Seattle Parks and Recreation Annual Report - 2007

Superintendent's Message

Dear citizens:

As the new Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation, it has been great getting to know this city, its parks, and its people. After escaping the smog and traffic of Los Angeles, it's easy to appreciate pristine and beautiful Seattle.

Seattle has a thriving parks system and an equally strong community that supports parks. The past year was one of transition for Seattle Parks and Recreation which saw a new superintendent, a new deputy superintendent (Christopher Williams - the former director of Operations for Parks), and an almost completely new Board of Park Commissioners.

Seattle Parks and Recreation remains committed to maintaining safe and welcoming environments, to offering programming and services that are relevant to your lives - especially as they relate to health and fitness - and to being a leader in reducing our impact on global climate change.

The Seattle Climate Action Now (CAN) program underscores the City's commitment to reducing our carbon footprint by leading through example. In the past three years, Parks employees have reduced paper use by 41 percent. Our pesticide use in parks has dropped by 75 percent. Fossil fuel usage has decreased, and use of biodiesels has increased. We've boosted utility efficiencies, saving the City an average of $92,000 a year, and decreased our annual water usage by 6.75 million gallons.

One of my foremost work priorities is to develop - with you - a Strategic Action Plan (SAP). Already we have held more than 35 community meetings to gain initial input. We're working on a first draft of this plan that will guide our decision making over the next five years, and we will bring it out to you for comment during another round of meetings in the spring.

Getting out and becoming acquainted with Seattle's neighborhoods, businesses, and communities has been a priority for me. My regular attendance at community and neighborhood meetings has given me the opportunity to meet many of you already.

Some of my favorite evening and weekend activities include jogging and hiking in our parks. This has allowed me to spend time getting to know the wonderful spaces and trails Seattle's parks have to offer. I hope that, if you see me on the trail, you will stop and say hello.

The year ahead will be an exciting one. Please join me in making Seattle Parks and Recreation the best it can be.

Sincerely,

Tim Gallagher
Superintendent

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