Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation Senior Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks, recreation and senior-services leaders detail programs, transport gaps and capital timelines
Summary
Parks & Recreation director Nicky Ramos and Human Services deputy Jessica De Bolino told the committee about the department’s parks, pools, youth programs and senior services; staff flagged transportation barriers for older residents and provided timelines for two senior-center capital projects beginning in mid-2026.
Nicky Ramos, director of Parks & Recreation, and Jessica De Bolino, deputy director of Human Services, presented the departments’ program portfolios, usage figures and upcoming capital projects to the Community Health Committee.
Ramos said the department manages more than 271 parks, nearly 300 miles of trails and 30 community centers, and detailed offerings including athletics, summer camps, aquatics programs and partnerships with schools and community organizations. He cited participation and facility-use figures and noted bond funds were used to renovate athletic facilities and support reservations for event space.
De Bolino outlined senior-services programming, demographic indicators and coordination with partners such as WellMed and Meals on Wheels. She said the department operates 42 comprehensive senior sites (plus additional partner-operated centers), that Meals on Wheels and similar programs deliver thousands of meals with daily meal participation averaging between 1,700 and 2,300 people, and that capital projects include expansion of West Senior Center (construction start June 2026, estimated completion November 2027) and Kingwood Senior rebuild (start August, estimated finish February 2028).
Councilmembers pressed staff on transportation barriers for seniors, utilization metrics for classes and centers, and possible regional coordination with Béjar County to avoid duplication. Alderete Gabito requested a cost-benefit analysis for expanding transportation and for targeting service gaps in the north and south of the city. Staff agreed to provide data and to coordinate with county and other partners.
The committee did not take formal votes; staff will return with follow-up analyses and program metrics.
