Commissioners reviewed projected capital improvements and a recommended timeline for a new 10‑year parks and recreation master plan during the Oct. 8 meeting.

Eric Breidinger, parks and recreation director, told the commission the department plans to defer some projects to avoid over‑drawing reserves while the aquatic center opens. He listed multiple maintenance needs, including a roughly $90,000 HVAC repair at the recreation center. Breidinger said the department bought adjustable nets this year and proposed a $30,000 line item to replace the sand at Miners Park with engineered volleyball sand; he clarified that the $30,000 figure covers sand only.

On the town’s overall planning schedule, Breidinger proposed funding the consultant work for a 10‑year master plan in 2027 while preparing a polished request‑for‑proposals (RFP) in 2026. Commissioners agreed a winter RFP release is reasonable so consultants can plan workloads the following year. Multiple commissioners supported moving the consulting and budget allocation to 2027 to avoid overextending staff during final facility openings and associated operations work.

Breidinger also reported the town hired a new finance director and that the finance team produced a budget packet for trustees; the trustees will get a first look at the town budget on the trustees’ next work session. He said roughly $200,000 is available this year for design documents on one park project and about $1 million is budgeted next year for implementation of phased projects.

The discussion was informational; no formal budget vote occurred at the meeting. Next steps include drafting the RFP for the master plan in 2026, prioritizing repair work such as the recreation center HVAC, and preparing line items for trustees’ review.