Apraxia Burn the Point
Firefly Movies in the Park Disc Golf Billings MSU Exten on Office United Way of Yellowstone County Montana Shakespeare in the Parks
Engaging Our Community Volunteer Programs and Projects
990
Volunteers
4,056
Volunteer Hours
98
Volunteer Projects and Events Volunteers from Downtown Rotary Club clean up li er at Swords Park
The Parks and Recrea on Department formally began a volunteer program in 2013 when the Volunteer Coordinator was hired. The program began with the focus of connec ng community members to volunteer experiences in the Parks and Recrea on Department. The du es quickly evolved into the broader focus of community outreach. The outreach program includes special events, volunteer projects and programs, community garden oversight, grant wri ng and fundraising. These efforts are in coopera on with the other divisions of the Parks and Recrea on Department. Through these community engagement efforts, ci zens have the chance to learn more about the department’s mission while ge ng involved through volunteerism and special events.
Volunteer groups make up the bulk of the projects that take place during the year. Some of the volunteer groups include: churches, service clubs, athle c teams, corporate volunteers and the universi es. They complete projects throughout the park system. Their projects vary from pain ng structures and graffi removal to plan ng trees and working at the community gardens. Park Ranger and Bike Patrol Volunteers work from May through September patrolling the parks and trails, repor ng issues and serving as Park Ambassadors.
Volunteers from the Billings Navy Opera onal Support Center work with Park staff to install a swing set at Central Park
Engaging Our Community
Shiloh Tunnel Project The Shiloh Bike Tunnel project started with Monica Hill, a mother who enjoyed walking with her 4 children on the Arrowhead to Rimrock West trail through the Shiloh underpass Tunnel. O en, she would no ce offensive graffi in the tunnel and decided to make a difference. She began volunteering with the Parks and Recrea on Department to paint over graffi as it appeared in the tunnel. She had a vision, however, to reclaim the tunnel and beau fy it in a way that our community could be proud of. She researched
local ar sts and began working with local professional graffi ar sts from Undergound Culture Krew. Together they designed and painted two large, unique designs at the East and West entrances of the tunnel. They also coordinated with Arrowhead Elementary school to have children in the community put their hand prints through the length of the inside of the tunnel. Finally, local ar sts Emilie Stricker and Edee Weigel used extra paint to create two addi onal murals on both sides of the east entrance of the tunnel.
Project Backboard Project backboard was an idea brought to the Parks and Recrea on Department by a group of High School Seniors who wanted to complete a Senior Project that would enhance the community and add art to our public spaces. A er comple ng a design highligh ng the beauty of our state, these eager young ar sts got to work. The project took over 100 hours of volunteered hours to complete and was done completely by hand, using common pain ng supplies. This mural is located at Lillis Park and has received abundant praise from residents and park users.
Engaging Our Community Arbor Day Arbor Day is a holiday which celebrates trees and takes place in communi es across the world. Billings Parks and Recrea on holds an annual Arbor Day celebra on that includes volunteer park improvement projects and educa on booths for around 450 local fourth grade students. The students rotate through a series of educa onal booths put on by 24 local organiza ons. Arbor Day 2019 was held at Central Park. The Arbor Day 2020 celebra on will take place on May 7th at North Park.
24 Education Booths 446 Fourth Grade Students 410 Volunteer Hours 38 Trees Planted
Refresh the Rims The Seventh Annual Refresh the Rims Event took place in October, drawing over 130 volunteers from the community. Volunteers are broken into 8 groups, each taking a sec on of the Rims to clean. This year we cleaned a total of 4.5 miles of Parkland along the top and base of the Rims. This event is in partnership with the MSUB Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program
130 Volunteers 4.5 Miles of Rims Parkland Cleaned Refresh the Rims Volunteers clean a sec on of Parkland along the 6th Ave bypass
Eagle Scout Projects
Eagle Scout Projects are an increasing part of the volunteer program. In 2019, there were 7 scouts who earned their eagle scout badge with the Parks and Recrea on Department. The projects ranged from large pain ng projects and building structures at the Community Gardens, to Installing Blue bird nest boxes on Parkland on the West End and the Heights. The Blue Bird Nes ng Box projects included the installa on of 20 blue bird nest boxes. Blue Birds are in decline due to habitat loss, as well as compe on for nes ng areas with more aggressive non-na ve birds. The Parkland Blue Bird restora on eorts are in conjunc on with the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society, who will monitor and care for the boxes into the future.
