CASPER, Wyo. — On Tuesday, the Casper City Council authorized the City of Casper to accept a $100,000 grant from the Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board.
The grant is to support the creation of a new Parks and Recreation master plan. Staff hope to see a comprehensive master plan created that will be of value to decision-makers across the greater community, a memo from city staff states.
The overall plan is expected to cost $200,000. City of Casper staff are hoping entities like Visit Casper, Natrona County, the Natrona County School District, the City of Mills, the Town of Evansville and the Town of Bar Nunn will contribute toward the creation of the master plan, the memo added.
“Having a great parks and recreation system is the hallmark of a vibrant community,” the memo from Casper Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Zulima Lopez stated. “The development of a truly effective parks and recreation system, however, requires strategic planning, analysis, and collaboration.
“A parks and recreation master plan is a comprehensive, long-range strategy for the creation, optimization, and maintenance of a community’s leisure assets, programs, and services. A thorough plan will offer a holistic view of the Casper-area parks and recreation landscape, currently and into the future. It will examine our ability to meet the needs of the community and outline steps to address gaps in recreation opportunities and/or reduce duplicative areas or assets so that resources can be utilized in a way that best aligns with the greater community needs and vision.”
The city applied for the grant in November 2022 and presented to the Natrona County Recreation JPB in January. That board notified city staff on Jan. 9 that the request had been approved.
Further details are available in the full memo:
