Parks commission recommends Richland City Council adopt 2026–2031 PROS plan

The Richland Parks and Recreation Commission voted July 9 to recommend that the City Council adopt the proposed 2026–2031 parks, recreation and open space (PROS) plan, following a staff presentation and incorporation of public feedback.

Donald Weaver, parks and public facilities project manager, asked the commission to approve the draft plan with the additional comments included in a handout, saying public comment had remained open until the night before and that the packet contains a summary of the most recent edits. "What I have here is a request for you guys to make a motion to approve the PROS plan with the additional comments in this handout tonight," Weaver said.

Weaver told commissioners the PROS plan is a six‑year document that must remain broad to meet grant requirements while capturing systemwide priorities. He said the edits staff proposed emphasize natural open‑space conservation while preserving the plan’s broad, grant‑eligible scope.

Commissioner Thompson moved that the commission recommend City Council adopt the 2026–2031 parks, recreation and open space plan incorporating the staff revisions presented at the meeting; Commissioner Christ seconded the motion. The commission carried the motion on a voice vote. The meeting record shows the motion passed; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

Commissioners asked whether minor copy edits could still be submitted; staff confirmed grammatical or micro edits would be accepted without changing the plan’s substance. Weaver reiterated that the plan’s breadth is intentional to allow for more detailed park‑level master plans later.

The commission’s recommendation now moves the draft plan to the City Council for its consideration. If adopted by council, the PROS plan will guide parks priorities and is necessary for many grant funding opportunities over the next six years.