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Weatherford parks staff report steady growth in events, pool programming and facility projects; board approves minutes and staff reports
Summary
City parks staff reported strong attendance at Cherry Park and other events, expanding rentals and camps, ongoing facility repairs and plans for a new skate park at McGrath; the board approved prior minutes and staff reports by voice vote. The meeting date is not specified in the transcript.
Chair called the parks board to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance before members approved the prior meeting minutes and staff reports by voice vote.
The meeting featured an extended parks and recreation briefing by a city staff member and Recreation Manager David Moe. Staff said Cherry Park Playground recently opened and is drawing heavy daily attendance; they plan to build a second playground this fall to relieve crowding. Staff reported storm damage to fencing and boardwalk railings at the tennis/pickleball complex that has since been repaired, and seasonal bed preparation at Shenandoah Gardens.
David Moe, the city's recreation manager, described a full slate of programming: facility rentals for Harbarger, Cherry Park and Mount Pleasant are in high demand, pavilion and splash‑pad rentals are active, and the Weatherford Wrangler Camp runs 11 themed weeks that consistently fill. Moe said athletics and tournaments are near capacity, with adult softball expanded to an additional night and multiple out‑of‑town tournaments using Hall Lake complex. He outlined pool programming (toddler time, special‑needs swim, lap swim, lessons and water aerobics) and said staff are actively hiring lifeguards but face seasonal staffing limits because many guards are high‑school or college students.
Staff gave counts and event highlights: 132 building rental reservations in the last three months; 46 pavilion rentals; seven Hall Lake tournaments in the prior three months; the Shamrock Gardens spring cleaning drew about 1,500 visitors with around 70 vendors; and a March 25 food‑park lounge event drew roughly 400 attendees. Staff also cited vendor growth at First Monday trade days (about 349 in January, 345 in February and 418 in March).
Moe described the barnyard cookoff as a long‑running, well‑attended competition, and said planners are preparing a larger celebration for the event's 10th anniversary. He also said the city pool is "the only public pool in Parker County," a claim that was reported as his statement during the meeting and not independently verified within the transcript.
Staff updated several facility projects: an interior remodel at Fire Station 4, kitchen and ceiling work at the library, and interior doorwork at city hall. The department reported completing 184 service requests ranging from lighting to HVAC. Staff said they opened consultant bids on May 4 to design McGrath Park and expect to award a designer contract in the coming weeks, with a roughly six‑month design process and construction targeted to begin this fall. McGrath Park was described as about 15 acres with an additional 20 acres owned behind the site available for future expansion.
The board set its next meeting for July 24 at 5:30 p.m. at Chandler Gardens. The transcript supplied here does not specify the meeting's calendar date beyond weekday/time.
