Council directs staff to draft Parks & Recreation Commission ordinance changes for monthly meetings and volunteer expectations

City staff asked the council on Feb. 4 for direction on possible ordinance changes for the Parks & Recreation Commission. Miss Trejo presented options and requested guidance on meeting frequency and whether to require commission volunteer hours.

Councilmember Brewster and other council members said moving the commission from every-other-month to monthly meetings would increase participation, allow more consistent collaboration with youth sports and recreation groups and raise the commission’s profile. Brewster specifically said monthly meetings would make the commission “taken more seriously.”

Councilmembers and audience speakers discussed whether to set volunteer-hour expectations for commissioners. Suggested language included defining meeting time as part of required hours and allowing hours to count for a range of activities (volunteering at events, scorekeeping, assisting with rec events). Council discussion landed on setting a modest expectation so as not to discourage volunteers; one suggestion discussed in the meeting was 4 hours per month (including meeting time), while others proposed higher figures (8 hours) and the council directed staff to return with proposed ordinance language.

Council also asked staff to draft clearer statements of commission duties, reporting lines and how commission recommendations should be routed to the council or city departments so members understand their scope and boundaries.

Direction: staff will prepare draft language for a future council meeting that would change the commission’s meeting frequency and outline commissioner duties and volunteer-hour guidance for council consideration.