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Oldsmar parks board recommends Jim Mascarenas as alternate; nomination sent to City Council
Summary
After interviewing five applicants for an alternate seat, the Oldsmar Parks and Recreation Advisory Board selected Jim Mascarenas by rubric scoring and will forward his nomination to City Council for formal approval, likely at the March meeting.
The Oldsmar Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Feb. 9 recommended Jim Mascarenas as the alternate member to fill the board vacancy created by the resignation of Joe Santana.
Board members interviewed five applicants in a timed process and used a rubric adopted last November to score candidates. After a brief recess while scores were tallied, the clerk announced the board’s selection. “We tallied the results, and the board has selected Jim Mascarenas to be your alternate,” the clerk said. The board agreed the nomination will go to City Council for final action, with staff estimating council consideration at the March 3 meeting.
Why it matters: the alternate seat maintains quorum and continuity for advisory board work. Candidates presented a mix of outreach and program-oriented experience; several stressed outreach and survey engagement strategies that the board has prioritized.
During interviews, candidates highlighted community engagement and outreach tactics. Applicant Josh Denton, who said he has a master’s degree in public health and moved to Oldsmar in 2023, urged repeated social-media touchpoints and QR codes in parks to boost participation. Rhonda Dunkley emphasized multichannel outreach and live social posts at events. Thomas Esposito described door‑to‑door and in‑person outreach to raise awareness. Jim Mascarenas, who the board selected, said he was motivated by service and community building: “Since our move, we’ve really fallen in love with the city, and that’s why I’m here today,” he said.
Next steps: staff will forward the recommendation to Oldsmar City Council for formal appointment. The board noted no further action was required at the advisory-board level and invited unsuccessful applicants to reapply for future vacancies.
Additional procedural notes: the board approved minutes from its Nov. 3, 2025 meeting earlier in the session and took a five‑minute recess while scoring was completed.
