Troy park commissioners approve events schedule, extend Pepsi contract and recommend new parks master plan

The City of Troy Board of Park Commissioners on Jan. 14 approved a slate of routine actions to support park operations and summer events, including re-electing officers, approving the 2025 events schedule for Prouty Plaza and other park property, recommending that the city hire StructurePoint to update the city's comprehensive parks and recreation master plan, extending the current nonalcoholic beverage services agreement with Pepsi through April 30, 2026, and recommending temporary activation of the DORA for three summer events.

The actions are intended to keep the parks schedule and services consistent as the city prepares for the 2025 event season and a long-overdue parks master plan update. Board members said the updates should reduce the need to return to the board for individual event approvals and will let staff prepare for larger, recurring events.

Board business opened with a motion to keep the current officers in place for 2025; the commission approved that motion, and the board listed Mister Emmerich as president and the meeting chair as vice president. The commissioners then approved the minutes from the Dec. 2, 2024 meeting by unanimous voice vote.

The board approved the proposed 2025 events listing for city park property, which includes concerts in downtown Troy and at Treasure Island Park, activities organized by Troy Main Street and the Troy Civic Band, and other community events. City staff said the list is presented early in the year to reduce repetitive requests to the board; the packet includes events that the city and recreation department anticipate will take place in 2025. "We try to bring this to you as complete as we can early in the year, so you can review it and hopefully give approval," a staff member said during the meeting.

On the parks master plan, city staff recommended awarding professional services to StructurePoint to prepare a comprehensive parks and recreation master plan. City staff said funds for the project are included in the 2025 parks budget and that the last complete parks plan on record dated to 1991. "We are presenting this tomorrow to the rec board, and hopefully to achieve a positive recommendation to city council," Tim Davis said.

The board voted to forward a positive recommendation for StructurePoint to the recreation board and then to City Council for final action.

The commissioners also approved a one-year extension of the existing nonalcoholic beverage services agreement with Pepsi through April 30, 2026. Recreation staff explained the agreement began as a five-year contract with options for three additional one-year extensions, and the board approved the final one-year extension. "We would likely start working on that probably in Q4 of 2025 to begin that process of getting ready to accept bids," Mr. Seiler said regarding future procurement.

Finally, the board recommended that City Council authorize temporary activation of the DORA for three dates tied to summer events ' June 21, July 4 and Aug. 2, 2025 ' and authorized the director of public service and safety to enter non-ticketed use agreements for the Treasure Island Park concerts on those dates. Staff explained two concerts typically include alcohol sales administered by the recreation department and that the July 4 event has previously been covered by the existing DORA boundary, extended into Treasure Island Park for that day so patrons could carry purchases from downtown into the park.

The board also noted receipt of a donation check from the William H. Meyer Successor Trust in the amount of $1,515.94; staff said no motion was required and the contribution was entered for the record.

No items were tabled, and all motions on the agenda were approved by voice vote during the meeting. Items that will require additional approvals by City Council (the StructurePoint recommendation and the temporary DORA activation) were forwarded with the board's positive recommendation.

The meeting adjourned after roughly 11 minutes of business.