It’s not uncommon for Tyler Florence or his staff to see emails and field calls about big dreams for one of the county’s 30 parks or open spaces.
“It could be, I don’t know, a new pathway system, a Ninja Warrior course. People have a lot of different ideas,” he said, “sometimes it’s land acquisition.”
But there’s a hitch, said the Jackson/Teton County Parks and Recreation director. The typical route to make capital improvements doesn’t always have room for those dreams. Hence, a new form open from May 1 to May 31. The request window will also open in the month of November.
“The primary focus of this program is to address the type of community request that we commonly receive for, let’s say, an amenity in a park that isn’t currently identified in any of our adopted plans, like our strategic plan,” Florence said.
But park bench enthusiasts be warned. This isn’t the place to ask for small features, but intended for improvements that cost over $7,500 dollars such as a park pavilion or new playground. Florence suggests those interested in submitting ideas first look at the department’s 10-year strategic plan.
“No one needs to submit an application and say, ‘Hey, please repair the pathway system.’ It’s in our plans to maintain the pathway systems,” he said.
The parks advisory board will still determine which suggestions make it to the level of recommendations based on form criteria and existing budget.
“We’re just trying to create a fair and systematic way for us to evaluate these types of requests,” Florence said.
