Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THE 2024 LEGACY PLAN For nearly 70 years, JCPRD has been enhancing the lives of Johnson County residents through its parks, quality programs, professionalism, and response to developing trends. Each year, JCPRD records more than seven million park visitors and over two million participations in over 4,000 programs. JCPRD’s essential services and contributions to the personal lives of Johnson County’s residents have earned JCPRD local appreciation and national acclaim, including receiving the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in 1995 and 2017 and being one of four finalists in 2022.
JCPRD serves a community with diverse recreational interests and a strong legacy of valuing parks, natural spaces, and cultural services.
The goals and action items in this plan are based on the community’s vision and values and help ensure the ongoing successful provision of JCPRD services far into the future. The 2024 JCPRD Legacy Plan seeks to invest in and strengthen the JCPRD system while strategically investing in parks, trails, natural resource areas, and recreation, cultural, and educational services to meet community needs.
Since the last systemwide strategic planning effort in 2015, the landscape of community services within Johnson County has continued to grow and change. The update creates a plan that establishes clear and realistic goals, objectives, and implementation strategies to guide JCPRD’s decision-making for the next 15 years.
A legacy is defined as a gift handed down from the past. JCPRD has been building a legacy of parks and recreation for Johnson County since 1955, and this plan is intended to provide a framework for JCPRD to continue that legacy forward.
2024 LEGACY PLAN
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The intent of the update is to build on the success of initiatives from the 2015 JCPRD Legacy Plan while recalibrating to ensure JCPRD services are tailored to meet current and future community needs. The update seeks to create a plan that establishes clear and realistic goals, objectives, and implementation strategies that can guide JCPRD’s decision-making for the next 15years.
The goals and action items in this plan are based on the community’s vision and values and help ensure sustainable provision of parks, trails, and recreation far into the future.
Change Since the 2015 Legacy Plan Johnson County has experienced continued growth in population, diversity, and development since the adoption of the 2015 JCPRD Legacy Plan. The county population has increased by approximately 33,000, which is 11,000 greater than projected in the 2015 plan. Over the 15-year window of this plan, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), which tracks data by county in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, projects Johnson County will grow by another 19%. The 2040 population projection is 749,716.
With this population growth, Johnson County will continue to become a more diverse community.
In 2022, 77.1% of residents identified as white, 9% less than in 2010. The greatest growth in diverse populations was for those who identified as more than two races (from 2.5% in 2010 to 9.1% in 2022). The general population growth has resulted in an increased demand for services, and the growth in diversity has created a community with a broader range of needs and desires for variation in JCPRD services. Johnson County has also seen changes in the socio-economic conditions across all ages. According to the United Community Services, the percentage of people living at or below the Federal Poverty Level in Johnson
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JOHNSON COUNTY PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
County increased from 5.3% in 2019 to 6% in 2021. The access and affordability of JCPRD programs and services will remain a priority to serve all. As the county has continued to grow, so have other municipal park and recreation
Guided by the 2015 JCPRD Legacy Plan and subsequent individual master plans, JCPRD has continued to expand through park and streamway trail development and the strategic development of partnerships. Since the adoption of the 2015 plan, JCPRD has:
departments. Expanded services, athletic complexes, and recreation centers provided by municipalities now assist in meeting the needs of county residents. Over this same time period, JCPRD has also grown.
MORE THAN
doubled the reach of its recreation and culture programs through: •
the opening of the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse
•
growth in Out of School Time programming
•
the operation and management of the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center and the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center
•
the addition of the Culture Division
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the transfer of operations of the Johnson County Museum from the Johnson County Government to JCPRD
ACTIVATED
3,000+ acres of parkland and natural resource areas DEVELOPED
20+ miles of streamway trail
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2024 JCPRD Legacy Plan Framework The 2015 JCPRD Legacy Plan contained seven legacy elements that defined roles for JCPRD. The framework was created to provide JCPRD with a clear vision of its roles as a leader and partner in the provision of parks, recreation, and cultural service. Based on data analysis and public input, a refreshed framework with four restructured legacy elements has been developed for the update. The revised framework will serve JCPRD, its partners, and County residents. The approach builds upon years of successful initiatives toward an adaptive, communityfocused vision, which highlights JCPRD’s ability to respond to developing needs.
