Grand Island council adopts 10–15 year parks and recreation master plan after yearlong study

The Grand Island City Council approved a 274-page Parks and Recreation Master Plan on July 8, adopting guidance intended to shape operations, budgets, programming and facility development for the next 10 to 15 years.

The master plan, developed over nearly a year with public meetings and surveys, provides an implementation roadmap councils and staff can cite in future grant applications, Parks and recreation staff said.

Todd McCoy, a parks and recreation staff member who presented the plan, said the document compiles public input and research from other communities and gives “a path” for one-, two- and five-year planning and for grant applications.

During public comment, Donna Manfel, general manager of Jack Rabbit Run Golf Course and a representative of Landscapes Golf Management, urged the council to recognize the golf course’s special financial and infrastructure needs. "We currently maintain 1,110 irrigation heads over a 160 acres of land," Manfel said, and described repeated irrigation failures: "We had 4 catastrophic failures in 2024. And so far in 2025, we've had 8 catastrophic failures attributed to electrical system system issues." She also said the course’s management contract with the city runs through Dec. 13, 2025, and that Landscapes has discussed a possible one-year extension.

Manfel told the council the master plan grouped Jack Rabbit Run and several other specialty facilities in a way that omitted operational data because those amenities are managed by third parties. "That asterisk statement said they are recognized as a community amenity but not maintained by parks and recreation," she said, adding that the golf course covers its own operational payroll and that capital repair needs, such as irrigation replacement, can be costly: "To replace 1 green is $75,000. That means replacing 18 greens is $1,350,000."

McCoy responded that the master plan intentionally focused on the city’s traditional parks and programs and that diving into detailed master plans for specialty facilities such as Jack Rabbit Run, Heartland Shooting Park or Island Oasis would have made the project a much larger effort. He said the plan uses an asterisk to note that data for third-party-managed facilities does not include full-time-equivalent staffing or operations.

Council members said the plan will help prioritize projects and strengthen grant applications. Council member Nickerson said the plan’s community input and survey results give officials material to show grantors that residents support proposed projects.

The council approved the master plan in a vote after a public discussion; Council president Sheard moved to approve item 6j and Council member Nickerson seconded the motion.

The plan will be used to guide budgeting and grant applications, and staff said individual recommendations will be phased in over time rather than implemented at once.

Manfel and McCoy said they expect continued discussion about how the city will handle capital needs for third-party-managed specialty facilities and whether contract terms should change going forward.