Sonoma City on Wednesday heard an overview of its newly established Parks and Recreation Department as Director Dave Janssen introduced staff, explained the department’s scope and described next steps for planning and programming. "We officially launched as a parks and recreation department in August," Janssen said, noting City Council support and a portion of Measure T funding dedicated to the director position and departmental work.

Janssen told commissioners the department will manage parks, trails and open space, coordinate special events, oversee three municipal cemeteries, support recreation programming and partner on public art. He said the department includes a director, a senior management analyst, a cemeteries manager, a parks supervisor and five maintenance staff, and emphasized ongoing collaboration with Public Works. "It's not possible for us to completely say this is gonna move to another department without the support," Janssen said of operational transitions.

Janssen introduced staff members: Lisa Jansen, senior management analyst; Carolyn Fulton, cemeteries manager; and Tom Arrington, parks supervisor. He said the department will continue building partnerships with community providers, the school district and nonprofits and will expand volunteer opportunities and committee participation.

Commissioners and members of the public asked about open-space protection and tracking. Janssen said the city is engaged with the Sonoma Ecology Center and that council goal setting in January presents an opportunity to clarify and prioritize open-space objectives. "If there’s ever opportunities to expand our open space footprint, that's definitely something that we have an eye on at a staff level," Janssen said.

Why it matters: The briefing lays out how the new department will organize staff time and funding to support city parks and programs, provide cemetery stewardship and coordinate community recreation offerings. Staff said more-detailed reports — including a tree inventory and canopy study and a plaza master-plan request for proposals — will return to commissions and council for further decisions.

What's next: Staff will present the tree inventory and canopy study results at a special joint meeting in January and continue to develop a commission work plan after council goal-setting. Janssen said the department will bring back more-detailed items as projects move toward design and permitting.