Community engagement was vital to identifying, understanding, and incorporating residents’ needs, values, and aspirations into the update of the Legacy Plan.
During the first phase of the update, JCPRD staff and the consultant team conducted a diverse set of outreach activities intended to generate community input. Within each element, a series of action items identifies goals for the 15-year window of this document, and associated recommendations guide the implementation of the action items. The recommendations are based on the needs and opportunities identified during this planning process. This framework structure provides for flexibility in the implementation of the plan as Johnson County, and JCPRD, continue to grow and evolve.
LEGACY ELEMENTS
Providing a Thriving Park & Recreation System
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Inspiring Play, Culture, & Education
Fostering & Inspiring Stewardship
JOHNSON COUNTY PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT
Advancing Organizational Readiness & Access
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEGACY ELEMENT 1 Providing a Thriving Park & Recreation System JCPRD will promote a thriving park and recreation system through a focused effort to provide high-quality accessible spaces for everyone in which regional services are delivered. Providing a Thriving Park and Recreation System is a focus on opening and managing undeveloped parkland, continuing development and acquisition of streamway corridors for natural resource protection, trail development, and defining legacy standards to guide future development and investment. Opportunities include phase one park development and pursuing future development at existing parks. The continued acquisition and development of the streamway corridor for natural resource protection and trail development is also a focus of the 2024 Legacy Plan. Strengthening partnerships for streamway corridor acquisition and trail development is vital for long-term success and regional connections.
PHASE 1 DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES: •
Camp Branch Park
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South Hedge Lane
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Kill Creek Park: Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant
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Stoneridge at Cedar Niles
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Kuhlman Site
FUTURE PHASES AT EXISTING PARKS: The 15-year capital and operations investment identified for Providing a Thriving Park and Recreation System is
$122.7 million.
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Meadowbrook Park
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Lexington Lake Park
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Cedar Niles Park
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Big Bull Creek Park
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Camp Branch Park
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEGACY ELEMENT 2 Inspiring Play, Culture, & Education JCPRD will provide highquality accessible experiences for everyone that inspire play, culture, wellness, curiosity, and lifelong learning. Inspiring Play, Culture, and Education focuses on providing programming and experiences that enrich the community in the arts, history, recreation, safety, and outdoor education. This legacy element will also focus on increasing nature-based services, expanded outreach opportunities across program areas, passive recreation amenities, and outdoor education programming. Efforts include identifying and strengthening core programs and services, investing in existing facilities, and evaluating existing partnership agreements to best meet community needs and support enrichment. Opportunities include improvements at Theatre in the Park, Heritage Park, and Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park, and investment in existing outdoor education sites at Ernie Miller Park and Nature Center and TimberRidge Adventure Center.
The 15-year capital and operations investment identified for Inspiring Play, Culture, & Education is
$162.5 million.
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JOHNSON COUNTY PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEGACY ELEMENT 3 Fostering & Inspiring Stewardship JCPRD will foster and inspire stewardship by practicing proactive care and adaptive management. Fostering and Inspiring Stewardship is a focus on addressing current deferred maintenance and capital replacement priorities and establishing a program for long-term proactive maintenance and adaptive management of parks, trails, and facilities. This legacy element will also focus on improving the health of natural resource areas through comprehensive planning and increased emphasis on natural resource management. This element focuses on addressing deferred maintenance and capital replacement in parks and facilities. Priorities include protecting existing natural resources within JCPRD, boosting operational resilience through preventive maintenance, and sustaining historical assets in the JCPRD system. The addition of a Facilities Maintenance Team is recommended and will be phased in over the 15-year plan.
The 15-year capital and operations investment identified for Fostering & Inspiring Stewardship is
$118.7 million.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEGACY ELEMENT 4 Advancing Organizational Readiness and Access JCPRD will be an effective, innovative, and efficient leader in parks, recreation, culture, and education with a focused effort to meet our objectives to better serve the public. Advancing Organizational Readiness and Access seeks to advance organizational effectiveness through workforce development, succession planning, public education, expanded partnerships, and volunteer utilization. This legacy element will also focus on providing equitable and inclusive services. Priorities include implementing strategies to advance equity and access to programs and services and growth in the Administrative Services Division to adequately support the expansion of JCPRD services that has occurred since the adoption of the 2015 JCPRD Legacy Plan. Additional priorities include identifying internal collaborations to expand or enrich curricula and programs, exploring opportunities to improve internal JCPRD communications, and streamlining and advancing the use of interns and volunteers. Additional natural resources staff and maintenance staff to manage new parks and trails are included in this legacy element. The plan also calls for monitoring of staffing levels associated with recreation, culture, and outdoor education to serve a growing population.
