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Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee
Wednesday, November 19th at 5:30 PM
City Hall - Conference Room 204
MINUTES
Present: Sidney Long, Roberta King, John Burt, Leann Heywood, Sarah De La Rosa, David Ruck, Lynnette
Marks, Aaron Bodbyl-Mast, Hillery Ross
Absent: Yancy Weaver
1) Call to Order
a) Meeting called to order at 5:35 PM
2) Action Items
a) Approval of 9/17/25 Minutes
i) Motion to approve by Heywood, seconded by Marks.
Motion Passes Unanimously
3) Update: Park Capital Improvement Projects
a) Fleis & Vanderbrick – Kruse, Richards, Hartshorn & McGraft Drafts
i) Kruse - The plans for Kruse shows the plans for a ADA Accessible ramp down to the
beach which includes a sacrificial section of the ramp if the water levels were to rise
as high as they have in the past. This will make the structure easier to rebuild if
necessary.
ii) Hartshorn - The plans show an accessible fishing pier at Hartshorn Marina that
includes decorative, colored concrete. The plans include an updated seawall.
iii) McGraft - The McGraft Park plans show the suggested changes to the current tennis
courts. The change includes 8 pickleball courts. The area where new pickleball courts
are not being installed will be refinished. The plans also include removing the lower
courts and turning it into approximately 80 additional parking spaces.
iv) Richards - New non-motorized boat access is planned and the dock is switching sides
from where it currently is. The plan also includes barrier-free parking and the
dock/launch is removable.
b) Parking Lot Improvements
i) Reese currently has a base and will soon be ready for paving; Sheldon Park alley is
being widened and paved, Beukema is already paved, Grand Trunk will be starting
on Monday, November 24th.
c) Bathrooms & Marina Improvements
i) Reviving Sheldon Park bathroom that will have ADA accessible men’s and women’s
as well as a family restroom.
d) Capital improvement budget tracker and timeline
e) Director Karczewski gives an overview of current budget tracking and timelines. He
shows the total budget and includes many projects that bids are out for to show how
much money is currently claimed or will be allocated in the future for those projects.
There is still approximately $300,000 left that is unallocated and could go towards
future projects like playgrounds or beach safety upgrades.
f) Ruck brings to the group the light station that is currently trying to raise money for
improvements, and questions if some of the remaining funds can go toward lighthouse
renovations and improvements. Karczewski and Mayor Johnson explain that they
currently have grant funding in addition to their fundraising.
g) Marks asks about the budget for next year, and Director Karczewski explains that
currently there is no money budgeted for capital improvements next year. Mayor
Johnson asks Karczewski what his plan is for spending the convention center naming
rights funds in the next fiscal year, and Karczewski explains he did not know that he
would be getting that money, but is happy to figure out a way to allocate it.
h) Bodbyl-Mast said that he agrees with not allocating the remaining funds at this time to
wait and see how the current planned projects play out.
i) De La Rosa and Bodbyl-Mast both bring the revenue brought in from Beach Parking
Passes, and De La Rosa wanted to know how much money the Parks Department will
actually be getting after other expenses are made.
j) Mayor Johnson reads an email explaining that after other expenses are paid from the
revenue, the Parks Department gets around $400,000 which equates to the Parks
Department receiving around 30-40% of the revenue made by beach parking passes.
4) Activity: Budget Priorities & Subsidizing: Director Karczewski lead an activity to help us with
2026-2027 budget prioritization
a) After recently attending a conference about fees, Director Karczewski introduces to the
board an activity where the board is challenged to decide which programs/activities
should be subsidized and what percent exactly they should be subsidized. The goal of
the activity is to form a sustainable model for the Parks & Recreation Department.
5) Volunteers Needed
a) Director Karczewski mentions that the Parks & Recreation is in need of volunteers for
upcoming programs like Open Skate.
6) PRAC Calendar 2026
a) Director Karczewski suggested moving the PRAC meetings quarterly in 2026 with the
potential to add an additional meeting in the summer (or other times as needed).
January, April, July, October. Motion by Bodbyl-Mast, second by De La Rosa to amend
the meeting schedule to quarterly with special meetings as needed.
Motion passes unanimously
7) Public Comment
a) No public comment
8) Adjournment
a) Motion to adjourn by Burt, seconded by King.
Motion Passes
Meeting adjourned at 7:35 pm.
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