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Parks and Recreation reports program growth, senior nutrition decline and sports park soft opening
Summary
Parks and Recreation told the council about expanded youth programming, volunteer engagement and a soft opening for the new sports park on Jan. 21, and warned that senior nutrition meal counts remain below historical levels.
Parks and Recreation Director Barnes updated the Santa Paula City Council on program activity from October through December, reporting growth across youth classes and volunteer programs, the expansion of partnerships, and a soft opening date for the new sports park.
Director’s overview: Barnes said youth participation has climbed in classes such as gymnastics (206 participants) and flag football (270 participants). The department’s YARA (Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Accelerator) program finished its first cohort and will begin a second cohort in February. Barnes said a new partnership with Goodwill will place paid interns at the community center.
Senior services and nutrition: Barnes highlighted a Year‑to‑date senior nutrition total of about 4,400 meals, a sharp decline from prior years when the program typically served well over 10,000 meals by this point. The department attributed the drop to recent program cuts and said staff are exploring delivery expansion and alternative funding sources.
Facilities and parks: The new sports park — accepted by the city in November — will open for public use on a soft‑opening basis on Tuesday, Jan. 21; full facility rentals are expected to begin March 1, pending field readiness. Facilities work highlighted community‑center kitchen upgrades, tree maintenance (pruned 126 trees in the quarter) and lighting and generator improvements that operated during a recent outage.
Volunteers and community events: Barnes said the city now tracks 284 registered volunteers, totaling 343.5 hours in the quarter (an estimated $11,000 of service). The department recalled successful holiday events, Santa’s Tours and the Santa and Me toy drives.
Why it matters: The department’s report shows rising engagement among youth programs and increasing volunteer capacity while raising budget questions about sustaining senior nutrition and delivering capital projects. Council members asked about mulch placement and fire safety; Barnes said staff will coordinate with Ventura Fire Safe Council on best practices.
Ending: Council thanked the Parks and Recreation team for programming and facilities work. Director Barnes said staff will return with follow‑up details on senior nutrition funding, the sports‑park grand opening and community garden programming.
