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Prescott Recreation Services reports trail expansions, AmeriCorps partnership and director retirement
Summary
Recreation Services updated the Civic Enhancement Committee that Bean Peaks trails have reached about six miles after phase 2, Granite Dells Gateway Park trails added about three miles, an eight-person AmeriCorps NCCC crew is assisting on projects, and Director Joe Baines will retire April 25; the department is hiring a replacement.
Michelle, speaking on behalf of Prescott City Recreation Services, told the Civic Enhancement Committee the department has completed phase 2 of the Bean Peaks trails, bringing the total trail mileage there to about six miles, and has added roughly three miles of trail work at Granite Dells Gateway Park.
Michelle said the department’s trails crew and a volunteer group called the Over the Hill Gang have been active on trail construction and maintenance. She described a busy youth and amateur sports season — recent winter basketball concluded and the department is preparing for spring volleyball, summer kickball and softball — and said spring is the department’s busiest maintenance period.
Michelle told the committee Recreation Services is gearing up for a substantial special-events season. The department averages about 75 special events annually on city property, streets and parks; the Whiskey Off-Road is a multi-day downtown event in April that Recreation Services helps coordinate. She said the department is responsible for permitting and coordinating public safety, sanitation, street closures and other requirements for events held on city property.
Since January, Michelle said, Recreation Services has been working with an AmeriCorps NCCC crew of eight members who are housed at the city activity center. “We have 8 members on that crew. And they have just been a huge asset to the city,” she said, describing work on erosion control, trail accessibility, outdoor education, watershed projects and park amenity refurbishment, including planned refurbishment of interior activity-center steps.
Michelle also announced that Recreation Services Director Joe Baines will retire; she said his last day is April 25 and that the job posting closed last Wednesday. She said staff plan to onboard a new director and bring that person up to speed on the department’s programs.
Committee members asked about specific events such as the rodeo parade and about the department’s role in event permitting; Michelle described a cross-departmental committee that reviews event applications and inspects permits for fire, health, public safety and other required items. No formal committee action was taken; this item was an informational update.
