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Board announces new Parks & Recreation director, discusses master plan and facility priorities
Summary
At the meeting the board announced the hiring of Christie Crans as the incoming Parks & Recreation director (hired Dec. 9; start date in January), asked staff to prepare a 2025 work program, and reviewed master-plan timing, inventory needs, scheduling and facility projects including playground replacement, dog-park interest, and band-shell rehabilitation.
The Lennox Parks and Recreation Board used the meeting to announce staffing and program-planning developments and to review near-term facility priorities. Speaker 2 told the board the previous full-time Parks & Recreation director position was vacated and that Christie Crans, who was present in the audience, has been hired; Speaker 2 said Christie was hired on Dec. 9 and is expected to start later in January.
Speaker 2 said staff will prepare a priorities work program for the director and asked board members what they want the position to focus on in 2025. Board members highlighted several operational needs: creating and maintaining an inventory of equipment and uniforms, reinstating coaches' meetings so new coaches know how to access gear, developing a consistent communication plan for field scheduling and cancellations, and expanding popular summer offerings.
The board reviewed park-site priorities including playground replacement (the old playground was removed and new equipment has been delivered pending installation), dog-park planning, trail connections, and beautification. Speaker 2 noted the need to coordinate with the county on trail routing where old railroad tracks are involved and cautioned that current shooting-sports operations on adjacent land could affect options.
On planning, Speaker 2 reported the city engineer is preparing a work order for a master park plan (Stockwell is referenced) and provided board members copies of a plan used in a nearby community and its statistically valid survey as an example. Stockwell's work order and the master-plan deliverables are expected in January or February; the capital-improvement plan currently contains draft cost estimates but must be aligned with the master plan before project funding is finalized.
Board members also discussed the upcoming band-shell rehab: bids will be issued next year and the band shell will likely be inaccessible during summer while work proceeds, prompting staff and members to consider alternative venues and logistics (parking, patio near pool) for municipal-band events.
Speaker 2 and other board members emphasized communications tools to reach participants: a Parks & Rec Facebook page, event alerts/texts, SportsEngine for registrations, and the domain LennoxParksandRec.com. Staff said registrations will be made live in January and that at least one sponsorship has already been secured.
