[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6535177,"mediaKeyId","3413711-fad26f4dc232cabe7f4c7e44c153ed90","parentId",3413711,"title","Live Oak commissioners review annual events; staff keep core formats while noting tweaks","audioSeconds",2343,"startMs",162000,"endMs",2505000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413711-fad26f4dc232cabe7f4c7e44c153ed90&start=162&end=2505","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413711-fad26f4dc232cabe7f4c7e44c153ed90/thumbnail_162000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6535177/Live-Oak/Bexar-County/Texas/Live-Oak-commissioners-review-annual-events-staff-keep-core-formats-while-noting-tweaks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535177-0252fe85dfd86f675f1c782a3636dcce/orig.mp4?Expires=1773133733&Signature=groMI0Tn1xa4eHvTFpRVbxN6kZGw3iGYkkaT5khzyAS8Auc6eLbJ-KP09VhMk1EYVT~QVj5tLQmNlTSvsRBZVE32WEm6WOkzWl9O03V9dIYnxSERKg3buzBOvicwBYo4MSloWancTreyYNv26lwGXkvN1JDrumXbdeSGOBGqHMSNH44JFrlvjwBwCY0auZYhfv33dIQ4~DnvVAyYj43xrFDT0kdd6pxbIGGA5LwT7llX6YxpC5tPDXahRHXrqe3lsAgaQmfs~pDrD1roIIOyD2QoTVIsMm1zNkim~qfA33Fwx0cXR0~yVxzLY9GL2Rg426rlAwcDPm7VeCKmUNIPPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Live Oak","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","Live Oak Parks and Recreation Commission members met May 20 to review this year’s calendar of community events and offer staff feedback on operations, volunteer needs and modest changes for next year.

The commission spent the bulk of the meeting going event by event, starting with the spring “Extravaganza/Movie in the Park.” Courtney Lee, parks staff, said the event now combines an evening egg hunt followed by a movie and that staff are increasingly using food trucks rather than handing out free food. “We put out 20,000 eggs this year,” Lee said, and staff pre-stuffed giveaway bags in advance to speed distribution. Commissioners and volunteers praised the move to food trucks — typically five to six per event — while urging better vendor access and clearer crowd signage to reduce confusion during hunts.

Commissioners pressed for clearer on-site announcements to manage lines and age-group staging. Commissioner Daniel Buncher and Commissioner Brian suggested using the DJ more actively to call age groups and timing; Commissioner Brian said the food-truck count “is the right amount” so vendors have a chance to sell during the short service window. Several commissioners asked staff to consider raised or better-placed directional signs and to keep the late egg-run option for families who arrive after an initial hunt.

Discussion on volunteers focused on staffing needs the day of events. Lee said staff and volunteers together typically need roughly 20 people to man fields, entrances and volunteer stations for the egg hunt, with additional volunteers used to stuff bags and help at the information table. Lee described a shift this year toward stuffing bags before the event (staff pre-stuffed 500 bags and had supplies for roughly 850 distributions).

The commission also reviewed Armed Forces Day, held on the third Saturday in May. Commissioners praised turnout and local business participation; staff reported the city provided small giveaways (fans, flags) and that local restaurants volunteered to hand out items to families. Commissioners suggested additional ways to honor local veterans at future parades, such as ride-along spots for selected retirees. Commissioner Mario recommended adding a visible Live Oak flag giveaway to boost community pride during the route.

Junior Fishing Day — scheduled for the first Saturday in June this year — drew positive comments about attendance and programming. Parks staff reported 225 children participated last year and that a $500 contribution from a local business (noted in the meeting as “the Kwan”) helps fund door prizes. Staff and commissioners noted the lake can be dry at times and urged continued safety messaging about pond edges and erosion; several commissioners supported adding fishing instruction and outreach material from Texas Parks and Wildlife at future events.

Shindig on Chinook, the city’s large fall festival, generated sustained discussion. Commissioners described it as Live Oak’s premier event and debated whether to expand or rebrand it to pull in new audiences. Suggestions included more local-school performances, alternative headline acts, additional daytime family programming and possibly shifting the date closer to Halloween to create a stronger seasonal identity. Several commissioners urged exploring contracted attractions (for example, a larger carnival footprint or contracted game operators) rather than expanding solely with volunteers.

Down Home Christmas drew favorable comments about the ticketed photo system, hot chocolate and partner giveaways (donuts, holiday treats). Commissioners recommended emphasizing Live Oak branding on printed photos and giveaways and improving PA coverage so Santa ticket numbers can be announced clearly from across the event grounds. Staff said Santa photos and the ticket system proved popular but asked for suggested improvements to sound projection and volunteer staging.

