Parks commission forwards work plan and authorizes joint‑use letter to council

The Gilroy Parks and Recreation Commission voted to forward a reorganized work plan to the city council and authorized the chair to finalize and send a joint‑use letter supporting expanded shared use of school facilities.

Staff presented a revised work plan organized around initiatives such as community engagement, pedestrian and bicycle safety programs, park maintenance priorities and a recreation master plan. Staff noted the city will produce outreach materials and asked whether the commission wanted council funding for items such as giveaways and table supplies.

A commissioner moved to send the work plan to the city council (preferably at the start of the fiscal year); the chair called a voice vote and the motion was approved. Later, commissioners moved and seconded a motion to sign and send a joint‑use letter to the council supporting joint use of school facilities for recreation; the motion was approved by voice vote.

Staff and commissioners discussed variances in school‑district facility agreements (examples cited included Cesar Chavez gym and Solis Middle School), noting that some agreements include time windows, maintenance/utility fees or long‑term usage tied to city contributions to construction. Staff described options used in other cities — such as negotiated open hours for tracks — and suggested the letter reflect support for broader access while acknowledging the district’s maintenance‑cost concerns.

The motions were procedural (voice votes were used and no roll‑call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript). Staff said the commission can later modify the work plan as needed and that council could allocate funds for outreach materials at any time during the two‑year budget cycle.

Next procedural steps: staff will transmit the work plan and finalized letter to the city administration/council per the authorization given by the commission.