Dear Fellow Community Members,

When I retire June 30, I will wrap up a very rewarding 31 years as parks and recreation director for the City of Plymouth. During that time, the city’s population has grown from 31,000 to more than 71,000. We have gone from approximately 190 acres of parkland to more than 1,500 acres of parks and open space. In 1980, we had nine developed parks. Today, community members enjoy 46. In 1980, Plymouth had 20 miles of off-road trails. Today, we boast 136 miles of off-road trails (124 of which are operated by the City of Plymouth).

Since 1980, there have been six park referendums put before the voters. Five of these referendums have passed. Most recently, in 2006, voters approved additional funding for the acquisition of open space for the Northwest Greenway and parks. Voter support on these referendums is noteworthy, and I am grateful for your support of the park system and your willingness to invest in the future of your community.

In 1997, the Plymouth Ice Center/Lifetime Fitness facility became the first fully integrated public/private partnership of its kind in the nation. Today, more than 1.4 million people visit this facility each year.
We have also added other important community gathering spaces, among them the Plymouth Creek Center, fieldhouse and Millennium Garden.

In 2010, Plymouth Parks & Recreation became the 97th department in the country to become an accredited agency by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies.

Plymouth’s volunteer program was initiated in 1993 with 224 volunteers putting in 4,091 hours. In 2010, our community benefits from more than 1,400 volunteers putting in more than 25,000 volunteer hours. We are grateful that you are willing to spend your valuable time volunteering for the Parks and Recreation Department and the city at large. Without your efforts, many of our special events and programs would not be nearly as successful.

I extend a thank you to our business community, schools and civic groups. Local businesses have consistently stepped up to sponsor events and contributed significant funding to make the Millennium Garden a reality.

Likewise, schools have been important collaborators with the city as we have worked to stretch tax dollars and avoid duplication of services. Also, our civic groups and athletic associations have helped build community by joining with the city to create memorable community events and build top notch facilities.

Finally, as I leave Plymouth, I am indebted to the various City Councils, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission members, and our staff members who have worked so diligently over the past three decades to make the Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department so successful. We have enjoyed great support and leadership from the City Council, ongoing engagement on the part of residents and admirable dedication from the citizens who have served as Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission members. The partnership has been vital to our success as we have built a nationally recognized parks and recreation system.

I extend special thanks to the 41 full time and more than 300 seasonal members that make up the Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department team. They are an outstanding group of professionals, dedicated to providing the very best service to the Plymouth residents. They have made my job fun and enjoyable, and I am proud to say I have worked with the best as we have built our parks, facilities and programs. I also want to thank my wife, Gretchen, and my daughters, Nichole and Kate, for all their support throughout my career.

I want you to know that as I leave, we have put in place an outstanding team to continue the work of our department. I hope that you will support them as you have me as they continue to work to meet the needs of all residents and to protect the parks and natural resources of our community. I know that they are committed to working with you to make Plymouth even better than it is today.

In closing, thank you to Jim Willis, the city manager in 1980 who offered me the greatest job in the world. Thanks to the residents of Plymouth. Many of you have become my friends and have shown me great support. I treasure the time we have spent together.

I wish everyone in Plymouth a prosperous future and hope that you and your families will enjoy the parks, trails and open space of this city for many generations to come.

Eric Blank, Director of Parks & Recreation