Post Falls Park staff outline possible CAPRA accreditation; commission asked about costs and staff time

Parks Manager Brian Myers briefed the commission on the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) at the Nov. 25 meeting, describing the accreditation process, recent changes to standards and why the department is considering pursuit.

Myers said the accreditation standards were restructured to 68 items in the 2027 standard, of which 37 are fundamental and the rest require meeting a percentage threshold. "It's the exercise that is the big value," Myers said, arguing that the self-assessment and documentation would help the department's discipline and transparency.

Commissioners asked about cost and staff time. Myers estimated the accreditation is a two- to three-year initial commitment and said travel and hosting costs used to be a significant share but have decreased through hybrid review models; he cited a historical fee of roughly $2,500 while noting the total cost depends on timing and required staff work. He emphasized that cross-department collaboration with IT, finance and HR will be required to complete documentation of policies and procedures.

Myers recommended the commission consider phased work, break the process into smaller milestones and use an internal audit approach even if the city did not pursue full accreditation immediately. No formal decision to apply was recorded in the meeting transcript.