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Director outlines Gillan Creek trail master plan, CIP updates and large event recap
Summary
The director reported council approved a Gillan Creek Trail Corridor master-plan contract, described seven FY26 trail projects and CIP dashboard availability, and recapped an Easter egg program that distributed about 40,000 eggs with adaptive accommodations and roughly 2,000 attendees across events.
During the monthly director's report, the Parks and Recreation Department outlined several near-term capital and event updates, including an approved contract for the Gillan Creek Trail Corridor study, progress on park construction projects and a recap of recent public events.
Staff told the commission that council had approved a consulting contract for a master plan along the Gillan Creek Trail Corridor, roughly 6.5 miles from Grand Avenue to Bulls Park. The study will produce an existing-conditions analysis, environmental work to address floodplain constraints, public engagement and placemaking recommendations intended to link historic downtown and downtown East as Main Street is extended. The director said the study will include substantial community outreach and is expected to run about eight to ten months.
The director also reviewed FY26 trail improvements: staff said the program includes seven projects now classified as more complex (surveying, environmental review and potential pedestrian bridges), and that surveys and environmental reviews for those projects are complete. Staff plans to bundle several trail tasks into a single procurement/RFP to find a contractor capable of completing multiple projects rather than relying on smaller vendors for spot work. "We're actually going to bid this out as one project and get one contractor that will work on all these projects," the director said.
On programming, staff reviewed a recent Easter egg event that pivoted due to weather. Officials reported purchasing 40,000 eggs for the event, held an adaptive hour with beeping and table-height eggs and estimated roughly 2,000 people attended across the events; staff said they held back about 10,000 eggs for a planned drive-through distribution when weather required adjustments. The director noted the event's operational lessons, including a switch to prepackaged eggs to prevent breakage and heavy reliance on staff and contractor crews to distribute eggs quickly during peak demand.
Project-by-project updates included Keller Lane Park (substantially complete in May, fully complete in early June, new outdoor pickleball courts and pollinator garden) and 1849 Park phase 2 (construction complete but turf establishing and opening delayed because of water restrictions). Staff reminded commissioners the city maintains an online CIP dashboard with maps and status updates for active projects.
Staff emphasized the city lacks in-house heavy-construction capacity for larger trail work and will use external contractors; junior staff confirmed crews handle spot repairs but not major excavation or concrete work. The director asked commissioners to help engage the community during the upcoming Gillan Creek study outreach and noted consultant Jamie Sabach will hold a two-hour financial-sustainability session with staff and commissioners on May 13 to discuss long-range funding and stewardship options.
The commission had no further business and adjourned at 7:46 p.m.
