The Exfolks Recreation Commission met Nov. 21 and approved the minutes from its Oct. 24 meeting before turning to final preparations for the community Visit with Santa event scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Commission members agreed the Santa line should close at 5:30 p.m. so Santa can finish visits by 6:00 p.m. and move to the tree-lighting. "This is Saturday, December 7 from 3 to 6PM," said Speaker 2, opening the discussion; Speaker 1 emphasized finishing the Santa visits by 6:00 so Santa can "get over to the tree." The commission agreed to reshare uniform copy for the town website and social posts so messaging is identical across platforms.

Music will be provided by a small ensemble from Century High School after the brass band declined because of a booking conflict. Commissioners settled on music running roughly from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., with the movie to follow. "How about if Century High School plays from 3 to 04:30?" Speaker 3 suggested; the group approved that schedule so the movie can start afterward.

Volunteers remain a focal point. Commissioners discussed roles including Santa, Mrs. Claus and two elves to hand children candy canes and stockings after visits. Speaker 3 reported volunteer availability is thin and that she has two more "feelers" out; Speaker 1 offered interns from MadLab as potential backups. Commissioners discussed costume-fit constraints and agreed to assess costumes in person before the event.

Logistics addressed equipment staging and testing. The group agreed to meet for setup around 3:30 p.m. and to conduct at least one equipment check before the event; Speaker 1 said they would stop by Wednesday to verify the gear and run testing. SMP will provide hot chocolate, and Speaker 2 will check with Lauren about support for crafts.

The commission also discussed a toy and winter-clothing collection tied to the event. Speakers recalled a prior suggestion for a toy drive (infants to age 12) connected with Impact Church and also discussed a coat-and-winter-attire collection. To make bins clear and visible the group agreed to 'gift-wrap' collection containers and place them at the event for on-site donations only. Speaker 3 offered to wrap containers before the holiday.

Other town updates included a request for a gaga pit at Cooper Park (estimated cost cited at about $2,600 for a stationary unit), skateboarding-lesson inquiries, and a completed small-library installation on the linear trail. The commission noted there is no regular meeting in December and that the 2025 schedule of events will be proposed at the Jan. 23 meeting.

Votes at a glance: The commission moved to approve the Oct. 24 meeting minutes (motion by Speaker 2; second by Speaker 1); the motion carried though an exact tally was not specified in the record. Speaker 2 later moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded and the commission voted "Aye." Exact vote counts were not provided.

The commission left the meeting having assigned volunteers and tasks to individual members, agreed on event timing and logistics, and scheduled follow-up checks on equipment and costume availability ahead of the Dec. 7 event.