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Commission begins scoping 10-year parks and recreation master plan; members to submit priorities by Feb. 4
Summary
Commission members will prepare prioritized lists for a 10‑year parks and recreation master plan RFP; staff will compile the inputs into a template and the commission plans to use consultant-led public engagement and existing plans to avoid duplication.
The commission began scoping a comprehensive 10‑year parks and recreation master plan and set a schedule to develop an RFP for consultant selection in 2026. Commissioners, trustees’ liaison and staff discussed priorities, stakeholder outreach, and how to incorporate existing studies and statutory plans.
Eric Brenlinger said the town intends to start an RFP process in early 2026 and that 2025 should be used to develop the RFP scope, prioritize topics, and identify which civic assets (for example, Nature Park, recreation center, cemeteries, trails) require special focus. “We should come up with our scope of work here internally first, make sure we feel comfortable with that, and then expand it out from there,” Brenlinger said.
Commission direction and timing: the commission agreed to prepare individual priority lists and submit them to staff by Feb. 4 (staff requested items by Feb. 4; transcripts show staff asked for inputs by Feb. 4). Staff said they will assemble submissions into a combined spreadsheet for the Feb. 7 meeting packet. Commissioners discussed breaking the plan into focused elements (e.g., rec center deep dive, Nature Park concepts, trails, signage/wayfinding, cemetery management, maintenance schedules and fee structure) so a consultant can allocate effort accordingly.
Public engagement and equity: commissioners emphasized the need for representative outreach, noting prior difficulty reaching Latino residents and older adults and the value of both open online mapping tools and targeted outreach (in‑person at businesses and community events) to obtain statistically valid input. Commissioners also recommended tying the plan to existing documents (comprehensive plan, climate action plan, landscape and weed-management policies) and to involve other town commissions and community partners (Creative District, Bike/Ped/Trails, Latino advisory groups, Red Hill Council) at targeted moments rather than duplicating work.
Next steps: staff will produce a template to collect priorities from commissioners; two commissioners volunteered to draft the template and convert it into a form for broader input. The commission will use the February packet to synthesize priorities and then refine an RFP scope later in 2025 for issuance in early 2026.
