(Updated 07.2024)

Reimagine Recreation and Parks Update and Next Steps

As part of Baltimore County’s commitment to providing updated communications, the Department of Recreation and Parks is sharing the following updates for the Recreation and Nature Councils:

REVISED PERMIT PROCESS AND PRIORITY ACCESS POLICY ANNOUNCED

Following robust feedback from Recreation Councils, Nature Councils, and the public, the Department is announcing plans to maintain the current Permit Process and Priority Access Policy (see: 06.001 Recreation and School Space Priority and Permitting Policy)

Please see the following as a reminder:

Order of Priority

1. Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks

2. Certified Recreation Councils

• a. Youth Recreation/In-House level Program from Local Recreation Council
• b. Youth Travel/Club Program from Local Recreation Council
• c. Adult Program from Local Recreation Council
• d. Youth Recreation/In-House level from other Recreation Council
• e. Youth Travel/Club from other Recreation Council
• f. Adult Program from other Recreation Council

3. BCPS

4. Outside Non-Profit

• a. Youth
• b. Adult

5. For-Profit

• a. Youth
• b. Adult

In addition, the Department’s prior seasons of play policy will be reinstated for the Recreation Council Programs.

FY2025 FEE SCHEDULE UPDATE

Following continued community feedback, including input from the Board of Recreation and Parks and other stakeholders, the Department is releasing the following fee structure for FY2025. This newly revised structure will modernize current Department fees bringing them in line with benchmarked jurisdictions. Additionally, this represents the first time that the Department has endeavored to publish fees to the public creating better transparency. Fees range from pavilion and facility rentals to modest program fees for youth and adult recreation users.

Beginning July 1, 2024:

External Non-Profit and For-Profit Groups or Organizations that operate separately from Certified Recreation Councils will be charged fees according to the following FY2025 fee schedule.

Beginning January 1, 2025:

There will continue to be no charges for Certified Recreation Council In-House Youth Programs. However, to support field and facility maintenance, funding for all field equipment (including chalk, goals, nets, etc.), and ensuring quality customer service with appropriate field and facility staffing, the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks will collect the following fees:

• Certified Recreation Council In-House Youth Programs: No charges for participants
• Certified Recreation Council Travel/Club Youth Programs: $10 per participant per season.
• Certified Recreation Council Adult Programs: $25 per participant per season.

Please note: The current $20/hour staffing and facility fee for adult and out-of-season programs, will continue to be collected, where appropriate, until January 1, 2025. These fees will be eliminated effective, January 1, 2025.

PROGRAM DEFINITIONS

Program definitions were developed in consultation with the stakeholder group and the Board of Recreation and Parks.

“Certified Recreation Council” means a 501c3 non-profit organization recognized by the Baltimore County Board of Recreation and Parks as meeting the criteria established by the Board as part of the bi-annual certification process. Additionally, to be certified Recreation Councils will need to have a signed approved Memorandum of Understating (MOU) with the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks.

 “Recognition” means the process established within the By-Laws of the Baltimore County Board of Recreation and Parks to approved Recreation Councils and the MOU process by the Department of Recreation and Parks.

“Recreation program” means a program recognized by a certified recreation council as operating:

• A) solely as a seasonal and/or full-year program of a single certified council; and
• B) with all funds collected and disbursed by the program-controlled and governed by the certified recreation council’s adopted By-Laws, policies, or procedures; and
• C) with all registrants having an opportunity to participate in the program regardless of skill level; and
• D) with the program leadership actively involved in the affairs of the council, as defined by the By-Laws, policies, or procedures of the council.

“Recreation Programs” include, but are not limited to:

• • A. Inhouse leagues operated by one single Council;
  • B. Interscholastic middle school sports teams or programs;
  • C. Inter-council sports teams or programs wherein any single council has an insufficient number of registrants to provide a viable intra-council program;

• D. Clinic instructional short-term programs (Learn to play style programs etc.)

