P&R Now

Running (a Business) in Parks

Melissa Clary, business specialist for the city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services, posted a thought-provoking questions on the NRPAnet e-mail listserve recently. Clary, who is researching the topic of running a personal business in a city park, says that her agency has an innovative entrepreneur who wants to run her fitness business in its parks.

Clary asks specifically of her fellow NRPAnetters:

Do you allow a private business of any kind to be run in your parks?
If so, how do you license them? Do you charge any other fees, or take a percentage of sales?
Have you ever discussed having private businesses in the parks with your governing body? And, if so, what were the issues, either for or against?

Have some feedback? Shoot Melissa an e-mail, or give her a call at 702.229.4616.

Sabato Addresses NRPA Legislative Forum

On Wednesday, March 12, Dr. Larry Sabato, founder and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, will address participants at the NRPA National Legislative Forum on Parks and Recreation. We had a chance to ask Sabato a few questions in advance of his appearance, most notably, "Whether it is public parks or education or better roads, what do citizen advocates need to know when attempting to deliver an appeal to elected leaders?"

Sabato responded:

"There is no substitute for knowing your subject; expertise matters enormously when lobbying public officials. Elected leaders meet hundreds of professional lobbyists and citizen activists, and they become very good at separating the wheat from the chaff. Which ones know their subject? How useful is the information being provided?

It is always best to present both or all sides, even when advocating one particular point of view. It increases the lobbyist’s credibility to do that, and familiarizes the elected official with other points of view that may be raised during a debate on any policy issue."

You can follow the entire Q+A by reading the FirstPerson column, "Politically Engaged," in the March 2008 issue of Parks & Recreation magazine. For more on Sabato, check out his Web site, www.larrysabato.com.