Council hears five‑year parks improvement plan; staff recommends master plan, field restorations and limits on MEC use

Parks Director Howard and staff presented the City of Cibolo’s draft five‑year parks improvement plan during the March 25 City Council meeting, laying out recommended repairs, estimated costs and next steps for Schlage Park, Veterans Park, Nimbus Park, the MEC sports complex and a new Tully Nature Preserve.

Howard said the city’s parks system (excluding the YMCA and sports complex managed by third parties) encompasses roughly 93 acres and identified urgent maintenance needs at the MEC field, which staff said has been overused after nearby jurisdictions closed fields. Staff recommended a range of fixes: short‑term field restoration and irrigation fixes at a lower cost; full field replacement or synthetic turf as a longer‑term option (staff cited sodding quotes about $72,000 for install and higher estimates for synthetic turf). Howard recommended limiting heavy equipment on the MEC and rotating field usage to avoid concentrated wear.

Estimated renovation costs in staff materials (with a 3% inflation adjustment cited in the presentation) included roughly $1.3 million for Schlage Park (including a proposed volleyball court), about $631,000 for Veterans Park upgrades (new field surface, trees and irrigation), about $1.3 million for Nimbus Park field and trail renovations, and roughly $770,000 for Ridge Park improvements. The Tully Nature Preserve concept shown in the presentation had a planning figure of about $1.1 million for campsites, walking trails and an observatory; Council previously set aside funds tied to that project. The parks director asked whether council wanted staff to reallocate $750,000 that had been placed in the capital plan or reserve that money specifically for Tully Nature Preserve.

Staff recommended three near‑term actions: 1) commission an updated citywide parks master plan in FY26 so the city can apply for competitive grants that require current master plans; 2) fund restoration of the Nimbus walking trail (estimated under $20,000); and 3) restore the MEC field surface and relocate Sybilofest carnival activities to preserve field quality. Howard told council that restoring a worn natural‑grass field could take one to two months of downtime depending on the chosen method.

Council members pressed for more detail on priorities and costs and asked staff to return with a refined program. Several council members urged using volunteers and the Parks Advisory Board to help with events and programs but said capital repairs require paid crews and outside contractors. Councilman Joel Hicks repeated that funds earlier identified for the Tully Nature Preserve should be reserved for that park — council agreed that voter‑directed bond or earmarked funds should not be diverted without clear direction. Multiple members asked staff to bring a more detailed recommended sequencing and funding plan to the strategic management workshop so council could prioritize projects during the FY26 budget cycle.

Why it matters: Parks and fields are heavily used and restoration decisions will affect youth sports scheduling, community events such as Sybilofest and grant eligibility. Staff emphasized that an up‑to‑date master plan would increase the city’s competitiveness for grant funding.

Next steps: Staff will prepare refined cost estimates, clarify which CIP line items or grants could pay for projects and bring the parks program and master‑plan proposal to the strategic management workshop and upcoming budget workshops for Council direction.