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Ripon parks director highlights projects, inclusivity and rising participation in 2025 annual report
Summary
Christine, Ripon’s Senior Activities Director, told the common council the Parks & Recreation Department completed several capital projects in 2025, launched the city’s first inclusive playground and reported modest donation and participation gains while outlining 2026 priorities such as teen programming and deferred maintenance.
Christine, the city’s Senior Activities Director for Parks and Recreation, presented the department’s 2025 annual report to the Ripon Common Council, saying the year was one of “steady growth” characterized by new infrastructure and expanded programming.
“Parks are often thought of as a green space or playgrounds, but they are so much more than that,” Christine said, describing parks as “gathering places” and “memory making spaces.” She listed major accomplishments for 2025: completion of a quad project to improve field conditions, new site furnishings at Horner Park, the official kickoff for the Selfridge Park project, installation of the city’s first inclusive playground and a park-signage project completed in partnership with the Ripon Area School District.
Christine said the department recorded roughly 33 sponsorships and 50 collaborations that helped fund events and programs, and reported a modest increase in donations (about 5%) and a roughly 11% rise in participant counts for youth and adult programming. She told the council the department created about 500 RecDesk accounts last year for registrations and reservations and emphasized that the parks operation functions with a very small staff: “Obviously we’re a two-person department,” she said, noting volunteers and sponsors multiply their capacity.
On programming specifics, Christine cited large-attendance events that replaced several smaller pilots, including a “Barnyard Buddies” collaboration with the library that drew more than 100 children. She also noted the senior activity center logged a large number of check-ins for 2025 (as reported in the staff packet) and that senior programming expanded with donated funding and volunteer support.
Looking to 2026, Christine said priorities include developing programming for underserved age groups—particularly teens—addressing deferred maintenance and focusing on small, high-impact park improvements (examples she offered included replacing worn tennis-net wood and a slide at Suresco Park). She also said staff plan to expand marketing and pursue additional partnerships to sustain programs.
Council members thanked Christine and other Parks & Recreation staff for the report and its emphasis on accessibility and partnerships. One member noted parks are a “vital amenity” for attracting and housing new residents in Ripon.
The council did not take formal action on the report; members moved on to the next agenda items after the presentation.
