Monday, Mar. 03, 2008
New Parks and Recreation director named
Jack Weinstein
Print
E-Mail
AIM
ReprintOlathe's Parks and Recreation Department has a new boss.
Kevin Corbett, who had been with the city for 16 years as parks superintendent, was promoted its director last Friday, the city announced in a release.
He began his new role Monday, but Corbett said he's been shifting into the position for the last week and a half, so nothing was too exciting his first day.
Making that transition seamless was important for the department and the community, he said.
"I have a good sense of where the community's parks and recreation needs have been identified, and my goal is to prioritize those and continue to provide those services and facilities to the community," he said.
Corbett replaces Steve Baysinger, who left the city for a similar role with the Blue Valley Recreation Commission. Corbett said his reign won't be stray from what was in place under Baysinger.
"I don't know if it will be so different," he said. "Obviously there will be changes. I can't tell you exactly what they are. My approach will certainly be different as anybody's would. I think as we move forward, my focus is on delivering initiatives and projects as expected."
Some of those include the park sales tax projects, a number of which are under way. Corbett said the city is in the design phase or has started construction on four trails projects funded through the tax. The project on everyone's mind, though, is the community recreation center, he said.
Late last year, the center was authorized to receive more than $12 million in funding — $6 million from the park sales tax and more than $6 million from general obligation bonds — beginning this year.
Corbett said the recreation center would take time and effort to put in place. A site and design for the proposed 48,000-square-foot center haven't been identified.
Phase II of the 10-year, eighth-cent park sales tax, which took effect in 2005, is expected to generate more than $27 million for the city's parks projects. Phase I covered the previous five years.
His other focus, Corbett said, would be providing Olathe residents with the level of service they have come to expect.
During Corbett's tenure, the city developed its first Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which included the two park sales tax initiatives.
Before coming to Olathe, Corbett was as a consultant to the National Park Service and other parks and public works agencies throughout the United States and Australia. He was also the first parks superintendent for Raytown. Corbett has a parks and recreation degree from Kansas State University.
City Manager Michael Wilkes said in the release that Corbett was a perfect fit for the job.
“Kevin lives and breaths Olathe,” he said, “His passion for this — the Parks and Recreation Department — is incredible, and there simply is not a person better for this job.”