Hooper staff seeks council input on parks grants, rodeo arena seating and lighting upgrades

City staff presented a series of parks and recreation proposals at the Nov. 6 work session and asked the council to prioritize projects for grant applications due in January. Proposed items included repairing irrigation at the cemetery, adding power near the west side of the park, purchasing portable bleachers, expanding seating at the Rodeo Arena and upgrading field lights to LED fixtures.

Staff said Tomato Days and other events strained existing Rodeo Arena seating; north‑side bleachers could add roughly 80–200 seats and Jared (parks staff) has preliminary designs. "We have a grant to do the grama around for the people of law courts...replacing the irrigation line," staff said when describing a cemetery irrigation project included in packet materials. Staff also suggested exploring sponsorships (for example, a scoreboard sponsor) to offset costs.

On lighting, staff explained the existing fixtures are old and cannot power all lights simultaneously; switching to LED was presented as a way to expand usable hours while reducing energy and maintenance costs. Accessibility improvements discussed included adding a sidewalk from the large pavilion to the restrooms and Veterans’ Monument and adding a small restroom near the pickleball courts to serve players and nearby residents.

Staff asked council members to provide ideas by December and said some projects could combine grant funding, state cultural grants and private donors. No formal action was taken; staff will return with cost estimates and designs for council review.