What Is BOPARC?
BOPARC stands for the Board Of Park And Recreation Commissioners. BOPARC was formed in 1981 by emergency ordinance within the meaning of Section 2.14 of the Charter of the City of Morgantown after the disbandment of the Monongalia County Consolidated Recreation Commission. BOPARC is governed by a seven member Board appointed by City Council and managed by a professional administrator, associated supervisory and support staff, seasonal and regular part-time employees. Over time, BOPARC managed facilities grew from our municipal pools, ice arena and athletic fields to the extensive list of facilities and City owned properties that are detailed in our 2016 Case Study (download below).
A Note About Municipal Parks ~ Municipal parks across the country are facing challenging times. One might assume that in a community such as Morgantown, where prosperity seems to be evident at first glance, there would be more than enough financial support to create and maintain beautiful greenspaces and state-of-the-art facilities. While we truly wish this were the case, our City Parks face many of the same issues that other systems are dealing with. Those issues include things like aging facilities and inadequate staff numbers, both of which are exacerbated by a lack of dedicated funding for both operational and capital needs. This page is meant to be educational and informative and we hope that our patrons, supporters and detractors will be able to utilize it to easily locate accurate information that provides a clear, concise and true picture of their municipal park system.
Did you know that BOPARC commissioned a Case Study via a grant in 2016 that resulted in the downloadable document below? This study details many of the challenges that we face with severely aging facilities as well as highlights the many recreational opportunities available to community members right here in Morgantown. It is informative reading for anyone interested in their parks and recreational facilities. You can scroll through the document on this page as well as download it for later reading:
Budgetary Support
Many people ask us where BOPARC gets our money and how their supportive tax dollars play into our budget. Per Capita, the City of Morgantown's general operating contribution to BOPARC is $42.46 (based on the 2016 total population estimate). "Per Capita" basically means the average contribution per head based on the most recent estimated Census. That's $3.54 per month Per Capita.
Completely separate from operational funding is the recent (2016) County Levy funding, specifically for renovations, upgrades and improvements to the Morgantown Ice Arena. This funding cannot be spent for daily operational expenses and must be earmarked for the intent in the Levy language. The yearly contribution amounts that tax payers approved for BOPARC were 45.5% of the total Parks & Trails Levy. These amounts are: Class I Properties - $0.26, Class II Properties - $0.52, Class III Properties - $1.06, Class IV Properties - $1.06.
BOPARC receives a portion of the Hotel/Motel tax generated funding and we utilize those funds to enhance the visitor and community experience in Morgantown, hence keeping within the spirit of the source of those funds. This year's estimated Hotel/Motel funding is $205,000 and that projected amount is broken down as follows: $40,000 allotted to Morgantown Museum operational support, $35,000 to the Sounds of Summer series for next season (the City's contribution of $15,000 is included in our general operating support and these combined amounts match the County's contribution to the series), $30,000 for ball field improvements and $100,000 for park/pool improvements.
Other sources of funding for BOPARC are self-generated (mostly from facility rentals and admission fees), City of Morgantown capital improvement funding, County Commission grant funds and grant funding for specific projects.
Completely separate from operational funding is the recent (2016) County Levy funding, specifically for renovations, upgrades and improvements to the Morgantown Ice Arena. This funding cannot be spent for daily operational expenses and must be earmarked for the intent in the Levy language. The yearly contribution amounts that tax payers approved for BOPARC were 45.5% of the total Parks & Trails Levy. These amounts are: Class I Properties - $0.26, Class II Properties - $0.52, Class III Properties - $1.06, Class IV Properties - $1.06.
BOPARC receives a portion of the Hotel/Motel tax generated funding and we utilize those funds to enhance the visitor and community experience in Morgantown, hence keeping within the spirit of the source of those funds. This year's estimated Hotel/Motel funding is $205,000 and that projected amount is broken down as follows: $40,000 allotted to Morgantown Museum operational support, $35,000 to the Sounds of Summer series for next season (the City's contribution of $15,000 is included in our general operating support and these combined amounts match the County's contribution to the series), $30,000 for ball field improvements and $100,000 for park/pool improvements.