124 Eagle Scout Project Volunteers 486 Eagle Scout Volunteer Hours
Engaging Our Community School District 2 Quest Program Primrose Playground Design The installa on of the Primrose Park Playground project was a culmina on of a partnership with School District #2 Quest Program where Parks and Recrea on staff met with students and taught them about playgrounds, their func on, types of play equipment and play value, accessibility, safety and inclusive play. The Quest Playground unit of study was based on the Na onal Associa on of Gi ed Children standards and best prac ces in gi ed educa on, which include finding and solving real world problems, working with experts in a field, and sharing findings with an authen c audience.
Design The students worked in teams to research natural play vs. playground play, collected and evaluated data regarding the play value at parks, used geometry to configure space, developed blueprints of Primrose Park, and listened to an expert in the field of landscape architecture. They had several criteria to consider when doing their planning including the use of inclusive and accessible features, mee ng the needs of different age groups and abili es, leaving space for safety zones and room for play, and determining safety surfacing op ons, as well as the rules to follow for equipment.
Display Nine teams of students designed and built a scale model of their plans for the Primrose Park playground. On January 22nd the students par cipated in a “Playground Parade” where they displayed their scale models and made presenta ons to parents. Students, parents, and teachers voted on the top three designs. The most popular design was used as a guide for the installa on of the new playground equipment at Primrose Park.
Celebrate On October 1st the children who worked so hard to learn about and create their playground designs were able to a end the ribbon cu ng and see the final product of their labor. Both Mayor Cole and School District 2 Superintendent, Greg Upham, took part in the Ribbon Cu ng event.
Urban Forest and Natural Areas
110 Trees Planted 4 Memorial Trees Planted 130 Trees Mulched 705 Trees Pruned 319 large trees, 385 small trees 216 Trees removed 189 by Forestry Staff, 27 by contractors (>5” dbh)
The City of Billings Urban Forestry team manages Billings ~10,000 trees in Parks, Golf Courses, Cemeteries and other public places as well as the vegeta on in ~35 “natural areas” that extend over 1,400 acres in and around the Billings area. The Urban Forestry staff includes a City Forester and an Arborist working year-round, and a second arborist and several seasonal Forestry Technicians working spring through fall. It is our goal to make Billings Park trees as safe and sustainable as possible and a special point of pride we have is that we prune all of our trees on a seven-year cycle, a Best Management Prac ce many ci es strive for but few are able to a ain.
(<5” dbh)
We also plant, mulch, water, fence trees and do whatever else is required to make them thrive. And, we watch for problems that might affect Parks and Natural Areas. We are par cularly concerned about the eventual arrival of the emerald ash borer so are gradually reducing the number of ash trees under our care and replacing them with other species making for a more resilient, interes ng and diverse urban forest. We are concerned about invasive species in our Natural Areas and are making significant efforts to control these, in par cular by ac vely removing buckthorn from Riverfront Park. Our mission is to passionately provide excellent tree care and natural area management to the Ci zens of Billings, Montana by the work described above.
Weed Abatements
Before
A er
The Forestry Department is charged with doing weed abatements throughout the city each year. On proper es with untended vegeta on growing to a height of 12” or taller that are reported to us by the City’s Code Enforcement Division we will mow to a height of 4” or less. In 2019 the Weed Abatement crew mowed 79 proper es, with the majority of these coming in July.
