I left work early today to clear my head. As I sit in my truck looking at the river, I’m stewing. For the past two days I’ve been frustrated by a customer at work. He’s trying to rent our ball diamonds to hold a baseball “tournament” for USSSA travel club baseball. I use quote marks because it’s not really a tournament in the form of elimination brackets leading to a single winner. In a normal year this tournament goes off. This year it has to be watered down to be able to play – California’s COVID requirements don’t allow games between multiple opponents on the same day right now, so it’s really a few league games played on back-to-back days.
What I don’t understand is it’s his business, but he doesn’t care enough to get the contract details right, which there are more of these days to comply with COVID regulations. He doesn’t own the property his business needs to serve its customers, but rather he’s dependent on park departments and school districts. This customer also has needs on three weekends in July but he doesn’t seem concerned about how to secure them. He needs us, but instead of trying to work with us he’s a dick, like he thinks we should be grateful he’s bringing teams to our fields (which are already overrun). He’s dismissive of requests for information or paperwork, drags his feet on making payments, and is short with thoughtless one-line email responses to detailed questions from his phone. He blows me off like I’m a fool, treating me with contempt. I don’t want him to kiss my ass, just show a little respect and work with us – not against us. His attitude is full of entitlement and assumption instead of listening to how I’m trying to help get his event able to even happen.
So, I’m considering shutting him out. Not because he’s an asshole, but because he hasn’t demonstrated any competence around organizing an event. If things go wrong at the diamonds during his event – or are even perceived as wrong by a third party passing by – the park owner is usually blamed as the cause of the problem. During COVID the scrutiny is even higher and tensions are high with public watchdogs everywhere. We have a duty as a public agency to step up and ensure the public health laws are followed. I not only lack confidence that he’ll follow the law, but also he gives me the sense that he’ll willingly blow it off because he’s blowing us off.
I deal with salesmen and work with entrepreneurs all the time. The good ones recognize that they’re asking for some resource and trying to build something that benefits both parties. In the sense of a baseball tournament, even a transaction renting a field requires two satisfied parties. Bigger and more complex partnerships or agreements require much more attention and effort to ensure a win-win arrangement. I don’t understand why some people don’t care how the other party to a negotiation or relationship views the arrangement – especially when they NEED the other party.
A different arrangement has come up in the past two weeks around junior golf. A booster approached us about extending golf privileges at our public golf course to the boys and girls varsity golfers. We already have a joint use agreement with the local school district for use of each other’s facilities including the pool, ball fields, gymnasiums, classrooms and golf course. It specifies priority use of facilities by the other party when not already in use by the owner. This booster is pushy. He’s trying to sell us on his grand vision and offering nothing for these extended privileges that would take away tee times from the paying public. He’s using or threatening political pressure to get what he wants. (Thankfully our Board has referred him to work with staff.) There is nothing beneficial to our organization – cash, reputation, social equity or otherwise. Where’s the win-win in that?
There are other arrangements being worked on right now as well, each with different approaches to the relationship. One, a private swim school rents space in our pool for their lessons. It’s a pretty good relationship despite some challenges. Another which is just starting looks to build a partnership providing adaptive recreation programs for people with disabilities through us, an area that we lack the expertise on staff. Looks like a promising win-win. A third is a long-standing relationship with the five youth sports organizations in town providing soccer, baseball, football and lacrosse to all of the area kids. These are arrangements are built with respect that needs to continuously be reinforced which in turn creates confidence in both quality and credibility of services by each other.
Growing up I was taught to mind my manners, treat people with respect, follow the Golden Rule, see things from the other person’s point of view, walk a mile in their footsteps, etc…. Essentially, be kind to people. I’ve learned over the years that not everyone is taught that. Instead I see many people who are only self-interested. Thankfully, more people are gracious and cooperative in the world than not.
Working in parks and recreation for government agencies brings a high standard to the work place because we are stewards of the citizen’s resources. (There are many private and non-profit recreation businesses out there). We don’t own these resources as ABC Corporation and are free to do what we please with them. We are charged with protecting, maintaining and operating them in the taxpayer’s interest. This means offering access fairly and equitably with prudent financial and risk management. Ethically, and often legally, private business and individuals are not allowed to profit from the use of these public resource without compensation back to the public agency.
How nice would it be to have a business where you didn’t have any facility costs? Enter the boot camp trainer or yoga instructor holding classes in the parks without permission or compensation to the taxpayer through the parks department. It happens every day in parks all over the country. Once they’re discovered they object to entering into a formal agreement to make things right. Instead it’s common that they duck and cover into another park property until discovered.
Most of us would rather not pay taxes. Even those of us that are understand paying for government services don’t want to pay more than necessary. The better a parks and recreation agency controls costs and manages its programs and services prudently the less often it has to go to the taxpayers and ask for a tax increase to cover costs. This is often achieved through activity or rental fees paid specifically by the user. Recreation programs actually operate in a retail space in competition for the consumer’s discretionary income. Even after-school child care, a service deemed essential by many, competes with at-home babysitters and Netflix. Keeping taxes down and providing quality facilities and programs is a shrewd business in itself.
Parks and recreation is a beautiful industry full of challenges and rewards for everyone. Like all jobs we have plenty of headaches too. I wish people didn’t treat each other poorly, but that’s going to happen. The higher standard we strive for is excellent stewardship of resources and service that makes life better for our users. Even a small hobby business owner can find ways to benefit by accessing public resources through parks and recreation departments. Approach us as partners with a win-win proposition and watch how we’ll welcome you into our community. The other approaches just reflect poorly on you.
Be well, Treat others well, Live well.
View From The Tailgate 