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Parks staff outlines personnel shifts, project updates and charter-review recommendation
Summary
Parks staff told the board that a longtime employee left for a job in North Canton, several internal retirements are being addressed, restroom and playground projects are proceeding with some cost concerns, and a charter-review commission recommendation (a 60/40 split) will go to city council and potentially the ballot.
Parks staff reported on personnel changes, project timelines and an impending charter-review item at the Parks and Recreation Board meeting on June 3, 2026. The meeting lacked a quorum and no formal votes were taken.
The staff update said Mike resigned to take a similar position in North Canton and that the city has received his formal resignation letter and is evaluating how to fill the role. Staff added that recent retirements — including Scott Robbins — have prompted internal reassignments; Brian Klinger has taken over Robbins’ duties and a new highway supervisor will be named when Jerry Britton retires at the end of the month.
The parks update also covered capital projects. Staff said Kleckner pavilion and playground work is moving forward but that an initial concrete estimate came in higher than expected and the city will reassess the scope and costs. The Collector restroom is scheduled to open in August, while the Creek Bomb restroom was reported as officially open as of the meeting date after a series of inspection delays.
On planning, staff said the city’s master plan has started and that significant funding is being prioritized for the core area, which will limit the number of new projects the department can begin this year. The department noted it will provide board members updated capital-inventory spreadsheets, including a request to add a column indicating which fields have lighting to help with future capital requests.
Staff flagged a charter-review commission recommendation described as a "60/40 split." "The recommendation was the 60 40 split, we'll see what city council has to say," staff said, adding that if council approves the language it will go to the ballot for voters. Staff also said they will forward the commission’s written recommendations to board members.
On governance, staff suggested reducing advisory-board meeting frequency to make sessions more substantive — proposing an every-other-month schedule (February, April, June, August, October, December) as a trial or possibly quarterly meetings later. Staff noted that some advisory commissions (for example, the tree commission) operate on quarterly schedules and that any change would be subject to public notice.
The meeting closed with Chair and staff agreeing to circulate the charter-review materials and updated field inventories before the board’s scheduled August meeting.