Urban Forest and Natural Areas Riverfront Park Buckthorn Removal
This year the Parks and Recrea on Forestry Division was hard at work removing Buckthorn from Riverfront Park. This project was made possible from a matching grant from the Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program Development Grant. Our work at Riverfront Park is part of an effort to maintain the park as a natural-origin, stream side forest with a high density of mature Co onwood trees. Buckthorn is a serious problem because it is highly invasive and grows so thickly that it crowds out all other vegeta on. It is a successful compe tor because it can grow in full sunlight or in dense shade. It is the first plant to leaf out in the spring and the last to retain leaves in the fall, giving it a compe ve advantage over other vegeta on. It reproduces only by seed but produces an abundance of seeds each year. Its seeds are a potent purga ve and inges ng them causes nausea, vomi ng and diarrhea. Seeds either fall beneath parent plants or are spread by birds or small mammals who eat the fruits and excrete seeds. A number of methods are being inves gated to determine the best approach in areas that are seriously infested.
Emerald Ash Borer
The emerald ash borer (EAB) con nues to expand its range across the United States but has not yet made its’ way to Montana. In eastern Montana towns and ci es, ash is commonly the dominant tree species in both parks and boulevards as ash is ideally suited to the growing condi ons in this part of the state. For the most part trees are spread out amongst parks but there are a few areas where almost every tree is an ash. In these areas we are removing trees every year and plan ng different species in their place. Other things we are doing to prepare for the EAB are to monitor for their presence using the large, conspicuous purple EAB traps. We spread traps across the city in early summer, hanging them from ash trees in parks, and then check them twice, once mid-summer and again latesummer. Lastly, we are increasing our awareness campaign, hoping that if homeowners are aware of the poten al damage that could be brought by the EAB, homeowners also will begin
Trash for Trees
The City of Billings Forestry Division maintains four “trash for trees bins.” This program is in its 39th year having started in 1980 and has provided funding for more than 2000 trees over that me. The bins typically garner enough to purchase about 20 trees per year. We appreciate the people who have stayed loyal over the years and con nue to bring their aluminum and newspaper recycling to us! Check them out in the Lowe’s parking lot on West King Street, and at Veteran’s and Castle Rock Parks.
8 Ash trees were removed from Central Park and were replaced by different species as part of the Arbor Day Celebra on
to prepare. One of our first outreach steps was a public mee ng held at the library on November 4th. Watch for more! You will be hearing more from us about the EAB in the near future.
Cemetery
Mountview Cemetery is the oldest con nually operated cemetery in the area. Mountview Cemetery includes the old Billings Cemetery that was run privately beginning in 1883 un l the city purchased it in 1926. The cemetery is the res ng place of many of the early se lers and residents of the area. It chronicles the history of the city. Cemetery
Cemetery Facts:
2019 Cemetery Stats:
Total Acres
Total Burials
staďŹ&#x20AC; work year round to assist families in burial service for their loved ones. In addi on to the burial services, cemetery staďŹ&#x20AC; work diligently to keep the grounds in pris ne condi on. This includes mowing, string trimming around monuments, snow removal and maintaining facili es like the mausoleum and columbarium.
Total Trees in Cemetery
Total People Buried
Future Use Sales
New Graves
Veterans Graves
Honoring our Veterans The cemetery is also a place where we honor the service of those who fought for our na on. Each year the cemetery hosts a Veteran’s Ceremony on Memorial Day to remember the thousands of veterans that are laid to rest at Mountview. This year, members of the Eugene Sara Detachment of the Marine Corps League approached Mountview Cemetery staff about cleaning veteran headstones. A er conduc ng some research on cleaning methods, volunteers from the Marine Coprs League and cemetery staff worked to remove debris from Veteran’s headstones in the northern part of the cemetery. Addi onally, volunteers from the United Way’s Day of Caring event worked with city staff to edge and remove encroaching grass along Veterans headstones to make the area more presentable and provide a small token of apprecia on to honor those who served our country.
