Haslet Park Board approves minutes and financial report, discusses event credits and entertainment for 2025

The Haslet Park Board approved minutes and the November 2024 financial report and spent most of its meeting planning park events and how to apply vendor credits from a canceled Christmas-in-the-Park event.

The board voted to accept the Nov. 13, 2024, minutes and the November 2024 financial report under the consent agenda. The board also nominated and approved Nancy Garner (referred to in the meeting as "Missus Claus") as the 2024 community service award recipient.

Board members emphasized practical steps for upcoming events. Sarah, Park board member, opened discussion with budget questions after the cancellation of Christmas in the Park and asked how unspent vendor commitments and credits would be handled. Cindy, Park board member, confirmed the consent agenda motion. Sergio, Park board member, seconded the consent motion.

Nut graf: The discussion centered on carrying forward credits and prepaid vendor services from the canceled Christmas event — including nonrefundable Santa fees, T-shirts and credits for face painters and a rented train — and assigning them to 2025 events such as the Easter egg hunt and the Independence Day celebration. The board discussed entertainment choices and a plan to seek band quotes for the fireworks event.

Board discussion and practical planning Board members said the city retained roughly $24,000 in the event account and noted some remaining charges (Santa and T-shirts) would still appear on upcoming statements. Sarah explained some purchases occur before the fiscal year cutoff and can make accounting appear to “borrow” from the next year’s budget. The board discussed using credits from face painter and train vendors at the July 4 event, with a board member saying, "I brought those two and y'all can, you know, vote to put them toward Independence Day." No formal recorded vote reallocating those credits appears in the transcript.

Members discussed Easter planning: the board plans a traditional egg count (discussed as “about 25,000 eggs”) and whether to hire DJ Alex for children's programming. Cindy said DJ Alex usually charges about $400 and has been reliable; some board members said they would test the park’s new boom box at Easter as a lower-cost option. For the Memorial Day program scheduled for May 27 at 10 a.m., board members agreed to relabel the event as the “Memorial Day event” after one member said the previous phrasing was inappropriate.

For July 4 the board confirmed fireworks are already contracted. The group focused on finding a band for the event; one board member shared a lead for a lower-cost group called the Juke Jukebox Band (website referenced verbally) and asked staff to collect formal bids.

Community service award and recognition The board nominated Nancy Garner for the 2024 community service award, a motion that was seconded and approved during the meeting. Members discussed whether Garner would prefer flowers or a plaque and agreed to procure a plaque and flowers from board funds; Cindy volunteered to order flowers.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (accept Nov. 13, 2024, minutes and November 2024 financial report): Motion by Cindy (Park board member); second by Sergio (Park board member). Outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in the transcript). - 2024 Community Service Award, nominee Nancy Garner: Motion to nominate by a board member (record shows a motion made during the meeting); second by Cindy (Park board member). Outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in the transcript).

What the board did not finalize The board talked through vendor credits, band bids and DJ bookings but did not record a formal vote in the transcript to reallocate specific vendor credits or to award any new contracts. Members agreed to seek formal bids and to return these items to a future meeting for formal action.

Ending: next steps Board members asked staff and volunteers to collect firm quotes for bands and other vendors before the next meeting, and they scheduled follow-ups on Easter, Memorial Day and Independence Day planning. The meeting adjourned with the board extending condolences to Katrina, Park board member, for the loss of her husband.