Ukiah officials report strong turnout for summer recreation programs, emphasize free offerings and partnerships

Ukiah City staff presented a recap of the city’s summer recreation programming and said the season drew thousands of participants and relied heavily on local partners and sponsors.

The presentation, led by Mary Anne Rondiff, senior recreation coordinator, and Daniel Spence, recreation supervisor, summarized programs that included after‑school programming, swim lessons, youth and adult sports leagues, and special events such as Todd Grove Park Summer Safari and Sundays in the Park.

The update underlined the scale of offerings and the city’s emphasis on keeping many activities free. "This year, we had just over 700 students attending our after school programs," Rondiff said. She also noted that the city employed "over 150 staff" for summer programs and "45 aquatic staff members" for pool operations. Spence highlighted swim programming: "We had over 1,400 swim lessons taught this year," referring to lessons at the municipal pool alone.

The presenters described a mix of youth-enrichment activities (robotics, engineering projects, art), teens programs, swim lessons and adult sports leagues. Spence said adult softball remained the largest adult league with "48 teams," while youth camps and sports drew large enrollments. The city continued partnerships with organizations such as the Ukiah Valley Athletic Club and the North Coast Striders for events like the kids’ triathlon.

Council members asked about outreach and attendance estimates. Rondiff said digital outreach is most effective: "I think definitely social media," and described using email blasts, Facebook and Instagram posts to notify residents. When asked how the city estimates attendance at large events, Spence said the city uses a third‑party foot-traffic tool, "a website called Placer AI," to isolate location/time estimates.

Council discussion also emphasized that many events are free because of business and community sponsorships and cooperation with Ukiah Unified School District. Spence said the city intentionally does not charge nonresidents higher fees for programs: "We don't charge a fee for the concerts in the park ... people who aren't residents don't pay more to be on a volleyball team."

Why it matters: City leaders presented the summary as evidence that recreation programs provide broad community benefit and that partnerships and sponsorships keep costs low for participants. The council did not take formal action on the presentation; staff concluded by inviting questions and noting continued partnership work.

The presentation ran through examples of signature events (All American Picnic, Touch a Truck, movie nights at the pool) and longer-term staffing gains (many seasonal staff are bilingual or returning students who intend to become educators). The council commended staff for the programs and the community partnerships that support them.