Department Strategic Plan Update (Strategic Plan)

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) is re-launching the Department Strategic Plan Update (Strategic Plan) following a year-long pause due to the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The community is now invited to see the results from the first community survey and participate in the next round of community outreach. 

“Long Beach parks, beaches and related programs have always been an essential part of our community’s daily lives,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We want to hear from our community on how they think those spaces should progress and continue to be enjoyable for all over the next 10 years.”

The effort began in 2019 following the Long Beach City Council’s approval of funding to update PRM’s 2003 Strategic Plan. City staff led a community engagement process, including circulation of a multilingual community survey, to solicit input from residents and stakeholders on their vision for the future of the department. The survey was promoted online and on social media and was made available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog at community centers, movies and concerts in the park and at other community events. 

“The Strategic Plan will determine how we prioritize our work, how we organize our staff, and how we decide where to invest,” said Parks, Recreation and Marine Director Brent Dennis. “We are asking our park users and every member of our community to share with us feedback that will make our parks and beaches safer and more welcoming and our programs even better.” 

The community is encouraged to visit the PRM website and click on the “PRM Strategic Plan” tab or go to http://bit.ly/prm_strategicplan to review the results of the 2019 community survey and take a second multilingual survey which will be available until Feb. 19. Strategic Plan lawn signs and window posters featuring a QR code for people to access the survey directly on a smartphone device have been posted at more than 40 parks throughout the city. 

In addition, pop-up stations with hard copies of the survey are available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog at the following locations:

• McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
• Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave. 
• Orizaba Park, 1435 Orizaba Ave.
• Veterans Park, 101 E. 28th St.
• El Dorado Nature Center, 7550 E. Spring St.
• Long Beach Marine Bureau Office, 205 N. Marina Dr.

Residents can also help promote the survey by downloading and printing a Strategic Plan poster and placing it in their windows. The posters are available at http://bit.ly/prm_strategicplan. 

Virtual stakeholder meetings are being scheduled throughout Feb. to provide additional opportunities for the City to receive input from user groups. PRM will also be producing a video series highlighting programs, people, planning and partnerships that will be available this spring, and the community will be encouraged to share their park story with staff by connecting on social media using #ParksMakeLB.