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Parks & Recreation director presents annual report highlighting forestry work, staffing and upcoming projects
Summary
Director John reviewed the department's annual report, noting in‑house project work (Elephant Park, Coal Dock Memorial), roughly 300 annual tree plantings, over 100 seasonal staff, strong water‑park attendance this year, and planned projects including a natural playground and Cobalt Park equipment updates.
Director John presented the Park and Recreation Department’s annual report, outlining staffing, forestry, maintenance and several upcoming projects.
John introduced the team and described administrative shifts: Beth now handles recreation and senior‑center coordination and Zion moved to full time, which freed capacity for other programming. He said the department relies on a mix of full‑time staff and more than 100 seasonal workers to run pool operations, programs and special events.
On forestry and parks projects, John said crews cleared invasive plants on Whitefish Hill and replanted roughly 94 trees there; he estimated the department plants about 300 trees annually. He also highlighted in‑house construction work (Elephant Park feature and Coal Dock Memorial renovation) that saved contractor costs and credited staff skills for delivering projects efficiently.
John discussed operations: water‑park attendance was the strongest in three years but pool and water‑park hours are sensitive to weather and lifeguard staffing requirements; the department repaired a leak in the pool and replaced plaster and underlying piping. Equipment updates included a new wheel loader and replacement of an old dump truck.
Planned work includes a natural playground (Friends reported a significant donation), Cobalt Park playground updates, and additional combined basketball/pickleball courts by Hill School. John said staff will coordinate with Friends on fundraising and with the school district on program transitions such as Safety Town moving to the school.
No formal votes were required on the annual report; the board received the presentation and asked staff to keep the board informed about project timelines and fundraising agreements such as an MOU for Coal Dock Memorial care.