621
Veterans Graves Edged
350
Veterans Headstones Cleaned
48
Volunteers
150
Volunteer Hours
Community Gardens The Amend Park Community Garden was started in 2014. It began with 26 plots and harvested just over 700 lbs of produce the first season. The Songbird Community Garden was added in 2017. In 2019, the two gardens served 67 households and produced over 7,536 lbs of produce. Plots in each garden vary in size ranging from 3x6 up to 20’x20’. Each gardener is able to choose a plot that fits their needs. Plots are rented to gardeners for a small fee. The garden program also has small container gardens that can be checked out to households with limited mobility so they can enjoy gardening from their home.
7,536 lbs
of produce grown
500 lbs
of produce donated to local nonprofits
90 Active Garden Plots
Songbird Community Garden
Parkland Gleaning Project In 2018, the Billings Parks Division introduced an exci ng new pilot program called the Parkland Gleaning Project. The project’s goal is to expand food security by mapping various natural food resources available on city-owned parkland. The project included the online GPS mapping of fruit trees growing in parks. The loca on of these fruit trees were recorded using GPS and uploaded to a publicly accessible database on Fallingfruit.org. The original plan ngs were located at Rose, Lillis, Highland and Commanche Parks. Thanks to a $5,000 grant secured from the HDR Founda on, we will con nue to expand the Parkland Gleaning Project into Op mist Park, Primrose Park and Kingsgreen Park along the trail leading to Ponderosa school. The project expansion will include plan ng an addi onal 50 trees, signage in Park loca ons iden ying the gleaning loca ons, and printed brochures that can be distributed throughout the community. Addi onally, volunteer efforts will be
A Girl Scout Troup plants fruit trees at Lillis Park
organized to collect fruit on an annual basis and distribute fresh fruit to organiza ons who address food insecurity throughout the community.
Life is Cool at the Pool
Patrons at Rose Park Pool cooling off on a hot day
Rose Pool Concessions sales are up 40% since 2017. A lot of that can be a ributed to the new Opera ons Building that was constructed in 2018. Our observa ons show that daily par cipants are staying at the pool much longer than before with the added ameni es the Opera ons Building provides. These new ameni es include addi onal shade and sea ng, expanded turf and landscaping areas, Billings Parks and Rec Radio, expanded concessions menu, outdoor security lockers, and cell phone charging sta ons.
434 Swim Lesson Participants 41,273 Pool Visits 13,762 Waterslide Passes During the calendar year of 2019, the Recrea on Division implemented new so ware and hardware components to our RecTrac registra on so ware. These new components include a new Point-of-Sale system for Rose Park Pool and the StrikeZone Ba ng Cages and a Facility Management system used in our main office. The new Point of Sale (POS) system was u lized this summer at the front cket window for daily pool and season pass sales, our pool concessions opera on and for punch card and token sales at the Ba ng Cages. This POS so ware allows staff to more efficiently process and manage our a endance and sales and greatly improves our customer service through secured credit card transac ons. The Facility Management so ware provides another efficient means to managing the nearly 200 annual events and park uses that occur throughout our park system. Plans for 2020 include a new system to manage
341 Season Passes 34,860 Food Items Eaten 6 Certified Aquatic Facility Operators on Sta seasonal pool passes that include a new scannable ID card that will be issued to individual pass holders. This new system will improve our daily a endance repor ng and security through its photo ID capabili es.
Staff training on new Point-of-Sale system at Rose Park Pool
Keeping Billings Active The Recrea on Division experienced an outstanding year, full of growth and success. In 2019, the City of Billings Recrea on Division celebrated its best year to date, breaking old records in par cipa on numbers and class offerings. The division offers recrea onal programs ranging from special interest classes, adult sports, youth sports and youth camps to early learning programs and ac ve older adult programs. The wide range of ac vi es the Recrea on Division offers ensures there are opportuni es for par cipants of all ages. The Recrea on staff takes pride in providing affordable programs that are accessible to all members of the community.
