Parks board recommends five-year master plan update to city leaders

The Board of Parks and Recreation voted unanimously June 22 to recommend that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopt a five-year parks master plan update developed with Kimley‑Horn.

Director Mr. Gilly presented the 100‑page update and said the plan reflects six months of stakeholder engagement and staff review. "We had over 1,500 people reply to the survey," he said, and the document prioritizes projects, programming and long‑range facilities based on that feedback and professional assessments.

The plan highlights include benchmark comparisons (about 11 acres of parkland per resident against a median of 7.7 for comparable communities), operating expenditures of $67.99 per resident, and a full‑time equivalent staffing level of roughly 41 positions. Gilly emphasized that those statistics, combined with program growth, mean the city is serving a population closer to 100,000 in participation even though official population counts are lower.

The update organizes recommendations into near‑term and long‑range priorities and calls out systemwide needs such as improved restrooms, trail signage and shade structures. The community survey also raised demand for aquatic amenities; Gilly noted the plan records that community interest even while cautioning that land availability and funding may limit immediate action.

Board members asked about funding and whether elected officials have sufficient context to approve the plan. Gilly replied that the plan is intended to support grant applications and to guide capital spending; he said the recommendation goes to the Public Works Committee the next day and is expected to appear before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at the end of July.

The board moved to recommend adoption (motion by Mr. Head; second by Mr. Pike) and voted "I". The recommendation does not itself fund projects; it signals the parks department and city staff to pursue prioritized projects and applicable grant opportunities.