Parks and Recreation Meeting — 2026-02-10

Detailed briefing

Parks and Recreation Board — Date listed as Feb. 9, 2026; meeting title says Feb. 10, 2026 The board worked through its 2026 project priorities, began planning the next five-year parks master plan, and reviewed draft figures showing how private donations have supported parks construction and programming. • The board approved the January 13 minutes as amended to correct the funding committee membership and add Melissa. The motion passed by voice vote; no vote count was stated. • Members assigned informal one-to-three priority scores to projects across the park system. This was explicitly described as nonofficial scoring, not a formal vote. Staff will average the scores and circulate a dated, updated matrix. City Council will later make the final capital-improvement decisions. • The matrix was expanded to include the parks and recreation master plan, a possible fundraising event, maintenance of ongoing events, Kiwanis Park bleachers and walkway replacement, and an Odawa historical marker. Frequently high-scored items included annual safety, maintenance and ADA checklists; removal of storm-damaged high branches; beach-raft resurfacing; and completion of the master plan. Final averages were not presented at the meeting. • The current parks plan covers 2023-2027. A replacement must be submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources by Feb. 1, 2027 to maintain eligibility for relevant state grants. The proposed process includes summer community engagement and park evaluation, fall priority-setting and drafting, public review, City Council adoption and state submission. • Draft figures prepared for a future Council presentation showed about $1.66 million in private capital support from 2021-2025 and approximately $55,000 in city capital spending. The presentation described 95% of capital funding as private. Draft 2025 programming figures showed about $6,400 spent, roughly $1,900 from sponsors and a city share near $4,500. Swimming and S’mores still needs to be added to those figures. • Staff will seek updated and additional quotes for Zorn Beach bathroom work. Shay Park and Kiwanis Park site plans have been sent to the city planner for review before going to the Planning Commission. Yoga in the park has an interested applicant, while pickleball programming follow-up remains pending. Worth watching: 1. Final averaged project rankings and how they influence later Council capital decisions. 2. Whether the master-plan schedule leaves enough time for public review and Council adoption before Feb. 1, 2027. 3. Updated Zorn Beach bathroom pricing and the unresolved Kiwanis Park presentation or meeting date. Upcoming: Sledding and S’mores is scheduled for Feb. 28, 4-6 p.m.; a parks presentation to City Council was tentatively discussed for March 2. Why it matters: The board is setting priorities that will shape park safety, programming, fundraising and eligibility for future state grants.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.