Youth Camps
6,516 Program Par cipants
143
Unique Recrea on Programs Offered
92
Youth Scholarships provided to low-income households
Adventure Camp kids enjoy a summer campout during Ul mate Outdoor Adventure Week
Kids in the Kitchen par cipants cu ng a pizza they cooked during Camp
The Recrea on Division offers 11 weeks of Summer Camps and Programs during the me when kids are on summer break. We provide a safe and fun atmosphere for kids to explore and learn during the summer months while they are out of the classroom. On average, 106 children a end one of our all-day summer camps each week throughout the summer. These quality camps include Adventure Camp, Magic City Camp, Pioneer Playhouse, AquaNuts, Girls Ninja Warrior, and Rock Band Camp. This year, we had a total of 1,166 summer camp par cipants.
Youth Scholarships The Billings Parks and Recrea on Department is pleased to have a community partner like the Billings Parks, Recrea on, and Preserva on founda on that provides youth scholarships for under-privileged children to par cipate in Parks and Recrea on Programs. In 2019, the founda on provided $4,621 in scholarships that allowed 92 kids to par cipate in programs they may not have been able to afford otherwise.
Keeping Billings Active Youth Sports The Youth 4th-6th Grade Basketball program starts in early October for Girl’s and December for the Boy’s. This program is offered at all 6 Middle Schools (Medicine Crow, Castle Rock, Riverside, Lewis & Clark, Will James and Ben Steele). The Grade School Basketball program is offered in partnership with School District #2 providing 6th grade students a program that u lizes the gymnasiums at the schools in which they a end. The Girls 3rd-5th Grade Volleyball program begins in February and is offered at Castle Rock, Riverside, Lewis and Clark and Will James Middle Schools. We con nue to see a steady increase in par cipa on in our Youth Sports programs since the program moved to the middle schools. Par cipa on is up over 60% since 2016 when the program u lized only elementary schools throughout the community. Nearly 500 boys and girls par cipate in our youth sports schoolyear instruc onal programs each year.
In 2019, we expanded our Tennis programing to provide instruc on year round. With the addi on of “Tennis Is Elementary”, an introductory program ran taking place in Elementary School gyms across the school district, we had over 300 par cipants in our tennis programs.
Adult Sports
Throughout the year our Adult Sports Leagues con nue to be a staple for adult recrea on. The Adult Sports we facilitate for both men and women are Soccer, Volleyball, and Basketball. A total of 28 teams competed in the Adult Coed Soccer League which plays on Sunday a ernoons at Amend Park in spring, summer, and fall. The Adult Coed Volleyball League u lizes Castle Rock Middle School for games on Sunday a ernoons throughout the fall and early winter months. All 24 teams each season (48 total) qualify for a double elimina on tournament based on their records from the regular season. During the summer months, 12 teams competed in our newly formed Sand Volleyball League. League play for the summer sand season was held at Rose Park on the recently renovated volleyball courts. The 2019 season of Men’s and Women’s City League Basketball was again filled to capacity with 70 teams entered. The League is comprised of 5 different divisions and runs from January through April each year, u lizing all 6 middle schools for game play in the evenings and on Sunday a ernoons. The Recrea on Staff work closely with SD2 to create a 10week schedule and the double elimina on post-season tournament. Our Recrea on Specialists are always busy pu ng together a staff of scorekeepers, gym supervisors and officials to facilitate the over 700 games that will take place throughout the season.
Adult CoEd Volleyball par cipants
City League Basketball par cipants
Keeping Billings Active Music Camps In 2019, we expanded our Special Interest youth programing to include music. Rock Band Camp and Keyboard Kamp, both in our summer catalog, had 22 total par cipants. These camps were made aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable to the community of Billings by using our partnerships with School District 2 and the Billings Music Teachers Associa on. These organiza ons helped provide equipment and local music teachers to help run both of the camps.
