VOLUNTEERS IN PARKS

The City Council directed staff to create a Volunteers in Parks ("VIP") Program. The program invites community members to assist in surveying parks in a systematic and transparent way, thereby providing staff with increased observations to provide an overall condition assessment as well as detect equipment and landscape replacement opportunities and/or public safety concerns.

Volunteers will conduct park inspections on a quarterly basis for each of the 31 City parks.  The City has 10 Sports Parks and 21 Passive Parks.  Inspections would consist of restroom facilities, amenities, equipment, and landscaping. The initial commitment would be for one year for consistency.  The program would be evaluated thereafter for any necessary adjustments.  

Each volunteer will be assigned to a park to inspect and can decide to do more than one park, if desired.  Staff has initially reached out to the 2018 and 2019 Leadership Academy graduates for the first year of inspections.  If necessary, staff will solicit volunteers through public outreach efforts and contact residents that live near a park and have contacted the City on a regular basis with park updates.  

Staff will meet with each volunteer at their perspective park. Inspection forms will be web based and allow each volunteer to input their data on a mobile device. This will enable City staff to capture and review the information for repairs.  The rating scale will be 0 to 5, a 0 represents not applicable, and 1 representing significant attention and a 5 representing a well-maintained park with limited or few issues. 

Each volunteer will be required to complete the required volunteer form.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Peggy Samantha
Management Aide
Public Works Department
(949) 461-3493
psamantha@lakeforestca.gov