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In honor of Park and Recreation Month in Arvada, Parks Manager Steve Gustafson joins us to share his lifelong passion for parks maintenance and the complexities of managing the city's vast outdoor spaces.

In this episode:

• Overview of the Arvada Parks Department, which maintains over 200 sites across 4,200 acres with 56 full-time employees
• The collaborative relationship and distinctions between Arvada Parks and Apex Park and Recreation District
• How Arvada Parks are funded with half coming from Jefferson County Open Space sales tax and half from the city's general fund
• The Jefferson County Property Search tool shows a property's mill levies for special districts such as Apex 
• Major challenges facing the Arvada Parks Department include battling emerald ash borer infestations, rising water costs ($800,000 annually), and transitioning to electric maintenance equipment
• Arvada Parks' turf conversion program that aims to conserve water, reduce maintenance, and benefit the environment

News and events: 

• Movies Around Town continues Friday, July 18 with 'Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice' at Michael Northey Park 
• Vote in the People's Choice Movie Poll
• Motorized vehicles such as dirt bikes and ATVs are not allowed in our parks and trails. Visit our trails rules and etiquette tips page for more info 
• The City's Resident Tax Rebate Program is now through Aug. 31

Visit us at arvadaco.gov/podcast or email us at podcast@arvada.org.