Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan - Existing Conditions | Page 140

Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Park Operations
Strengths
Newport’s parks benefit from strong dedication from park staff and leadership. The Buildings, Grounds & Forestry
Division has worked aggressively at leveraging grant dollars for park improvement, and the quality of maintenance in
parks is very good. Staff is knowledgeable and hardworking, and institutional knowledge is high. Leadership has a
good pulse on current trends and best practices in parks, open space, and recreation, and this knowledge greatly
benefits local open spaces and trees. Improvements in the system including converting tennis to pickle ball, installing
Musco LED lights at the tennis court, CXT bathrooms, and mechanical bulb planters reflect this knowledge.
Institutional knowledge is very high, and parks and recreation staff have a good working relationship. Parks staff
appreciate the role programming can play in elevating the system. In addition, many groups care about Newport’s
parks and have helped provide support over the years.
Challenges & Opportunities
Despite these positives, parks, open space, and recreation face challenges in Newport. The staff is incredibly hard
working, but budget constrai