City seeks input on Recreation Department facilities, programs
The city of Sanibel is undertaking a Comprehensive Assessment of Recreation Department facilities and programs — the Sanibel Recreation Center, Center4Life, and outdoor sports programs — with the goal to re-imagine all components to meet the recreational needs of youth, adult and senior residents.
Public participation and input will be a key component of the study and will help to inform decisions that will guide the future development of the recreation facilities and services, the city reported. A broad set of tools, both online and in person, will be used to engage the community in the discussion.
The public can get involved in the following ways:
OPEN HOUSE
An Open House will be held on April 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Sanibel Recreation Center, at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel. Share ideas and comments at four “charrette” stations that will be set up in the gym. Recreation staff will be available to supervise children during free family-friendly activities. The leisure pool and splash pad will be open for family swimtime with lifeguards; children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult over age 18 in the pool. The Spoonbill Room will have crafts and a foosball table, and there will be sidewalk chalk and an open playground for children. The Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club will serve free hot dogs, popcorn and drinks. Tours of the center will be offered. Attendees can enter a free raffle to win a tote bag filled with goodies.
SANIBEL ISLAND FARMERS MARKET
Visit the Project Booth on April 10 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Sanibel Island Farmers Market, at 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, to share input on various topics and questions with the project team.
ONLINE
Participate online using three tools available on the “Social Pinpoint” community engagement platform designed for the project at https://berrydunn.mysocialpinpoint.com/reimagine-sanibel-rec. The tools will be available for use from now through May 1. All are invited to participate, including year-round and seasonal Sanibel residents (owners and renters), island workers, island business owners, and island non-profit organization members. The items below are the additional steps for how to get involved:
– Survey
The survey asks questions about use (present and past) of the various facilities, programs, and activities. It consists of multiple-choice options that focus on experiences. Estimated time to complete is approximately 10 minutes. Only one submission per person (per email address).
– Forum questions
There are two forum questions about: investment ideas, and improvement ideas for the Recreation Department operations. Once the survey has been completed, the forum questions provide the opportunity to comment and address specific comments or ideas for improvement.
– Ideas Wall
The Ideas Wall provides the opportunity to have an interactive community conversation centered around six topic areas: Customer Service, Parks & Facilities, Program Instructors, Family Activities, Seniors Activities, and Youth Activities.
For the forum questions and Ideas Wall, participants can provide as many ideas and comments as they wish, and they can come back multiple times from now through May 1 to take part in the interactive conversation. Comments will remain anonymous and will be posted on the website for others to see, respond to with a thumbs up or down, and prompt others to become part of the conversation. After May 1, the comments will be available on the website for viewing throughout the duration of the project.
OTHER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
In addition to the above community engagement, the consultant team interviewed city officials and staff, Sanibel City Council members, and key community stakeholders during the initial project planning phase. On April 8-9, a series of focus groups with a cross-section of citizens will participate in a group discussion facilitated by the BerryDunn consultant team.
“This study will result in a detailed report of options and alternatives for city council consideration for re-imagining the future of the city’s Recreation Department facilities and service. Your participation in any and all of these public engagement opportunities is appreciated,” the city reported. “We encourage you to visit the project website often, both to participate in the online engagement tools, to view the community conversations, and to stay updated on the project developments. We hope you’ll also encourage your friends and neighbors to participate in this important community conversation.”
For more information, visit https://berrydunn.mysocialpinpoint.com/reimagine-sanibel-rec.