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Parks director presents activity report; parks employee honored as Mel L. Howery Shining Star
Summary
The council recognized Parks & Recreation lead facilities worker Martin Montelongo with the Mel L. Howery Shining Star Award and received a seasonal activity report (Sept. 2025–Jan. 2026) with participation metrics, program updates, and park/CIP progress.
Director Barnes presented the Parks & Recreation activity report covering September 2025 through January 2026 and noted program growth, facility upgrades and grant awards. Barnes introduced and read nominations for the Mel L. Howery Shining Star Award and presented certificates to Martin Montelongo for his 14 years of service and work on downtown lighting and maintenance.
The department provided program metrics: 358 flag-football participants and 134 cheer participants; basketball participation rose to 690 (up 70 from the prior period); the youth center logged 921 check-ins with 71 youth participants; CityCorps has 12 trainees who logged 2,367 hours and completed 203 projects. Senior services provided roughly 5,774 meals during the period and over 8,000 meals year-to-date from July 1; staff noted county-level changes to senior-nutrition administration (VC-AAA transfer to state) and said the city will return in the third quarter with requests to avoid service gaps.
Facility and capital updates included LED lighting retrofits across municipal buildings, refurbishment of community-center alarms, completion of half of the tree-maintenance grid 3 (year 3 of 3), restroom reconfiguration at the sports park (four single-use stalls created), and continuing planning for Sports Park Phase 2 with developer coordination. Director Barnes also reported a small NRPA “Supporting Healthy Aging Through Parks and Recreation” grant and a Channel Islands Bicycle Club award to install six bicycle racks at locations around the city.
Council members asked questions about timelines for pending bids and the feasibility of keypad upgrades at aging museum doors; Barnes said rekeying is a lower-cost alternative but keypads may be possible at greater cost. Council thanked staff and volunteers and took no formal action beyond receipt of the report.
The council also invited the explorers and advisors forward to be recognized; Chief Don Aguilar and advisor Juan Olmos praised the youth post for national competition awards.
