Henderson council approves updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan after broad public support

The Henderson City Council unanimously approved an updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan on March 17, 2026, following a presentation from city staff and the consultant team and supportive public comments.

Jeanette Palmer, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, presented the five-part mid‑point update to the 2019 plan, saying the document is organized to guide capital, programmatic and operational decisions. Ryan Cambridge of Framework Planning and Design outlined an 18‑month process that included workshops, focus groups, stakeholder interviews and a statistically valid community survey. “We used about 12 different needs assessment techniques,” Cambridge said, adding the survey achieved a “95% level of accuracy with a 4.8% margin of error.”

Two members of the public spoke in favor during the public hearing. Lee Ferris told the council that Henderson parks ‘‘contribute to a quality of life, support healthy lifestyles and add lasting value,’’ and Patrick O’Meara read a letter from Shannon L. Harris, past president of the Nevada Recreation and Park Society, noting Henderson manages more than 77 parks and 300 miles of trails and has received national recognition.

Councilmembers lauded the plan’s engagement and emphasis on sustainability. One councilmember summarized the council’s view: the update balances new development with reinvestment in legacy parks and sets actionable priorities for operations and finance. A motion to adopt the plan passed on a voice vote; the record states all members voted in favor.

The plan will direct Parks and Recreation priorities, including identifying sustainable funding approaches, increasing resilience to climate and demographic change, and prioritizing capital and programmatic actions. The council approved the plan during the public hearing portion of the meeting; no further action was announced at the meeting.