New council liaison Nancy Merrill tells commission she will push parks, pathways and a master plan

Nancy Merrill, the newly seated City Council liaison to the Parks, Pathways & Recreation Commission, outlined her decades-long experience in Eagle and said she will push for stronger commission involvement on parks, pathways and upcoming projects.

"I'm Nancy Merrill. I'm the city councilman with the liaison over, parks and recreation and and pathways, and, so happy to be back here again with it," Merrill said as she introduced herself. She recounted a long record of local service — planning and zoning work beginning in 1993, council service and a stint as mayor — and credited commission input with earlier park and trail projects, saying the commission helped secure donations and funding to build five parks and many trails.

Merrill told commissioners she wants the body involved in design review and project management for major projects, including a proposed sports park on Highway 16. She said she will press the council on staffing and budget items related to parks and pathways and suggested holding map-focused work sessions so commissioners can help identify open-space opportunities and trail connections.

Commission members responded with questions about follow-through and staff reporting. Chair Michael urged the council to expedite the master plan RFP and asked that the process be completed faster than typical timelines — "Let's make it a 6 month project," he said — while commissioners requested regular written updates from the recreation department and promised to submit priority "wish lists" to guide the master plan.