Other sources of funding for BOPARC are self-generated (mostly from facility rentals and admission fees), City of Morgantown capital improvement funding, County Commission grant funds and grant funding for specific projects.
And About Those Fees....
Just a handful of facts regarding our fees, operational costs, etc. ~
- In terms of expenses, for the three months that our pools are in operation, we spend approximately $800 per day to keep them staffed and running. This is because pool chemicals and other supply costs are high, several staff must be present in order to keep safety ratios in check and pools are very maintenance intensive facilities. In order to balance out the high cost of operation we rely on things like pool pass sales, daily admissions, concession sales and private pool rentals. Added to the "average daily cost" of operation are the full-time staff costs for things such as oversight of seasonal staff, maintenance (our Maintenance Managers are also Certified Pool Operators and see to the chemical balance as well as address any maintenance issues that come up), and administrative support.
- The ice arena is also a "maintenance heavy" facility and runs in the $900 per day range in terms of basic operational costs. The rink is more heavy on the equipment side expense-wise, with a longer season and a extended day-to-day hours of operation in comparison to the pools. Again, this average per day does not take into account our full-time staff costs, just like the pool scenario above. In addition to all of that, the Ice Arena also has one full-time staff member dedicated to its operation for 8 months out of the year.
- Our adult season-long pool pass averages out to $1.48 per day. That's a 75% discount from our regular daily admission rate! We also have a group discount pool pass program that offers up to 45% off our regular pool pass pricing for qualifying groups.
- We offer payment plans for our summer camps at the beginning of the registration season in order to assist our working families with the cost of quality summer experiences for their kids.
- When BOPARC was formed we had a full-time staff of 18. Now, 37 years later, we have a full-time staff of 16. This is all while having the added responsibilities for the following additional areas and facilities: Dorsey's Knob Park, Hazel Ruby McQuain Park & Amphitheater, Jack Roberts Park, Paul Preserve, South University Avenue Park, Indian Park, Krepps Dog Park, Stanley's Spot Dog Park, Krepps Mini Shelter, Marilla Skate Park, Dorsey's Knob Lodge, Dorsey's Knob Shelter, Dorsey's Knob Disc Golf Course, Stacy Groscup Center, Morgantown History Museum, Wiles Hill Community & Senior Recreation Center, Morgantown Marina, Trails added in Dorsey's Knob Park, Krepps Park, Marilla Park and White Park, over 50 miles of Rail-Trail. Yes, we are severely understaffed.
- Our "cost of doing business" expenses are significant. BOPARC pays over $350,000 per year in health insurance costs, over $75,000 in liability insurance and our utilities alone are over $200,000 per year.
2018/2019 BOPARC Budget
Our current fiscal year budget includes new funding sources and assistance that we have achieved by working closely with City of Morgantown administration throughout last year's budget process. Such funding includes participation in the City's 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, the designation of City coal severance funding for replacement vehicles/equipment for BOPARC, working directly with the City's Grant Writer on possible grant funding opportunities and providing BOPARC with the funds to allow our full-time front line support staff members to participate in the new City-wide $15.00 minimum wage.
Breaking Down the Budget
The pie-charts below break down some of the various categories for revenues and expenses for the current budget year:
INFORMATION ON BOPARC MEETINGS can be found on the pull-down menu under the "ABOUT US" tab. Our meetings are open to the public and our minutes are available under the meeting tab as well as through the City Clerk's office.
HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANT TO CONTACT US?
We are happy to answer questions about any of our services, policies and/or provide general information to our patrons and customers! There is a pull-down menu under our "GO TO" tab that contains contact information for our staff. If you are not sure which staff member you need to speak to, simply email info@boparc.org and ask - we'll get you to the correct person!
Our main office number is 304-296-8356 and we can direct you from there as well. Our office is open from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday-Friday.
We are happy to answer questions about any of our services, policies and/or provide general information to our patrons and customers! There is a pull-down menu under our "GO TO" tab that contains contact information for our staff. If you are not sure which staff member you need to speak to, simply email info@boparc.org and ask - we'll get you to the correct person!
Our main office number is 304-296-8356 and we can direct you from there as well. Our office is open from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday-Friday.