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UNDERSTANDING THE SERVICE <br />URBAN LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR PARKS, RECREATION AND <br />CULTURAL SERVICES <br />Parks and open space provide environmental enhancement to a community and <br />recreation and cultural services provide activities. A city may provide access to <br />developed parks, natural areas, athletic facilities and fields, swimming pools, play <br />structures, community gardens, and classes in a wide variety of areas including sports <br />and fitness, handicrafts, languages, music, dance, and computers. While parks and <br />open space are typically distributed across the community, publicly -owned cultural <br />facilities are often centralized destination venues, rather than spread evenly across a <br />community. Eugene has two major performing arts spaces, the Cuthbert <br />Amphitheater and the Hult Center. <br />The City of Eugene has developed three types of parks: <br />• Metropolitan, which include cultural, recreational and natural areas and are <br />destination' points for the whole metropolitan region. <br />• Community parks provide recreational and /or athletic facilities and draw <br />visitors and participants from multiple neighborhoods in Eugene. <br />• Neighborhood parks are locations within a 1/2 -mile walking distance of <br />homes and provide playgrounds, picnic tables, and general open space. <br />ISSUES AND ANALYTICAL CONCERNS <br />Unlike some urban services, such as wastewater or police, people can choose to use <br />parks, recreation and cultural services or choose to never use parks, recreation and <br />cultural services. While some households may choose to never use parks, recreation <br />and cultural services and it is easier for some households to access certain parks, <br />recreation or cultural facilities, than it is for some other households, all households in <br />Eugene pay the same property tax rates to support the parks, recreation and cultural <br />services. <br />Everyone can use park and open space facilities, regardless of if they are a resident of <br />Eugene or not. There is open and free access to bike paths, play structures, and open <br />space. Non - residents can enter and use all of the parks at no charge. Non -City <br />residents may choose to register for recreation activities and pay a 20 1 /6 additional <br />non - resident fee, or to not use the service at all. Non -City residents can choose to <br />attend cultural events at one of Eugene's performing arts facilities for the same cost <br />as City residents, and anyone may attend concerts in the park. <br />Expenditures for parks, recreation and cultural services are included under two City <br />Departments: the Library, Recreation and Cultural Services (LRCS) and Public <br />Works Departments. Within LRCS, there is the Cultural Services Division, which <br />provides community arts events, makes grants to arts organizations and operates the <br />Cuthbert Amphitheater and the Hult Center. Also within LRCS is the Recreation <br />Services Division, which provides aquatics, athletics, outdoor, senior, specialized and <br />Page 7 -2 ECONorthwest October 2004 RR/SC Fiscal Analysis: Parks <br />