Idaho Falls

2  IDAHO FALLS PARKS & REC SPRING/SUMMER 2016 When I think of spring & summer in Idaho Falls, I think of bicycling, soft- ball games at Tautphaus Park, walks around the river and a wide array of community events. We are very fortu- nate to have city leaders and commu- nity members who understand what parks provide for our community – a green space to exercise, places to gather with friends and family, the benefits of clean air and water and the interaction with nature. According to The Economic Impact of Local Parks study recently conducted by the National Recreation and Parks Association, park systems in America are economic engines, generating nearly $140 billion in economic activity while sup- porting almost 1 million jobs from operations and capital spending. Local parks combined with national and state parks result in $200 billion in annual economic activity. Our city is growing and so too is the need to ensure that we are providing adequate facilities and parks to meet the com- munity's needs. We strive to meet the needs of all commu- nity members. We recently installed new NEOS® playground equipment at the Equal Access playground at Tautphaus Park which is completely ADA accessible. With the west side river walk improvements now com- plete, we shift our focus in 2016 to two large projects – the Tautphaus Park and Heritage Park Master Plans. Improvements to our community's oldest and well-loved park, Tautphaus Park, is well-deserved and long overdue. We look forward to engaging the community in dialogue this spring regarding the park's redesign. And, if you'll recall in the winter of 2014, the city received a very generous gift – a parcel of land donated to build a new park just north of Snake River Landing, to be called Heritage Park. We will also be seeking public input as we move forward on this project. Stay tuned for more information about these exciting new developments and other city parks and recreational informa- tion by "liking" and "sharing" both the City of Idaho Falls and Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Facebook pages. I offer a heartfelt thank you to the many volunteers and staff members at the Parks & Recreation Department for maintaining and improving our parks & recreational opportunities. Be healthy! Be active! Enjoy Idaho Falls! PARKS AND RECREATION OFFICE 520 Memorial Drive Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402 (208) 612-8480 - www.ifrec.org MISSION OF OUR DEPARTMENT The mission of the City of Idaho Falls Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide quality parks and recreation opportu- nities based upon cost efficiency and community needs. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the City Annex Building. 680 Park Avenue, Idaho Falls, Idaho. Livestream meetings by visiting www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/live- stream.html Rebecca Casper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mayor Thomas Hally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Council President Ed Marohn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Council Member Barbara Dee Ehardt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Council Member David Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Council Member John Redford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Council Member Michelle Ziel-Dingman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Council Member PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Commission meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 12:00 p.m. at the Idaho Falls Activity Center. 1575 N. Skyline Dr. For other Parks and Recreation committee meet- ings, visit www.ifrec.org. PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Greg A. Weitzel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Parks & Recreation PJ Holm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superintendent of Recreation Kevin Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recreation Supervisor Chris Horsley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recreation Specialist Rhonda Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aquatic Manager Jennifer Stewart . . . . . . . . Sponsorship/Marketing Coordinator Brent Martin . . . . . . . . . . . .Superintendent of Parks & Cemetery Joseph Hansen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parks Foreman Ronnie Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weed & Environmental Control Delbert Lloyd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Horticulture/Urban Forester David Pennock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superintendent of the Zoo Tim Reinke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Golf Manager/Pinecrest Golf Pro John Graham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sand Creek Golf Pro Galen Denning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sage Lakes Golf Pro Tim Lohse . . . . . . . . Superintendent of Sand Creek Golf Course Staff member email addresses are listed at www.ifrec.org Mayor Rebecca Casper Bill Combo, Chair Mike Davis Jeffrey Forbes Jim Hammon Tom Hersh Matt Hill Steve Janes Jill Kirkham John LoBuono Kerry Martin Kris Millgate Dave Radford A MESSAGE FROM REBECCA CASPER PARKS AND RECREATION MAYOR, CITY OF IDAHO FALLS (208) 612-8480 - www.ifrec.org

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