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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0204.002 2004-2006 Mtr m FRED C. HOLSCHUH Phone: (808) 961-8264 Councdnremher F`AX: (8081t) 961-$912 O%•M~+ l.~l i', i HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL Coun(y of Hawaii Huwnii Coamty Building 75 .4 upuni SlYeel /lll0, llawal ~I y612/) April 17, 2005 TO: Council Members 1-- FROM: Fred C. Holschuh Council Member This is to transmit a "Nonprofit Park Conservancies Summary," an article entitled "Making Partnership Work: 'Che Central Park Model" by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, and logos of the National Quilt-The Park Conservancy Movement. The summary and article should help to broaden our understanding of the possibilities of the project. Att. Comm. Ng. Ref. To: T~G_ Raf. Date APR 1 4 9[1(15 Huwai'l (~ounty is an Equal Opporluniry Provider and Employer NONPROFIT PARK CONSERVANCIES -SUMMARY Today, many hundreds of nonprofit park conservancies or foundations assist communities across America in capital fund drives to acquire new park lands, conserve open space, and upgrade existing parks. Some conservancies are national or international in scope, like The Nature Conservancy or the National Parks Foundation. Most, however, are regional, municipal, or park-specific. Usually, by ordinance, contract, or memorandum of agreement, a municipal park conservancy is chartered to work with and support a county or municipal parks department. Nonprofit conservancies have proven hugely successful in renewing public enthusiasm for and participation in park development, recreational amenities, and conservation efforts. Park conservancies serve to relieve pressures on county operating budgets and debt service. They also build public support for parks and treasured spaces. A successful community Park Conservancy/Foundation has: ¦ Organic origins bringing together champions of civic improvements, environmental advocates, and supportive government officials. A strong, motivated blue-ribbon board of directors. A capable, respected executive director and fund development staff. A mission that enjoys broad public support. • A close, collaborative working relationship with a county parks department. • Ahigh-profile, capital fund drive to purchase park land or open space. ¦ A dynamic, well-recognized identity program including a newsletter, website, PSAs, news coverage, public presentations and networking. An informative, grateful and nurturing relationship with its donor base. • A knowledgeable, professional regard for community planning, park design expertise, foundation funding sources, uniform standards of appraisal practices, federal and state tax laws, local land trusts, and conservation easement opportunities, Superb listening skills. MAKING PARTNERSHIP WORK: THE CENTRAL PARK MODEL ELIZABETH BARLOW ROGERS Former President, Central Park Conservancy From a speech give u[ /he Urban Parks /ns[itute's "Achieving Great Parks" conference e need to reestablish an urban model that Nevertheless, government has become receptive to was at one time a success, to take back local initiatives, and l think that is the ground-work the street, the square, the public spaces. of a healthy society. [t is a challenge for Frederick Law Olmsted created the field government to embrace public-private partnerships known as landscape architecture, but he was also an not as a stop-gap measure, but as standard opera- urban planner and visionary. 1 was very fortunate to ting procedure. When I started my work to save partake in Olmsted's vision. Because it was so Central Park, I thought it was entirely a local supple, so Flexible, so ingenious, it still serves us phenomenon based on the city's fiscal crisis. Now today. He saw the benefit of open space and parks we all realize that it's a broad, general crisis. in cities. But of late we have lost our way. We are all urban planners in some ways. It is up to What are the three characteristics of successful us to see to it that a humanistic design approach is partnerships? 1 say the three P's: passion, patience, used to counteract simplistic, developer-driven and persistence. I have yet to find a success story in urbanism. We need to develop a powerful new this country that did not start with someone with a urban vision that is economically sound, appealing vision who was told it couldn't happen. They didn't to the free market, and politically feasible. believe they couldn't do it, and that's why they went ahead. With the community as client, we have an edu- cational role to play. We are the nexus between community need and the design professions. We The three P's of successful partnerships help the community to understand that it has a are passion, patience, and persistence. responsibility to help develop the program that the designers will carry out. We help the community set All of us here are par[ of a movement, 'Yeinven_ priorities and evaluate designs in progress so that ting government." It's last year's buzzword, but the community really can be the client. that really is what we're doing. We are part of a new democracy, in which citizens no longer ask The person I call "the zealous nut" is what government can do for them, but offer themselves, no[ through government programs, different from the crank. Run away from but through non-profit organizations. cranks, and ego-maniacal gadflies. But the zealous nut who really, loves the community Conservancies, friends, groups, business improve- and understands what the place means -that ment districts -they all help government do what it a very precious individual. can no longer do on its own. We've had to ask ourselves: how does this fact make civil servants There is nothing more precious than what 1 call feel? The image I find handy is that it's like the human body and an organ transplant. You really "the zealous nut." We cannot do this paternal- need the life-saving organ of the private support, for initiative, for vision. But the body wants to reject it. istically. We need to find the "civic sparkplugs" - usually they'll identify themselves -and then I wrote "33 Ways Your Time and Money capture their energy. There is nothing more Can Help Save Central Park," which precious than what I call "the zealous nut." They was like an L.L. Bean catalogue of are different from the crank. Run away from cranks, opportunities. It was kind of a primitive and ego-maniacal gadflies. But the zealous nut who vision. The next week $25,000 came over really, really loves the community, who lives there the transom. It came in $5, $25, $50 and understands what the place means -that is a contributions very precious individual. And that precious individual of course is connected to other I wrote an article 33 Ways Your Time and Money individuals, and 1 think that is the way we begin a Can Help Save Central Park, which was like an dialogue and have an energy source to propel a L.L. Bean catalogue of opportunities. And the list project ahead. was kind of a primitive vision. The next week You also need a strong vision. It must encom- $25,000 came over the transom. It came in $5, $25, pass design, management and maintenance strat- $50 contributions, and these checks were egies, or you will need to rebuild everything accompanied by wonderful memories-that's when 1 decided 1 had to stay and stick with the vision. again and again. Citizens need to be incorpor- ated into local maintenance strategies so they feel In 1975, I became a "zealous nuf' in an office in the psychologically invested and will work as partners with the government. midst of the Parks Department headquarters. I had Brooke Astor on my side; that really helped. In We're moving into an era of contract management 1979, Gordon Davis, the recently-appointed park for parks. If we're going to contract out, it's very commissioner, appointed me Administrator of important that we also have performance Central Park, but didn't give me a budget; it had to measurements. Government itself must be more be raised. That really motivated me. accountable. Even our nonprofit-selves need measurement systems. We too can become bureau- I had a vision, which was improved by consul-tants, cratic, and therefore there must be a structure of but 1 needed a board composed of the right people. accountability. Via governments with whom we Don't kid yourselves. You need people of means have contracts, we are accountable to the people. who are able to give, and ask other people of means. You also want people that represent the In Central Park, I stumbled in the beginning by not diversity of your population. Constructing a board adequately consulting the community as a first step. is really an art. Fortunately we learned how to incorporate community consultation into the planning process. I And I thought: 1 must make the people of New was lucky in having fine landscape architects and Fork City see the park in the same light as the other consultants including Project for Public Museum of Natural History, or the Bronx Zoo, Spaces who produced a plan that was respectful or the Botanical Gardens they must see it as a both of Olmsted and of contemporary community major cultural institution. Grace Glueck of the and recreational needs. New York Times came to write a story and asked, "You mean you think of this park as a f began by running a summer youth program as part cultural institution; and those trees, those of the Parks Council volunteer association after sculptures, as your collection?" And I said, writing about Olmsted, and I thought, '`You know, "You've got it." That's really how the the people of the city have to care about the park- Conservancy was launched. ¦ they have to wake up." 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