Parks and Recreation Master Plan

I fully support the goal of creating a comprehensive master plan for Tiburon's parks and recreation and the effort to survey the Tiburon population to understand their preferences. However, I believe there are more effective ways we could have approached this. The $300,000 already spent - and the potential rise to $450,000 - on a consulting firm seems excessive, especially when much of this work could have been done within our community. Based on my experience leading focus groups, I am confident we could have managed the process ourselves.

By involving the town council, the POST committee, and other skilled residents, we could have gathered meaningful input directly from the residents. This grassroots approach would have provided us with a more in-depth understanding of our community’s needs through direct engagement, allowing for thoughtful and informed discussions. While this might have taken more time, we have the flexibility to proceed at a deliberate pace.

It's also important to consider what $450,000 could achieve in other critical areas for our town. The ongoing consulting contract, while providing recommendations, raises the question of whether we’re outsourcing responsibilities that should be handled by those who know the town best - our local leaders.

Large-scale reports often risk creating a sense of disconnect with residents, especially when substantial funds are involved, as they might feel the plan is predetermined. Instead, we could start small and experiment. For instance, rather than implementing a sweeping plan for the ponds near McKegney Green, we could make smaller improvements—like adding sand to one pond and installing a volleyball net—to gauge community response before scaling up.

Similarly, we could engage directly with residents near smaller parks like those in Bel Air and Belveron, holding meetings in the parks and involving families and children to see which activities resonate with them. This incremental approach would ensure a more cost-effective, community-driven outcome.

This perspective isn’t just a preference but is informed by my 30 years of leadership and experience in Tiburon, where a more hands-on, community-focused strategy could have better served both the process and the results.