Ashwaubenon park board approves one-year trial to add playground leader at Mike Van Park

The Village of Ashwaubenon Park and Recreation Board voted Sept. 16 to add a one-year trial playground leader at Mike Van Park and to include the position in the village’s 2026 budget request. The board approved the trial by voice vote after staff described community interest and staffing needs.

David, park staff, told the board “our park program has been a huge staple program that we've had in the village for many, many years” and described a request from a nearby apartment manager to provide staff at Mike Van Park. He said the proposed trial would be run for roughly 9½ weeks and cost just over $4,600 for wages and payroll taxes: “Budget wise we'd be at just over $4,600 for that extra staff person. So it's a 9 and a half week program, Monday through Friday, 10:30 to 4:30…they do take a half an hour lunch break.”

Regina Conte, property manager for the Berkshire apartments, told the board the complex houses both senior and family units and said the family townhomes often house multiple children: “We have 15 family townhomes and anywhere from 2 to 5 children in each townhome…an average of 3 children per townhome, 45 children, nowhere to play.” She described safety and nuisance concerns when children play in parking lots and said a staffed park program would give families supervised options.

Board members discussed safety and access to the park. Board member Nancy Matkey raised concerns about the lack of a continuous sidewalk between the apartment complex and the park and asked whether that created a liability concern for children traveling to the site. David and other staff said most Ashwaubenon parks lack sidewalks directly from every neighborhood and that staff would monitor safety; they proposed treating the new position as a pilot tied to usage and re-evaluating after the trial season.

The board approved the trial and directed staff to include the cost in the 2026 budget request. David said the position would not require new equipment beyond moving an existing park storage shed and that attendance would determine whether the position continues beyond the one-year trial. The budget request will be vetted during the finance committee and village board review later this year.