Planning for the future of recreation in Teton County, ID
The 2014 Recreation Master Plan recommends a path for maintaining and improving the quality of recreation in Teton County supported by a Recreation District.
2024:
- Placed a ballot question on the November 2024 general election to put a recreation district in place for Teton County.
2023:
- Added website links to community sports and wellness opportunities. Go to the Sports & Activities page .
- Developed a detailed scope of work and secured a grant to support an update to the Teton County Recreation and Public Access Master Plan. We will promote and facilitate an update.
- entered into a fiscal sponsorship to assist a community sports organization as they pursue nonprofit status.
- We have applied for a grant to support expansion of our website to include coordinating functionality for sports and wellness nonprofits.
- Reviewed and shared findings from community focus groups and survey. Read the report here.
2022:
- Basing our path forward on your input and we'll be transparent through the whole process
- Conducted focus groups and surveys to understand what our community would like to see for organizational structures and are willing to support.
- Established our website, sportsandwellness.org.
- Advising the County on the Teton River Recreation Planning process
- Recruited community advisors for our team.
- Obtained our 501c3 status.
2021:
- Formed as an Idaho corporation.
- Evaluated sports, wellness, and recreation approaches in other Idaho counties.
See the Current Situation
In 2014 Teton County adopted the Teton County Recreation and Public Access Master Plan, and has since made impressive strides on elements of this plan. Examples include the establishment of Buxton Park and the development of the Teton County Waterways Recreation Ordinance.
However, we currently have a patchwork approach to recreation in Teton County, ID with nonprofits providing structure for a particular sport or recreation mission. A Recreation District can provide cross-cutting coordination, additiional funding and organizational support.
Non-profit specialization can lead to user group conflict as they compete for limited resources, physical space, leadership, and funding.
Our goal is to work to find practical solutions to these complex issues for a whole host of sports and wellness opportunities. We want a future in which recreational and wellness opportunities are easy to navigate and increasingly accessible for the community as a whole.
See the Issues
Why is the current situation challenging?
There is a lack of stable funding for facilities and minimal means to execute long-term plans for recreational growth.
Currently the cities of Victor, Driggs and Tetonia provide the facilities for many sports and recreation activities. The burden of maintaining ball fields and recreation facilities falls directly on the cities. A stable funding source for these recreation facilities through a Recreation District will provide a central, responsible coordinating entity and take the burden off of Tetonia, Driggs, and Victor.
The Victor LDS church, for example, allows soccer practice but the space isn’t large enough to host games.
Driggs spends about $100,000 to maintain their parks and fields. Victor spends $60,000. Our studies suggest that the appropriate standard cost for maintenance of their acreage is $200,000 and $120,000 respectively. Currently Driggs city and Victor city top priority is safety and basic function with minimal capacity to grow or improve. A Recreation District will allow forward looking goals such as expansion and capital improvement, plus the capacity to build new facilities.
What doesn’t exist?
In most communities similar to ours in size and resources, a County Recreation District or Recreation Department works towards these solutions. Our community studies support the creation of a Recreation District to support recreation into the future. Please read the Next Steps tab to learn about our best options!
See Next Steps
Teton Valley Parks and Recreation District
Friends of Teton Valley Sports and Wellness is working to place an initiative on the November 2024 ballot that will ask the Teton County Community if they would like to form a Recreation District.
We are proposing that the Recreation District, that would be known as the “Teton Valley Parks and Recreation District” include all of Teton County Idaho. The maximum tax rate that would be imposed upon taxable property within the district is proposed to be 0.028%.
A recreation district is organized for the uses and purposes of acquiring, providing, maintaining and operating public recreation centers, swimming facilities, pools, picnic areas, camping facilities, ball parks, handball courts, tennis courts, marine and snowmobile facilities, recreational pathways, ski areas, and golf courses and public transportation systems and facilities serving the district together with all related grounds, buildings, equipment and apparatus for the use of the residents of the district and the public generally.
What we are doing
For the next few months, we will be collecting signatures from voters who are registered in Teton County Idaho. We need around 1,600 signatures of registered voters to have the initiative placed on the ballot in November.
A Recreation District in Teton County, ID to sustain and improve recreation in 3 parts. Coordination • Facilities • Access
The 2014 Master Recreation Plan
Coordination to provide support for programming of youth and adult sports teams, strategic planning, and a central hub to learn about sports and recreational opportunities. A Rec District will support sports teams to run leagues, provide resources for coaches to have professional development, concussion training, and book field space from one central resource. This will increase Iopportunities available to all community members, regardless of their financial circumstances. A central Rec Distrcit will be a resource to communicate key messages on trail rules to prevent user conflicts and updates on trail conditions.
Existing Facilities are first priority for maintenance and upgrades. The second priority is to to accommodate community growth by executing long-term plans for facility expansions such as additional ball fields and a shooting range.
Access is critical. Our public lands need sufficient parking at trailheads, clean bathrooms, and signage to help direct the public. Additionally, resources will be available to support training and education for all users with the goal of preventing user conflicts. These elements in the MRP are key to an excellent user experience for our growing community.
