Kenai Parks and Recreation Commission forwards FY24 work-plan summary to council, outlines goals for 2025

KENAI, Alaska — The Kenai Parks and Recreation Commission voted by unanimous consent on Feb. 6 to forward its FY24 work-plan summary to the Kenai City Council and began framing its work-plan goals for 2025.

The commission approved the report for transmission to council without objection. The staff report accompanying the motion described the document as a record of which commission objectives were completed and how they were accomplished; the report will be included in a council packet for review.

Commissioners and staff discussed three continuing objectives the commission proposes to carry forward for 2025: holding parks-and-trails tours twice annually, conducting two work sessions to review the capital improvement plan (CIP), and developing long-term goals that align with the parks-and-recreation code. Director Best said the commission’s role is advisory: “The purpose of the parks and recreation commission is to advise the council and administration,” and the work plan is intended to make that advisory work more deliberate and visible.

Members agreed the goals are intentionally broad to give the commission flexibility. Commissioners asked staff to format the prior year’s goals in the commission work-plan template and to meet individually with commissioners to refine a proposed 2025 plan ahead of a vote this spring. Staff said a final vote could occur in April, with a likely spring parks tour in May to inform CIP priorities.

Commission discussion covered how the commission would handle “pet projects” proposed by individual members or residents. Staff reiterated that any objective or recommendation should be tied to the parks-and-recreation code and that the commission can recommend projects for placement on the CIP for council consideration. Former commissioner and now-Councilmember Savala Casena was cited as an early proponent of some goals the commission is carrying forward.

Director Best also told the commission that staff and the council’s grant writer are continuing efforts to identify grant funding for improvements at Old Town Park; commission comments referenced figures discussed internally ("1.2" and "1.6" million were mentioned during the discussion), but staff did not give a single confirmed total in the commission meeting record.

What happens next: staff will provide the work-plan goals in the commission template, meet with individual commissioners to refine objectives, and place a finalized draft on a future agenda for formal adoption and transmission to council. Commissioners and staff said they expect public engagement on priorities as the commission reviews the CIP and the city’s upcoming parks master plan process.

Votes and administrative items: the commission approved the meeting agenda and prior meeting minutes, and used unanimous consent for forwarding the work-plan summary to council. The commission also reappointed its chair and vice chair by unanimous consent earlier in the meeting.