As the New Year approaches and we
find joy in the peaceful solace of the winter season (and the chaos of the holidays),
we begin to reflect on the past year and prepare for the one to come. We give thanks and enjoy festivities with our
family, friends and coworkers. We begin
to set goals for the year to come. We
toast to accomplishments and successes.
Each day, I am grateful for the contributions
that each of you have made. The Maryland
Park Service has a dedicated and knowledgeable workforce who excels in customer
service, interpretation, maintenance and operations. Just like the 11 million visitors you served
this year, I look to you for answers, guidance and most importantly,
conversations.
The monthly Senior Staff meeting
notes attached here reflect the important work that you do and our collective
efforts to improve in both big and small, meaningful ways. During a recent trip
to Garrett County
As you all know, we will begin our
New Year on the most positive note as we invite our visitors to participate in
our annual “First Day Hikes.” The
diversity of hikes posted is sure to inspire our guests to begin their New Year
with a healthy start outdoors! I am pleased to share that Secretary Belton and
his family will be joining us on January 1 and that he has invited his
colleagues to hike as well!
I wish you and yours the Happiest of Holidays and all the
best in the New Year.
Nita
For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s
words await another voice.
~T.S.
Eliot
SENIOR STAFF MEETING NOTES
December 9, 2015
ATTENDEES: Nita Settina, Chris
Bushman , Amanda Mock, Gary Burnett, Mike Riley, Dave Powell, Mary
Owens and featuring, for her debut performance, Alison Woodfield. Guests:
Peter Morrill, John F. Wilson (next
meeting’s manager-of-the-month – Southeast Region)
REGIONAL REPORTS
- SOUTHEAST
- Probation
Period Extension
- As
per State Personnel Law and MPS policy, all employees serve a one-year
probation period (initial 6-month probation and 6-month extension)
- Supervisors
submit the required form and a written update on employee’s to-date
performance at the 6-month point
- “Dark
Skies” Certification
- Program
to certify sites with minimal light pollution / meeting criteria for
having taken steps to reduce light pollution
- Would
like to explore certification for
- Senior staff
thanks Ranger Reusing for this idea and requests that she please
research process and provide presentation to senior staff (e.g. program
goals / effect on State Park)for consideration at multiple, qualifying
State Park.
- CENTRAL
- Approval
received for solar panel project at Soldiers Delight
§ Expected
to provide 20-25% of energy for the building
§ Includes
mobile exhibit for interpretive events
- WSSC
Sewer Line Project
§ Consent
decree does not require pipes to be replaced
o Determine
why/how MPS was led to believe it was required
o Work
will be minimized on southern side of Clopper Lake
§ Line
below dam will still be completed per agreement
o Stockpile
of logs from utility right-of-way work at the Riffleford Road Gun Club property
(Seneca)
§ Moving
forward to obtain bids for salvage sale to clean up area
o Fair
Hill Equestrian Facility Enhancements
§ Maryland
Horse Industry Board partnered with Maryland Stadium Authority to develop a
proposal to create the Maryland
Horse Park
§ MPS
working to achieve proper balance of enhanced equestrian facilities with all
other park uses / visitors / goals
- WEST
- Firewood
Permits
- MPS
policy unchanged – can still issue permits
- Ash
is not to be included in firewood taken off-site
- Can
be used for firewood at the park, provided it is retained in the
vicinity where obtained (i.e. same area of the park)
- As
entire state is now under the federal EAB quarantine, there is no
prohibition on transport of wood products within the state, but we are
still following the DNR firewood policy out of an abundance of caution
to protect our sites and as an information and education tool
- National
Park Service Centennial
- Submit events for inclusion
on NPS Calendar – Great advertising opportunity for MD State Parks
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
SURVEY
- End-of-year
summary for 2015 to be created
- Results compiled in January 2016
and will be compared to results from CY14 and CY15
- In
process of developing strategies for surveying day-use visitors (request Day-Use
Operations Work Group) consider issues and make recommendations
- Regional
Meetings
- Poll managers as to who is
collecting day use surveys
- Ask for suggestions as to how to survey
day-use visitors
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
HISTORIC SITES (John Wilson, Pete Morill, Mary Owens)
Group joined Senior
Staff for a discussion re: next steps and actions to advance strategic plan for
historic site preservation and interpretation. The goal is to create a data
base and strategic plan to prioritize and track historic site restoration and
interpretation.
- DNR
is largest owner of historic sites in
- First
step: Link MD inventory data with GIS data of historic sites in State
Parks
- Will
be looking at current data and forming a plan of action
- Each
park has structures / artifacts / documents
- Need
to capture the institutional knowledge of our staff
- Engineering
& Construction has inventory of most built dates for buildings
- Merlin
link to MIHP (Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties)
- Possible
tool for Park Managers
- MPS
will need to update condition status of historic sites described in MIHP
- Written
/ preserved stories of history in parks. Needs to be researched / detailed
so seasonal employees / volunteers tell the same story.
