About the Department

 History

The Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) was formed in 1956 to provide wastewater services to the Jurupa Valley area of western Riverside County. In 1966, services expanded to include water system planning and operations. Over the years, the District’s total service area grew and is currently over 40 square miles and contains approximately 133,000 residents and various commercial/industrial facilities. 

As the service area known as the “Eastvale Area” grew, several residents reached out to JCSD to inquire about the possibility of adding parks and recreation services to their responsibilities. As a result, in 1996, JCSD worked with the County of Riverside to formulate the Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Plan for the Eastvale area. Revised multiple times over the next seven years, the plan ultimately included creation of a park territory, design of a complex park system, and funding mechanisms for development and ongoing maintenance through special assessments.

In 2003, the first JCSD park – McCune Family Park – was constructed.  Over the next few years, five additional parks were constructed, and the JCSD park system was beginning to take shape.  As the Eastvale area continued to grow in population, JCSD identified the need to develop a department to manage the design and maintenance of existing and future parks, as well as offer resident’s recreation programs, events, and activities. To that end, in 2007, the JCSD Parks & Recreation Department was formally established and has been providing award winning parks, programs, and services to the Eastvale community ever since.

The JCSD Parks & Recreation Department currently consists of three divisions: 1) Administration; 2) Park/Facility Maintenance and Operations; and 3) Recreation / Community Services. Collectively, we’re responsible for providing recreation programs, activities, and special events; managing over 250 acres of parkland, which includes 15 parks, first-class athletic fields, two splash pads, trails, a 30,000 square foot community center, a 6,500 square foot activity center, and a 2.5-acre special event venue; graffiti abatement; and maintaining over 4 million square feet of frontage landscaping.

In 2015, the JCSD Parks & Recreation Department became one of just five agencies in California to obtain accreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association’s Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).  Accredited agencies must repeat this process every five years.  JCSD was up for reaccreditation in 2020 but requested and received an extension until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On September 10, 2021, the CAPRA Commission formally approved JCSD’s CAPRA reaccreditation.  Impressively, we scored 100% on the assessment by meeting all 154 standards.

Mission Statement

The JCSD Parks & Recreation Department strives to efficiently and effectively utilize available resources in the development and maintenance of quality park facilities and provide safe, fun and diverse recreational opportunities which enrich the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

Vision

The vision of the JCSD Parks & Recreation Department is to deliver recreation and leisure opportunities that will improve the health and well-being of the community and to serve as stewards of the environment by managing and protecting our resources through the following:

• Recreation programs and activities that inspire personal growth, healthy lifestyles, and a sense of community
• Safe parks and facilities that meet the diverse community needs.

Core Values

Speak Straight & Listen Generously – Speak honestly in a constructive way that moves the action forward. Listen with care and without judgement… most important, listen to understand and support. Say what you mean, and be willing to ask questions, share ideas, or raise issues that may cause conflict when it’s necessary for team success. Address issues directly with those who are involved or affected. Rumors are destructive … seek accurate information and only speak about things you know to be truthful.

Trust Our Team – Strong teams are successful not just because they work together, but because they trust each other. Seek to build trust in all relationships … personally, professionally and within our community. Assume good intentions and always give people the benefit of the doubt. Recognize your weaknesses and have the trust to appreciate when your team is better at something than you.

Respect – Focus on being warm, friendly and approachable … ensure civility in all our actions. Be graciously humble … recognize your team’s success over your own. Every interaction with our team or a customer is an opportunity to create deeper, more meaningful relationships. Respect our process and take great pride in achieving exceptional outcomes. Own and celebrate the team’s success, but also hold yourself accountable and learn from your mistakes.

Inspirational – Be a leader … take every opportunity to teach and help others learn and grow. Lead by example and never leave your team behind. When everyone is moving forward together, success takes care of itself.

Visionary – Determined by the thought of what tomorrow can bring … driven by grit to get it done today. Look ahead, anticipate and dream big. Build fruitful relationships within the industry … draw upon the success of others to shape our future. Without the vision, there is no action … without direction, there is no purpose. Be relentless about improvement.

Empowered – Don’t accept anything at “face value” of it doesn’t make sense to you … don’t be afraid to ask “Why?”. Have the confidence and curiosity to challenge the “way we have    always done it”. Have a Growth Mindset in everything you do. Ask questions when you don’t understand. Healthy, vigorous debate creates better solutions. Find a way to be exceptional.