Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Cip And Gardens topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks staff outline 2026 master plan, CIP progress and community garden relocation options
Summary
Department staff told the board they will refresh the park and open‑space master plan for 2026, reported progress on multiple CIP projects and warned that a long-running community garden adjacent to the Huber Building may need a new home as the county considers selling the property.
Parks and recreation staff used the Dec. 15 meeting to preview priorities for 2026, summarize capital improvements underway or completed and flag a possible relocation need for a community garden program that has been in place for more than 30 years.
Mark Schram (administrative staff) highlighted the department’s new activity guide and said 2026 will mark the park system’s 100th year; he also noted winter/spring registration opened smoothly. “We have 1,200 acres of parks…50, 51 parks in the system,” another staff member said, describing the scale of the system and the reasons for updating the 2007 plan.
Mark Thompson (recreation staff) described operational preparations for Jamboree, onboarding of a new recreation supervisor, pre‑season training for lifeguards and other instructors, and efforts to identify ways to replace services currently provided by the YMCA when it moves out of town.
Melissa (director/staff report) gave a detailed CIP and operations update: completed projects include keyless entry and cameras at David’s Park, Priederman, EB Shirts and Buckner Park; roofing and fascia work at the Schutze Recreation Center; progress on the Horab Springs Aquatic Center retaining wall and Frame Park Formal Gardens; retrofits at the Rotary Building (new doors, windows, keyless access and an ADA automatic opener); and planned public outreach on bike path wayfinding signage and a Greenway Terrace playground design.
On staffing and operations, Melissa said the department currently has two arborist openings, an offer out for a building maintenance specialist, and that some post‑storm snowplowing and cleanup is being handled under contract with Jake’s Landscaping.
Staff gave an early notice that the county is considering selling the property adjacent to the Huber Building that has hosted a community garden program for more than three decades. UW Extension has approached the city about partnering to relocate the program; staff said most gardeners are city residents and that the program is seeking roughly five acres for expansion or relocation. A board member suggested Woodfield Park as a candidate site; staff said they will evaluate accessibility and plot layout if pursued.
What happens next: staff will continue design work and public outreach on CIP items, coordinate Jamboree logistics, and evaluate potential parcels to house the community garden if the county sale proceeds.
