Glenn Lampark, Director of Public Works
Dennis Orlando, Superintendent of Highway and Parks

OPERATING AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE  

The Parks Division provides quality areas and facilities for the leisure activities of our residents and tourists, by maintaining, improving, and preserving Racine County’s parklands in a safe and attractive manner, at an acceptable level of service and at the lowest possible cost.

The Racine County Park system consists of over 2,500 acres of diversified recreational and open spaces, ranging from the high-use swimming beaches and golf courses to naturally passive and sensitive areas. The Parks Division operates and maintains beaches; boat launches, campgrounds, nature and wildlife areas, playgrounds, picnic areas and shelters and athletic fields, and also monitors and oversees activities at the Racine County golf courses.

Parks Operations staff manages, operates, and maintains park buildings, grounds and roadways, and performs year-round forestry, grounds and landscaping functions. Seasonal employees perform and assist with many of these efforts. Parks Planning staff prepares comprehensive, long-range plans to provide overall guidance for each park and recreation area’s renovation, repair, and development, to provide residents with a variety of recreational and outdoor experiences and to ensure and promote conservation and stewardship objectives for the County Park system.

The Parks Division budget contains maintenance and contingency funds for the Racine Harbor. A portion of the rent from Belle Harbor is used to maintain Harbor Park while the remainder is placed in an account used to make small marina or breakwater repairs with approval of the Public Works Committee. Proceeds from the Marina license agreement are placed in a non-lapsing contingency account for possible breakwater repair and any future obligations of the RMA license agreement.  

EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Installed new playground equipment at Colonel Heg and Cliffside Parks
• Completed sand trap renovation projects at Browns Lake and Ives Grove Golf Courses
• Renovated 7 th tee and fairway and relocated service drive at Browns Lake Golf Course
• Paved and improved Racine-Sturtevant trail and areas at Bushnell and Pritchard Parks
• Undertook grounds maintenance responsibilities at Dennis Kornwolf Service Center
• Renovated boat launch parking lot at Eagle Lake Park

2005 GOALS AND BUDGET STRATEGIES 

• Further planning, design and construction on the Racine-Sturtevant Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail.
• Completion of utilities and site development for new restroom facilities at Case Eagle Park
• Landscaping and site improvements at Bushnell Park
• Planning and engineering for storm water drainage improvements at Einer Fischer Park
• Consolidation of winter grounds maintenance activities at County sites
• Perform major upgrade to irrigation systems at Browns Lake and Ives Grove Golf Courses
• Removal of tennis courts at Browns Lake Golf Course