Director outlines council priorities and staffing changes; board told gate fees will be revisited

Dan Baker, Parks and Recreation Director, told board members that a recent council workshop focused on aligning boards and commissions with council expectations, including meeting formality, attendance and tying programs to the town’s strategic priorities.

Baker said the mayor and most of the council attended and "stressed the importance of attendance" and that staff and board members should use town email addresses for official communications because of security and open‑records considerations. He said the council asked boards to attend a budget session (likely in April) to learn about the town’s budget process and expectations.

Baker also said the council approved new actions related to fees: they removed a previously proposed 10% gate fee category and asked staff to revisit fee schedules. "They wiped them," Baker said of the council’s decision on that fee item, and staff will update tournament and event information accordingly.

Baker announced that assistant director Kirk Balars will retire at the end of this month and that council recognized him at its recent meeting. The director praised Balars’s contributions to park designs and project management.

The board had no future agenda items and the chair called for a motion to adjourn.