The 15-year capital and operations investment identified for Advancing Organizational Readiness and Access is
$4.1 million.
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JOHNSON COUNTY PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Funding the Legacy The 2015 Legacy Plan was partially funded through a 0.75 mill levy increase. While the mill levy has been reduced over the last five years, the property tax valuation has increased, thus allowing the funding to remain generally at the same level. The plan was originally funded at approximately 50% with the mill levy revenue increase. The 2024–2038 capital investment is based on a commitment to the stewardship of existing and future parks, trails, and facilities. The approach identified in the 2024 Legacy Plan focuses on maintaining and protecting existing JCPRD resources and investing in parks, trails, natural resource areas, recreation, cultural, and educational services while establishing the operational investment necessary to support JCPRD’s vision. This approach will allow JCPRD to move forward with a clear direction as an industry leader, an innovator, and a stronger partner to residents, stakeholders, and local municipalities.
A $408.1 million investment plan in 2024 dollars is identified to fund the capital and operational items in the 2024 Legacy Plan.
TOURISM IMPACT Tourism is one of Johnson County’s largest industries. TOURISM PRODUCES
$1.42 billion in visitor spending annually
The Trust for Public Land estimates that approximately 37% of visitors to Johnson County come to visit parks, trails, and recreational facilities. These visitors spend $524 million annually in the local economy and generate $18.4 million and $12.9 million in state and local tax revenues, respectively, for a total of $31.3 million.
2024 LEGACY PLAN
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Current funding sources from general fund and legacy funding will generate an estimated $212 million over the 15-year plan, with $191 million in mill levy funding and $20.1 million in scheduled debt payoff.
Therefore, a net difference of $338.7 million will be needed to accomplish this vision by 2038.
While outside funding sources, including grants, donations, and partnerships, will provide opportunities to implement specific
projects and accelerate implementation timelines, the investment identified in this plan requires a steady and dedicated funding source for success. Implementation of the proposed Legacy Plan is estimated to require $551 million in capital funding over 15 years based on an anticipated 5% Consumer Price Index annual escalation of the $408 million cost in 2024 dollars. To address the funding gap, a mill levy increase to fund the steady schedule of capital and operational investment over the next 15 years and beyond should be considered.
COMMUNITY NEED ASSESSMENT SURVEY Additional Tax Funding Respondents were asked to indicate the maximum amount of additional tax funding per year they would be willing to pay in property taxes to fund the development and operations of JCPRD. The average homeowner ($362,000 home value) in Johnson County pays $129 per year to fund the parks, trails and recreation, culture, safety, and nature facilities at JCPRD. Knowing this, what is the maximum amount of additional tax funding
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per year you would be willing to pay in household property taxes for JCPRD to fund the development and operations of the type of parks, trails, recreation and nature facilities, and related services in Johnson County that are most important to you and members of your household? The second highest percentage of respondents (21%) said they would be willing to pay an additional $10–$19 per year in taxes.
JOHNSON COUNTY PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LEGACY ELEMENTS 15-YEAR CAPITAL
30% ($122.7m)
40% ($162.5m)
Inspiring Play, Culture, & Education
Providing a Thriving Park & Recreation System
29% ($118.7m)
Fostering & Inspiring Stewardship
1% ($4.1m)
Advancing Organizational Readiness & Access
PROGRAM FUNDING 2024-2038 Legacy Plan Total (Escalated)
$ 551,041,910
Available General Fund (GF) and Legacy Fund (GFa)
$ (191,385,977)
Scheduled Debt Payoff
$ (20,849,841)
Current Total Funding
$ 212,235,818
Unfunded Capital Program within 15-Year Capital Plan Percent of Program Funded
$ (338,806,092) 39%
2024 LEGACY PLAN
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