Santa Maria commission recommends leisure needs and public art plan to city council after wide public engagement

The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Commission voted unanimously at its July meeting to recommend that the City Council adopt the final Leisure Needs Assessment and Public Art Master Plan update as a reference document for future recreation and cultural planning.

Consultant Art Thatcher walked commissioners through the draft plan and the public-engagement process that informed it, saying the update refreshed the 2019 plans and incorporated community input gathered since September. "We developed an interactive website called Social Pinpoint, which had a survey, mapping tool and a budgeting exercise," Thatcher said. He told commissioners the team would return next month with the final plan for council adoption.

The plan matters because it translates extensive public feedback into prioritized goals and an implementation schedule that…