Sounds too good to be true? Well, it gets even better.  What if that club had more than 30 parks and 13 playgrounds?  What if they had both a family swimming pool and a zero depth activity pool with a play structure?  And what if on top of all that, they had a skate park, bocce courts, a child care center, teen center, world class gymnastics center, full service senior center PLUS lighted softball field, tennis courts, and a basketball/roller hockey court?

Can’t wait to sign up?  Well, if you are a Novato resident then you are already a member.  Of course I am referring to the wonderful programs and services provide by the Novato Parks, Recreation, and Community Services department.  As a commissioner for Parks and Recreation, I have been amazed how despite several cuts, the department continues to provide exceptional services to the community.  The overall general fund budget for the city is around $30 million and the Parks and Recreation department only requires a subsidy of $1.2 million.  If you take the portion of that $1.2 million that is generated from local taxes and then divide by the number of Novato households, then the fee each family contributes in taxes to fund Parks and Recreation comes down to only $2.72 a month per family.

Are you and your family making the most of everything Novato Parks, Recreation, and Community Services has to offer?  As with any gym or fitness club membership, the more you use it, the greater the benefit—both financially and physically.  However, unlike other clubs where you usually pay a high monthly fee and then even more for additional classes and programs, with Novato Parks and Recreation the monthly cost to a family is less than a Starbuck’s Latte and the additional programs are still the best deal in town. If you haven’t checked out everything our Novato Parks, Recreation, and Community Services has to offer, I encourage you to visit www.novatofun.org.  

What do you think of Novato Parks and Recreation?  Share you comments below.