“Recreation Council Travel/Club Program” means a program:

• A. that does not offer guaranteed participation regardless of skill level within the program; and
• B. can operate as a seasonal and/or full-year program of a single certified council; and
• C. with all funds collected and disbursed by the program-controlled and governed by the certified recreation council’s adopted By-Laws, policies, or procedures; and
• D. with the program leadership actively involved in the affairs of the council, as defined by the By-Laws, policies, or procedures of the council; and
• E. program costs are affordable as determined by the Department; and
• F. coaches/administrators are mostly volunteers and/or participation is mainly comprised of local/surrounding area participants.

In the event the above criteria are not met, the Department reserves the right to charge appropriate fees for facility access in line with an Outside Club/Travel Program.

“Outside Club/Travel Program” means a program:

• A. that does not offer guaranteed participation regardless of skill level within the program; and
• B. that itself or its parent/affiliate organization has a non-profit, not-for-profit, for-profit or corporate status separate from a certified recreation council; or, that deposits any revenue in a financial institution or makes disbursements from said account which is not under the control of a recreation council or the federal TIN on the account is assigned to an entity different from the recreation council; and
• C. program costs are unaffordable as determined by the Department; and
• D. coaches/administrators are not mostly volunteers and/or participation is mainly comprised of local/surrounding area participants.

REIMAGINE RECREATION AND PARKS NEXT STEPS

Beginning July 1, 2024, Baltimore County will also implement the following updates:

• The Department will strive to finalize executed memorandums of understanding with Nature Councils.
• Revenue generated by Department staff activity, including nature programs and camps, will begin to be collected by the Department to support Department programs.
• All previously issued keys, where appropriate, will begin to be collected and/or new locks will be installed at sites as only Department employees will be key holders. Access to the building will be coordinated through permits facilitated by Department employees and/or BCPS employees only.
• Revised priority permitting policy will go into effect for all permit requests beginning after the Fall Season (Aug 1-Mid Nov).
• The Department will begin the memorandum of understanding development process with Recreation Councils.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Additionally, in an effort to strengthen the partnership between the Department and the recreation and nature councils that offer sports and community-based programming, the County will soon offer grant funding available to support capacity building and will also make available technical assistance and other trainings for recreation and nature councils through the Maryland Association of Non-Profit Organizations (MANO). Application details, including eligibility requirements, will be available in July. A separate communication will be released outlining this process.

END OF GROUP LEADERSHIP PROGRAM   

As has been previously communicated beginning July 1, the group leadership program will begin phasing out. It is expected that Recreation and Nature Councils will be responsible for directly hiring Council employees and meeting all necessary legal requirements. The Department will continue to work with each Council on providing appropriate guidance on the next steps related to their specific concerns, and as indicated above will provide grant funding to support capacity building for councils. Councils requiring assistance to accomplish this change will be addressed individually, with the goal being no loss in program operations.

To ensure all councils are prepared for this transition, the Department will be hosting webinars for councils by region in the month of July to answer questions and assist with this transition.

For more information, please visit the Department of Recreation and Parks webpage here.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.

Thank you again for your time and volunteerism. We appreciate all that you do for the County and the residents.

____________________________________________________

(Updated 01.24.2024)

Click here to Reimagining Recreation and Parks
Implementation Road Map Recreation and Nature Council

Council Presidents,

In advance of tomorrow’s meeting, the Department would like to provide an additional Reimagining Recreation and Parks Implementation Roadmap.  With PROS Consulting available for the last month, we have received great questions and will continue our open dialogue. We hope this additional information helps to answer and clarify the focus areas of the plan and how and by when these objectives will affect Recreation and Nature Councils.  We will review this document at the meeting tomorrow and will continue to provide information as it is available.  The Department is committed to continuing open, transparent, and regular communications with the Recreation and Nature Councils and looks forward to working with you and answering any questions you may have.

Additionally, as mentioned in the previous email, establishing MOUs with each of the Recreation and Nature Councils is a top priority. As such, we have begun the process by working with the Board of Recreation and Parks. We are working towards a completion goal of July 1, 2024, and anticipate working with each of the councils within the next two months.

As always, we look forward to working with you all as we Reimagine Recreation and Parks for Baltimore County.

Leadership Team.