City recreation staff on Sept. 4 briefed the Parks and Recreation Commission on a range of summer program outcomes, facility renovations and near-term disruptions, and outlined upcoming policy conversations.

Ryan Daley, recreation manager and staff liaison, told commissioners that the Roanoke Playground renovation — funded by the 2022 parks levy — is "ready for play" and that finishing touches, including an ADA spot, would be completed through the fall. He said the Luther Burbank Courts renovation is complete and seeing heavy use; staff will return later this fall with policy recommendations on court usage and reservations to address crowding at peak times.

Daley summarized summer programs: roughly 1,300 summer-camp participants across 10 camps, with notable growth at the Lehi camp (from 38 to 89 participants) and revenue about $9,000 above projections. He credited new staff marketing and community engagement for the gains. Daley also reported the Summer Celebration parade and daytime events were well attended, generated $5,550 in community-center parking revenue that directly supported the event, and involved more than 70 vendor booths and multiple city departments.

On operations and disruptions, Daley warned commissioners that starting Sept. 18 WSDOT will begin I‑90 expansion joint replacement work with "pretty extreme traffic impacts" and significant backups expected on Mercer Island; he urged commissioners to share city emails and stay informed via the city's website. Daley said staff will distribute details to residents and commissioners.

Planning and policy schedule: staff noted upcoming agenda items including athletic-field allocation and facility-allocation and use policy discussions; staff intends to brief the commission on current usage before returning with policy recommendations following several months of user-group engagement. Daley said an "intro to the parks code" item is in the biennial work plan but might be delayed into 2026 due to other projects.

Why it matters: completed capital improvements and program growth affect community access and budgets; the WSDOT work will affect travel to parks and events and may change usage patterns during construction. Commissioners thanked staff for a busy summer and asked for continued updates on parking, field allocation and policy timing.