RESOLUTION NO. 190555

Declaring the month of July 2019 to be National Parks and Recreation Month in Kansas City, Missouri and recognizing the efforts of the KC Parks and Recreation Department.

WHEREAS, July is National Parks and Recreation Month, a time of appreciation for the many benefits KC Parks programs have brought to the community for the past 127 years; and

WHEREAS, just as their slogan says, “KC Parks where KC plays,” the various parks, playgrounds and playfields provide opportunities for all families and community members to play, interact and develop connections with one another as well as the environment; and

WHEREAS, KC Parks has received recognition for their work and efforts, and was nominated as a finalist for the 2015 National Gold Medal Awards in Parks and Recreation, and in 2016, the Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Boulevard System was added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places; and

WHEREAS, this year alone KC Parks has begun the development of a tree planting plan to improve conservation of our trees and forests, developed a sustainability plan to foster a more regenerative environment in our ecosystems, and has created a #KCtrashtag challenge to involve citizens in the clean-up of their city; and

WHEREAS, KC Parks provides opportunities to bring together all members of the KC community through events such as The Big Picnic, where all of KC is invited to come together for games, food and to enjoy the outdoors; and

WHEREAS, National Parks and Recreation Month aims to encourage families and community members to enjoy all that the parks have to offer, in hopes of forming habits of a healthy, active lifestyle in the community; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

That the Mayor and Council hereby declare the month of July 2019 to be “National Parks and Recreation Month” in Kansas City, Missouri; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that a copy be presented to Director Terry Rynard, the KC Parks and Recreation Board, and the KC Parks and Recreation Department, with the Mayor and Council encouraging all citizens of Kansas City to take part in National Parks and Recreation Month.

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