Gahanna Parks & Recreation staff presented a year-end review to the Parks & Recreation Board on programming, fundraising and operational changes for 2025 and previewed plans for 2026.

Chelsea Hepper, recreation supervisor who oversees special events and paddle programming, said Paddle Gahanna employed 21 seasonal staff this year and recorded 644 paddle‑boat rentals and 161 kayak rentals, producing gross sales of about $8,000 in 2025 compared with roughly $9,500 in 2024. “We experienced a particularly rainy summer, so there were quite a few days where we had to close operations,” Hepper said, offering weather as a main factor in the decline.

Hepper and Tyler Wilson, who works on the community events and volunteer team, said the department expanded kayak programming (three creek floats in 2025 and four evening ‘celestial paddles’ with 38 participants) and certified four new American Canoe Association instructors to broaden offerings. “Those new instructors went through two to three days of grueling training,” Wilson said.

The department reported it received an ODNR boating education and safety grant of just over $18,000, which enabled the purchase of a trailer and higher‑capacity and tandem kayaks to support camps and growing class sizes. Hepper said the additional equipment was necessary because class sizes “keep growing.”

Staff also reviewed public events: the department organized 17 internal events in 2025 with total attendance just over 23,000 (down from about 25,000 in 2024, a year that included a city‑wide 175th celebration). Tyler Wilson described the inaugural Gahanna Market — four dates in 2025 on fourth Wednesdays from June through September — as a first‑year success that engaged about 22 vendors across the season and included a community booth featuring local nonprofits and library programming.

To streamline permitting, the department is moving its special‑event and vendor applications from a 12‑page paper packet into OpenGov. Hepper said the online system uses conditional logic to notify relevant departments — for example, Mifflin Fire or the police department — when applications indicate special equipment or safety needs. “This system is beautiful because it will toggle for other departments so that way they’re aware of what’s going on,” Hepper said.

Staff said fundraising remains important: the department secured approximately $55,000 in sponsorships for 2025 and is updating the 2026 sponsorship packet. Volunteer coordination accounted for more than 900 volunteer hours this year, and the department is developing a pilot “adopt a park” program to train volunteers to maintain specific parks such as Gahanna Woods.

During board questions, Hepper clarified operational changes: the department will no longer routinely permit road‑closure 5Ks after a safety review and is routing most 5Ks to Academy Park trails; only two organizations used road closures this year. Hepper also confirmed paddle‑boat rentals cost $10 for 30 minutes.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the previous meeting minutes by roll‑call vote (Holly Hanes, Eric Miller, Ken Shepherd and Donna Simmons voted yes; Christine Kaminski, Harvey McCluskey and Jan Ross were recorded absent).

What’s next: staff said they have about 23 internal events planned for 2026 and five external special‑event applications submitted so far; the external count is expected to grow as more organizations apply.