- Next Steps
- Consider using
existing curatorship database as format for all historic sites
- Link Database to
GIS / MIHP /
- Land Managers to
review data and add / change information
- Peter Morrill would
like to begin setting up meetings with individual park managers and staff
in January 2016 to review database and determine priorities for future
investment and use
- Create an MPS
Historic sites webpage
SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE
- Fall
Managers Meeting Follow-up
o Day-Use
Operations / Management Work Group – Chaired by Steve McCoy
o Campground
Operations / Management Work Group – Chaired by Margit Pruett (schedule meeting
in January and solicit work group members)
o iPads
– Current contract does not allow use for customer payment at concessions due
to current credit card contract limitations. May be able to use them in the
near future. Stand by.
- Attendance
Reporting /
§ Procedures to
enhance accuracy / accountability to be developed and distributed based on the
discussion at the Managers Meeting
o Will
include Google-based reporting spreadsheet that park managers will update
monthly with attendance figures, notes, etc.
§ Regional
Manager approval will be required for making changes to data previously submitted in prior years and months
- MPS
Events Calendar / Signature Events at State Parks
- Managers please include
description of your signature annual events on the park’s website
- Managers to ensure that their
park’s events are on the DNR Calendar in a timely fashion, including
partner organization events
- Mentoring
o Lengthy
discussion – Goal is to create a culture of mentoring
Explore shadowing
opportunities for new managers and field training opportunities for all
employees
- Thanks to staff at
- Thanks to Jay Myers and all for organizing
/ hosting the annual Volunteer
- EAB
containment efforts
- Continuing
to work with Forest Service to conduct detailed surveys in priority parks
(e.g.
- All
other parks completing more basic surveys of specimen / potentially
hazardous trees and creating a map showing where specimen trees are
located. (does not have to be digitized)
- To be sent to Gary
Burnett
- Managers
see effects of EAB in communities and local parks adjacent to their
properties
- Western Region
managers still working on draft standard educational signage
- To be reviewed /
approved by MPS /
- First
Day Hikes
- Participating
parks are listed on DNR website
- Everyone did a great job on preparing
their hikes this year!
- Encourage parks to invite their local
National Park Service Superintendents to attend their hikes (Centennial
Year for NPS)
- If certain
hikes are very (too) popular, require reservations to preserve quality of
hike
- If
hike fills up, provide information about nearby hikes or consider a
second hike later in the day
- Contact
Barb Knisely to post reservation information on the MPS First Day Hikes
website
- MPS
Branding / Signs
- In order to ensure that sign dimensions are
correct (templates posted on P Drive) and all new signs must be approved
by Mary Owens (sign
design must be approved by Mary before submittal to MCE, including sign
infrastructure. Proof from MCE must also be approved by Mary before
fabrication. This process is needed to prevent further fabrication of
incorrect signs that do not meet graphic standards)
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT
UPDATE
- Resource
Management Plans
o Five
Year Strategic Plan template being finalized
§ Erin Thomas to
provide presentation on template and the draft New Germany State Park Strategic
Plan at January 13 senior staff meeting
§ Managers to submit
draft plans to Mary Owens by March 9
§ Presentation at
Spring Manager’s Meeting by Mary on results
- Policy
Issues
o Uniform
flag pin
§ Should
we move the flag pin on the MPS uniform to a position over the left breast
pocket?
§ Standard
flag protocol is that flag pins on clothing are to be worn over the heart (i.e.
left side of shirt, jacket, etc.)
§ May
also provide a more balanced look on uniform
§ Feedback
requested
o Golden Age
Pass
§ Application
is not required if Pass is issued at field locations
§ Pass
may be issued with proof of age, as per policy (e.g. driver’s license) and
payment of $10 administrative fee
§ MPS Policy will
be clarified on this point when next revised
o Wearing
of black fleece uniform jacket with MPS logo
§ May
be worn while on duty in either uniform or civilian attire
§ MPS Policy will
be updated when next revised
o Maryland
Park Service Logo use on concession items / items for sale to public
o Can
be used for certain items if done in a tasteful manner that enhances the MPS
brand; the MPS logo may be used in conjunction with park name.
§ Regional
Manager must approve all use of the MPS logo for this purpose
§ In
order to avoid confusion / misrepresentation as MPS employee, generally should
not be used on clothing that is not issued to MPS staff
·
Exceptions may be granted by Regional Manager
- 2015 MPS/NRP Officer of the Year
(Reminder)
- Submit nominations
to Bushman
ADMINISTRATION
- Budget
Update
- Regional Managers
to discuss updated spreadsheets with managers
- Workday
/ Hub Registration
- All employees to update
information on Workday and check the Hub for training messages
- Seasonal
Time Sheets / Workday
- Scheduled
for launch March 16, 2016
- Mock
working with FAS / Payroll to accommodate unique characteristics of MPS
seasonal employees (e.g. large numbers, remote work locations without
cell or internet access)
- Honor
System Envelopes and Trash-Free Parks Bags
- Need inventory from
each park – Send to Burnett
- Each
park will have their own order for Honor system envelopes
- Look
for information coming out via email
- Honor system envelopes will have space for Golden Age Pass #
- Trash-Free Parks Bags – 2 orders / 2 stockpile locations TBD
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