Commissioners thanked staff and volunteers for execution and said the recurring theme was to preserve what works while making targeted changes: better signage and PA announcements, clearer vendor windows, more strategic volunteer assignments and a small number of contracted attractions for the largest events. Staff will incorporate the suggestions into next year’s planning and the commission encouraged continued use of local vendors and community groups.

Ending: Commissioners closed the events discussion with general thanks to staff and volunteers and moved on to a separate agenda item about project priorities for the city’s park master plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Live Oak - Parks and Recreation Commission - May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Live Oak Parks and Recreation Commission members met May 20 to review this year’s calendar of community events and offer staff feedback on operations, volunteer needs and modest changes for next year.","taxTitle","Live Oak, Bexar County, Texas","taxId",69408,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6535172,"Parks commission forwards six project priorities to city council, including covered courts and a kayak launch",2890,5531000,8421000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413711-fad26f4dc232cabe7f4c7e44c153ed90&start=5531&end=8421","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413711-fad26f4dc232cabe7f4c7e44c153ed90/thumbnail_5531000.jpg","/articles/6535172/Live-Oak/Bexar-County/Texas/Parks-commission-forwards-six-project-priorities-to-city-council-including-covered-courts-and-a-kayak-launch","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535172-9c4da3e357044db9beb29226c75ceec3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773133733&Signature=kHTpz6Ga3OqyYDRUiex5YvqqLUNWD3SpLLqkuHodA5boT1FqRry9wFxO6UfEBYNB7RpPDwYV3GPtXV8Lq8yhp6hJyt3bIGFukYjYiTL1gDTfTEhAy5ca7HSopGZiRM70IZy0mkNQnPFOJoUp-l66CiBHj5FiU3gyQ~l-d1u-qzzScHq~A1EWhVhq7xpI5KW~qevBqwB02vIlpA0jLrcF0GfhKytfawDlLqd4G3AaexsZLUefRQwknyjeSo3QDx7fs4eDMXg~m6D~4bKA8OzvKxmAvRSkmRBAJylQClOxGD99LnfWpgp57GdTyJm3ysOd1LiDlLPvQQ1OM4Slycivpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Live Oak Parks and Recreation Commission on May 20 voted to forward a prioritized list of park master-plan projects to the City Council for consideration during the budget process.

Commissioners discussed a slate of improvements drawn from the 2024 parks and trail master plan and the commission’s workshop, then approved a motion to send six broad project priorities to council. The items the commission asked staff to present to council were: a multi-use open space at the pool complex that includes covered picnic shelters, a sand volleyball court, a covered basketball court with lighting, a kayak launch, wildflower meadows in selected parks and increased maintenance/landscaping including an erosion-control study.

Mark, a city staff member overseeing parks and public works, told the commission the timing was linked to the city’s budget cycle. “We are about to get into the budget season for city council and so we want the parks commission to be able to make some recommendations,” he said, urging commissioners to prioritize items given limited resources.

The motion was presented and seconded during the meeting; the second was identified in the record as Commissioner Elizabeth (Liz). The meeting record does not list a specific named mover for the formal motion. The commission adopted the motion by voice vote; staff said the next step is to prepare cost estimates and present the request to both the City Council and the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for funding consideration.

Commissioners who spoke during the project discussion emphasized two themes: protect and maintain existing park infrastructure (shade, signage, erosion control, restroom and parking improvements) and selectively add lower-cost, high-value amenities (covered seating, sand volleyball, kayak access and wildflower plantings). Several commissioners urged staging projects so the city can push items into the upcoming budget or plan them as multi-year efforts.

Staff said they will produce cost estimates and timelines and will coordinate with the EDC where appropriate, then return to the council with a budget package for council consideration during the summer budget cycle.

Ending: The commission’s referral will be included in staff materials for council and EDC review; specific funding decisions will be made through the council’s budget process.","The Live Oak Parks and Recreation Commission voted May 20 to forward a set of park-master-plan projects for council consideration, including multi-use open space with covered picnic shelters, a sand volleyball court, a covered basketball court with lighting, a kayak launch, wildflower meadows and maintenance/landscaping with erosion control.","actionData","errors"]

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Live Oak commissioners review annual events; staff keep core formats while noting tweaks

Parks commission forwards six project priorities to city council, including covered courts and a kayak launch