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Forest Lake Parks and Recreation Commission sworn in, elects Don Tyson chair and Karen vice chair
Summary
At its first regular meeting since an August 2024 ordinance change, the Forest Lake Parks and Recreation Commission sworn in commissioners, elected Commissioner Don Tyson chair and Commissioner Karen vice chair, and received staff briefings on master planning, policies and operations.
The newly formed Forest Lake Parks and Recreation Commission swore in new and returning members and elected Commissioner Don Tyson as chair and Commissioner Karen as vice chair at its first regular meeting.
City Clerk Jolene Tike told the commission the August 2024 ordinance requires the body to nominate and elect a chair and vice chair at the first meeting of each year. "The role of the chair is really to run the meeting to keep things moving cleanly and quickly and efficiently," she said, describing the procedural duties the chair performs while presiding over motions and votes.
Kyle Young, the city’s Parks and Recreation coordinator, and Dave Adams, public works director, gave an organizational overview explaining that parks and recreation now report to Public Works. Adams said the change reduces layers of coordination: "This way, kinda everything we do works a lot better in Public Works, and the lines of communication are a lot better that way too." He also described staff support and seasonal positions and said commissioners should use Kyle as the primary staff contact.
Adams and staff previewed the parks master plan — nearing completion of a draft to be updated to 2025/26 — which they said will guide decisions when developers offer land or cash and will help target capital projects and amenities. Adams described the master plan as the document staff and the commission will use to align park improvements with community needs.
Staff warned commissioners that the commission’s work will include policy development and ordinance clean-up to resolve inconsistencies between code and everyday practice. "Our ordinances, there's no dogs in the park, but we allow dogs in the park," Dave Adams said, noting that the commission will prioritize writing clear, consistent policies the council can adopt.
The meeting also included introductions from non-voting partners — including school-district representatives and local athletic organizations — and a review of operational expectations such as agenda timelines, communications, and open meeting law cautions from the city clerk.
The commission adjourned after setting its next steps and confirming the chair and vice chair would guide future agendas.
The commission meeting packet and a parks master-plan draft are to be distributed to commissioners on flash drives for review ahead of subsequent meetings.
