Parks staff detail senior, aquatics and CIP updates; Roosevelt building to be assessed after weekend incident

Department managers presented an overview of Parks & Recreation programs and capital improvements and answered commissioner questions on program eligibility, outreach, and project timelines.

Miss Benza, the department director, opened the report and introduced managers Meta Suma and Michael Shakura. Mitch, manager of senior services and athletics, described two senior centers (Fifth Street and Paris Hill), intergenerational events, an upcoming senior showcase, volunteer programs (Senior Companion, RSVP) and several recurring activities. “I get to start off with the best stuff which is the senior activities,” Mitch said, urging commissioners to promote events such as the senior prom and the department’s intergenerational offerings.

Michaela and Michael Shakura summarized community-center and aquatics programming, including adaptive programming at the Center for Individual Development, summer swim schedules that expand to seven-day programming in June, and expanded water-safety outreach tied to a Red Cross public-safety PSA.

Capital projects: staff reported Nicholson Park is 98% complete and staff are exploring tentative ribbon-cutting dates in late May or mid‑June. At Second Lake, the department said a recent $5 million contribution from Ramos’s office will support additional ADA pathways, lake filtration work, pickleball courts and parking improvements. “We have received additional five million from Ramos's office,” Miss Benza told commissioners.

Roosevelt building: staff described a recent weekend incident at a Roosevelt facility. A structural engineer will assess the building to determine whether it can be retained with reinforcement or requires demolition; the cause of the incident remains under county investigation. Commissioners asked about park security and ranger patrols; staff said rangers conduct case-by-case checks and incident reports are filed and reviewed daily.

La Plaza master plan and community concerns: community members asked how public sticky-note feedback was digitized and requested confirmation that a previously announced $1.3 million allocation would remain dedicated to La Plaza. Benza confirmed that grant-funded project money is tracked to the project it was designated for and said the master plan will go before city council on May 6; specifics about permitting and construction timing depend on engineering review and contractor selection.

What’s next: staff will follow up with the commission on the Roosevelt assessment results, timing for ribbon-cuttings, and clarification of La Plaza’s funding and permitting timeline.