Keyboard Kamp par cipants
Rock Band Camp performing at Pioneer Park
=500 participants
Strike Zone Batting Cages 2019 was another successful year for the Strike Zone Ba ng Cages despite a late heavy winter and wet spring. The facility was closed or unavailable for use 19 days in April and May which are typically our busiest months. The new pitching equipment, installed in 2014 using funds from the CityWide Park District, s ll provides more consistent pitches and a be er ba ng experience. Ba ers can choose between pitch speeds ranging from slowpitch so ball to a 35-70 mph fastball for baseball players. Some improvements that occurred in 2019 included a new canopy net and a new roof to protect the pitching machines. In addi on, the building was repainted and some roof repairs were done. These improvements help maintain the life and usefulness of the facility and the equipment.
17,845 Tokens Sold 269,561 Pitches Thrown
We Make Aging Fun
Fitness
Nutrition
Computer Classes
Health
Games
Art Classes
There were 6 new programs added into our Senior Service offerings • Discovering Nutri on • Nutri on Minute • Sit and Be Fit • Community Free Fitness Classes • Summer Fitness by Design • Pound Fitness Since 1969, the Recrea on division has provided life-long recrea on opportuni es for adults 55 years and older in Billings. Over the years, many of these programs have been held at our main facility, the Billings Community & Senior Center, since its doors opened in 1978. However, these programs and services transcend the center into the parks and even into various trips throughout Montana.
promote healthy lifestyles. We want to meet the needs of our popula on where they are at, which means bringing in programs for all fitness levels such as Sit and Be Fit. This program was created to meet the need of seniors who could not safely do programs in the standing posi on. We will con nue to assess and meet the needs of our popula on to help them age with grace.
Our programs strive to provide local seniors opportuni es to engage in fun and safe ac vity which are designed to
12% increase in overall par cipa on in 2019
19,677 Visits to the Billings Community & Senior Center in 2019
4,670 meals were
served on site at the Billings Community & Senior Center. Seniors enjoying a facilitated trip to Tipppet Rise
We Make Aging Fun
Fitness by Design Class par cipants in their Halloween costumes
Senior Fitness week was expanded this year by adding our Discovering Nutri on Class. There were a total of 80 logged hours of par cipa on during Senior Fitness week.
September Birthday Party King & Queen
Partnership with Adult Resource Alliance Senior programs and services are enhanced through a formal partnership with the Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County. This partnership has con nued to evolve into crea ng programs together to help impact the health and wellbeing of the seniors in our community. It is through this partnership that the City received $40,000 through the Senior Mill Levy to support senior services. Also, through this partnership, an affordable and nutri ous lunch is made available Monday through Friday. In addi on to the meal program, through this partnership,
70 senior volunteers were sta oned at the Center through the Alliance Volunteer Program. These volunteers fill a variety of posi ons, including gree ng, chairing ac vi es, office aid, assis ng with meals, and more. In 2019, these volunteers provided 5,661 hours of service equa ng to a financial impact of $139,770.
Patrolling our Parks We are excited to announce that Officer Garre Peterson was selected as the Billings Police Department Parks Officer in November 2019. Officer Peterson grew up in Billings, MT and graduated from Montana State University – Billings with a degree in Sociology. Garre was hired as a patrol officer by the Billings Police Department in December 2009. During Garre ’s me with the Billings Police Department he has worked patrol along with several other specialty du es. Garre is currently a member of the Department’s Bomb Squad, Honor Guard and he is also a Background Inves gator. He enjoys spending me with his family and friends along with being outdoors. Garre is commi ed to improving the quality of life in Parks through a
customer service oriented, problem solving partnership with the community. He will assist Parks and Recrea on employees to provide the safest environment possible in order for park goers to have an enjoyable park experience.
Financial Overview FY2020 Projected Revenues $9,041,766
FY2020 Budgeted Operating Expenditures $8,284,473