Missoula staff present PROS update and open‑space project status; committee asked to review policies and 2019 plan

City parks staff presented an update on the 10‑ to 15‑year Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan and the status of several open‑space projects, and asked the Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) to review the draft policies and the 2019 urban area open space plan before the next workshop.

Zach, a PROS project lead, told the committee the presentation and the coming months will be “a lot of kind of reviewing and discussions and workshopping.” He framed the current window as a major opportunity for OSAC, saying, “It’s the only opportunity this committee has had in the last 20 years to really help shape that kind of policy and planning.”

Project status - RCA Cemetery: Zach told members the city has funding in place, is finalizing a buy‑sell agreement and is negotiating a memorandum of understanding about sharing a private well and pump for site water. Staff said the water arrangement and an MOU are the remaining issues before final acquisition steps. - Airport corridor: Staff reported the airport remains willing to sell a linear corridor parcel but that a second, larger parcel will require a boundary‑line readjustment. A private developer could cover the cost of the split; if not, staff said open‑space bond funds set aside for due‑diligence and predevelopment would cover it. Staff estimated a month to six weeks before that boundary decision is resolved. - Previously vetted project to council: Zach said a third project the committee previously recommended (referred to in materials as “Tip”) is scheduled to be reviewed by the city’s Climate, Conservation and Parks committee and that a public hearing will be set after that committee reviews the item.

Public engagement and plan themes Staff reported public engagement for PROS has reached roughly 5,000 residents through surveys, workshops, mobile listening sessions and targeted outreach. The consultant’s statistically valid survey gathered about 1,600 responses; mobile listening sessions exceeded 900 participants, staff said. Major themes from outreach include climate resilience, river‑corridor protection, trail connectivity, maintenance and safety concerns, and demand for both children’s programming and expanded adult/senior services as the population ages. Zach summarized survey findings by saying a large majority of respondents view parks and recreation as an important city service.

Plan alignment and policy drafting Staff explained the PROS update is intended to align with the city’s 2019 urban area open space plan and with the 2018 open space bond interlocal agreement; staff emphasized the new PROS text should not override the prior plan but will provide additional detail. City ordinance was cited as requiring that certain bond expenditures be prioritized in conformity with the most recently adopted city plan.

Committee feedback Several OSAC members said the plan as drafted included too many goals and some redundancies among guiding principles, goals and implementing strategies. Members advocated consolidating goals (one member recommended reducing to four or five actionable goals) and making some strategies measurable and time‑bounded. Zach said the implementation section includes more specific measurable policies (for example, a policy objective described in the draft as providing a park within a 10‑minute walk or roll for every resident). Members identified sections labeled “D” and “E” (natural environment stewardship and trails/connectivity) as priorities for the committee’s review because they are most actionable for open‑space vetting.

Next steps Staff asked committee members to review the 2019 open space plan and the 2018 bond language and to expect a workshop at the next OSAC meeting focused on the draft policies and implementation strategies. Zach said staff expect to deliver a draft manuscript for committee review in the coming weeks and that adoption of the PROS plan is planned for late spring or early summer; staff had previously hoped to adopt in May but said June is more likely.

Ending: Staff will send committee members links to the 2019 open space plan, the bond language, and the draft PROS framework and will post materials on the city’s Engage Missoula site ahead of the next workshop.