Parks and Recreation Commission

Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC) Cornelius Town Hall Thursday, April 16, 2026 2nd Floor – Room 204 5:30 – 7 p.m. www.cornelius.org/pr MINUTES 1) Call to Order • Chair Eustache called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. 2) Determination of Quorum A quorum was reached with seven (7) commissioners in attendance. • Commissioners Present: Chair Carla Eustache, Massiel Tavarez, Jon Show, Steve True, Chris Kolkhorst, Vice- Chair Jana Ritter, and Travis Dancy • Commissioners Absent: Lory Morrow and Robert Reed • Staff Present: Director Troy Fitzsimmons, Assistant Director Adam Abernathy, Recreation Superintendent Michael Wolf and Executive Assistant Mary Curcione 3) Public Appearances – Citizen Concerns/Comments 4) Approval of Minutes a) March 2026 Draft Minutes • Commissioner True made a motion to approve the minutes from the March 5, 2026, meeting as presented. Commissioner Show seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. 5) Presentations a) 6-month Bailey Road Tennis Operator Update • Recreation Superintendent Michael Wolf reported gradual growth in programming, participation, and contact hours for Modern Strike during the first six months, with a strategic shift toward beginner and youth programming due to existing player commitments. Upcoming efforts will focus on expanding leagues, tournaments, and partnerships with the Lake Norman Tennis Association. b) 6-month Bailey Road Pickleball Operator Update • Recreation Superintendent Michael Wolf reported strong participation and program demand in the first six months for Lake Norman Tennis Association, with a variety of leagues, clinics, and tournaments offered. Court usage has exceeded initial allotments, with future efforts focused on expanding league play and refining programming based on member feedback. 6) Director’s Report a) March 2026 Director’s Report • Director Fitzsimmons reported on Camp Cornelius registration progress, recent and upcoming events, and community engagement efforts. Updates also included a grant award for Bailey Road Park improvements and information on the upcoming Downtown Master Plan open house and future parks and greenway planning. 7) Parks & Recreation Commissioner Recommendations & Reports a) Items to be placed on record b) Commissioner Reports • Chair Carla Eustache o Shared positive feedback on Bingo Night and interest in offering it again, potentially with a lower age requirement. o Noted Hop Into Spring was enjoyable for her kids; asked about implementing a recycling program for the leftover eggs.  o Mentioned light attendance at the DRI PARTF Grant community meeting. • Commissioner Lory Morrow – Absent • Commissioner Massiel Tavarez o Shared positive feedback on Hop Into Spring; had a lot of fun attending with her son. o Reported a downed tree on the Caldwell Station Greenway that has since been addressed. o Spoke with some families and advised they had registered for Rec Center camps because their registration opened earlier. • Commissioner Jon Show o Sponsored Hop Into Spring; suggested encouraging vendors to arrive early and noted popularity of their temporary tattoos. o Advised that Cornelius Today is sponsoring quite a few events this year and is looking forward to the Earth Jam event. o Expressed wanting greater transparency regarding funding sources (grants, awards, bond funds). o Requested more information on potential tax increases. • Commissioner Steve True o Shared positive feedback on the Clean & Green event. • Commissioner Robert Reed – Absent • Commissioner Chris Kolkhorst o Shared that his HOA was given information about Camp Cornelius. • Vice-Chair Jana Ritter o Mentioned the long commute to the meeting. o Noted appreciation for benches being secured at Robbins Park. o Shared concerns about damaged tennis courts at Torrence Chapel Park and potential safety issues; suggested discussing future plans. o Shared positive feedback received after posting about camps in HOA and local Facebook groups. o Expressed disappointment about not being able to participate in the boat regatta this year, a favorite event. o Expressed that she was looking forward to the upcoming Earth Jam event. • Commissioner Travis Dancy o No report c) Town Commissioner Report – Commissioner Todd Sansbury & Colin Furcht • Commissioner Sansbury o Advised that the Town Board would be considering up to a $0.02 tax increase. o Noted upcoming transit tax could add approximately $5-6 million to the Town budget. o Mentioned Downtown Master Plan updates are available online. • Commissioner Furcht – Absent 8) Old Business a) Parks & Recreation Commission Goals & Committees • Director Fitzsimmons advised that the facility fee schedule for FY27 would be updated soon. • Vice-Chair Ritter stated that she would organize a Regional Partnership Committee meeting prior to May’s PRC meeting to discuss the facility fees. b) 2024 Park Bonds • Director Fitzsimmons advised that the Town Board approved the purchase of another 37 acres of parkland, which will hopefully lead to reduced traffic congestion in the future. c) Parks & Recreation Code of Ordinance Update • Assistant Director Abernathy reviewed the new proposed updates to Chapter 93 of the Town’s Parks & Recreation Ordinance, outlining a revision to the penalties related to e-bike citations. • Commissioner Kolkhorst made a motion to recommend approval of the proposed updates to Chapter 93 of the Town’s Parks & Recreation Ordinance, including revisions to penalties related to e-bike citations. Commissioner Show seconded and the motion passed unanimously. 9) New Business 10) Adjournment • Chair Eustache adjourned the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Upcoming PRC Meetings – Thursdays, May 7 and June 4, 2026 Next Town Board Meetings – Mondays, April 20 and May 4, 2026