Staff opened the discussion on item 7b by reviewing the Park Board's vision and mission and presenting four high-level goals with supporting strategies. The board was asked to review the material and return comments before staff takes a work plan to the City Council for approval in January.

Board member Caleb urged the group to make equity an explicit element of the strategic plan. "I was wondering if we could add to the second bullet points, you know, equity," he said, arguing the board should ensure the park system does not produce inequitable distributions of amenities. Members discussed whether equity should be a standalone goal or incorporated as a specific strategy; several favored weaving equity into strategy language while others cautioned against making it the sole driver of all decisions.

Board members also recommended adding clearer language about volunteer opportunities tied to the Natural Resources Master Plan and about intergenerational community-building. Staff noted an existing strategy encourages volunteerism and agreed to draft language reflective of recent suggestions.

Several members asked for greater cross-commission coordination. Staff and members discussed adding a strategy to engage the city's DEI and Sustainability commissions on master plans and major projects; staff suggested the language could live under Goal 4 (park-board engagement) and proposed practical approaches such as staff-facilitated reviews or inviting commissioners to specific master-plan hearings.

The work-plan calendar for 2026 was adjusted during discussion. Staff moved the Glen Lake master-plan checkpoint earlier in the schedule (Q2) and agreed to bring a status report in Q2 on Purgatory (off-leash) data that the City Council will also review. The board directed staff to include the Parks, Open Space and Trails Plan (the post plan) as part of the December meeting packet for study and asked staff to set aside time for a study-session review ahead of the regular December meeting so members can compare the post plan's findings with any proposed edits to the strategic plan.

Board members and staff discussed next steps for items that have generated sustained public interest: off-leash dog-area recommendations, red barn feasibility, and potential interpretive signage. Staff outlined the typical funding and approval path for a new initiative and noted that new consultant work or staffing allocations would likely require future capital-improvement (CIP) or operating budget requests and council approval.

At the end of the discussion staff agreed to circulate Nate's suggested volunteer language, update the draft to show proposed equity language in the second strategic bullet (rather than a separate goal), and include the post-plan materials in the December packet to prepare for council-submittal timing in January.

The board did not take a formal vote on the strategic-plan wording at the meeting; members requested revised language and a study-session discussion before any motion.