Elkhart Parks Board endorses 2026 strategic plan, updates project tracking

Matthew Moyers, special project coordinator for the Elkhart City Parks and Recreation Department, presented the department’s 2026 strategic plan and asked the board to endorse it.

“What I’ve placed before the board is the 2026 strategic plan,” Moyers said, describing the plan as drawn from the five‑year master plan and including projected capital projects and divisional targets. He said staff will develop a year‑by‑year tracking tool — a three‑year priority tracker is in the memo — and expected to return to the board with the tracker within roughly two months.

The plan incorporates new mission, vision and values language and a set of capital projects for the coming year. Moyers said the department will continue public engagement, work with the Elkhart Park Foundation and a nonprofit partner, Effort, on storytelling and outreach, and seek grant funding from local sources to support projects.

Board members voiced support for having a tracker in place to monitor year‑to‑year progress. The board moved, seconded and endorsed the 2026 strategic plan by voice vote.

Superintendent James Czarnecki highlighted project work already underway, including surveying needs at Horry Park and ongoing planning for a Lundquist Park restroom; he said the street and buildings departments are providing in‑kind support for pavilion flat work, pathways and parking. Czarnecki also described a donor arrangement for a splash pad project in which the department provided $100,000 from its capital line to the Park Foundation so the foundation can complete contracting and work directly with the contractor.

What’s next: Moyers said staff will return with the proposed tracker for board review and that some elements of the plan are more aggressive than others, requiring close monitoring and periodic updates to the board.