Parks and Recreation Commission

Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC) Cornelius Town Hall Thursday, May 7, 2026 2nd Floor – Room 203 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, Robert Reed, and Chris Kolkhorst • Commissioners Absent: Lory Morrow, Vice-Chair Jana Ritter, and Travis Dancy • Staff Present: Director Troy Fitzsimmons, Assistant Director Adam Abernathy, Recreation Superintendent Michael Wolf, Marketing & Downtown Events Manager Emily Halden, and Executive Assistant Mary Curcione 3) Public Appearances – Citizen Concerns/Comments 4) Approval of Minutes a) April 2026 Draft Minutes • Commissioner Show made a motion to approve the minutes from the April 16, 2026, meeting as presented. Commissioner True seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. 5) Presentations a) Marketing & Downtown Events Update – Emily Halden • Marketing & Downtown Events Manager Emily Halden presented an overview of the Department’s marketing efforts, including social media growth, outreach strategies, future marketing goals, departmental limitations, and ways commissioners can support promotional efforts. Executive Assistant Mary Curcione presented updates related to the Department’s monthly newsletter, highlighting increased engagement, improved open rates, and refreshed design and messaging strategies. 6) Director’s Report a) April 2026 Director’s Report • Director Fitzsimmons provided updates on Camp Cornelius registration, recent and upcoming special events and programming, and the postponement of the Cornelius Cardboard Boat Regatta. Staff also shared an overview of capital grants and donations received since 2015, totaling nearly $20 million and approximately 140 acres of donated land supporting parks and greenway projects. 7) Parks & Recreation Commissioner Recommendations & Reports a) Items to be placed on record b) Commissioner Reports • Chair Carla Eustache o Shared updates from the May 5, 2026, Pre-Development Review Committee meeting regarding the proposed Bailey’s Glen Expansion (Dove Property) residential subdivision and the proposed Westmoreland Road conditional rezoning associated with overflow parking for Boatyard Eats. o Held a Strategic Planning and Long-Range Finance (SPLRF) Committee meeting. o Shared highlights from a fishing event she hosted as part of an organization she volunteers with, noting the event was thoroughly enjoyed by all participants. Recreation Manager John Anderson and Lake Norman Teen Council volunteers were recognized for helping ensure the event ran smoothly.  • Commissioner Lory Morrow – Absent • Commissioner Massiel Tavarez – No Report • Commissioner Jon Show o Suggested uploading a full event list on the Parks website and/or date upcoming events on the main Special Events page so visitors have a snapshot of what’s coming up and when. o Stated a neighbor shared that they felt the Robbins Park sign look old and worn compared to some of the other, newer park signs. Director Fitzsimmons advised that the sign would not be replaced until after the Catawba Avenue widening project was completed. o Recommended featuring event sponsors (when applicable) on social media posts. o Thrilled to see how the Cardboard Boat Regatta event turns out as it is his first time participating and he had the Hough High School STEM Club design and build his boat named, “The News Leak.” • Commissioner Steve True o Attended and enjoyed ‘Tawba Walk Arts & Music Festival. • Commissioner Robert Reed o Thanked Marketing & Downtown Events Manager, Emily Halden, for helping his daughter complete her volunteer service hours through various events; these events are a great volunteer opportunity for students in general. o Son is excited to attend three different Camp Cornelius camps this summer (vs last year when they only did one). Extended kudos to the staff and the operation as a whole. o Got to play pickleball on the Bailey Road Park courts and enjoyed getting educated on the game by a visiting friend. o Noted there is a lip where the steps/path meet at Westmoreland Athletic Complex (WAC) that makes the walkway troublesome for coaches walking with large bags. Assistant Director Abernathy stated he was aware of the issue and would look into addressing. • Commissioner Chris Kolkhorst o Attended the Programs, Facilities, and Fees Committee meeting where they discussed fee updates for FY27. o Went to the first day of the Downtown Master Plan meeting at the end of April and spoke with and received feedback from residents and local business owners. • Vice-Chair Jana Ritter – Report Submitted via Email o Attended Earth Jam and although it was a beautiful day, there was low attendance. Noted that the timing around spring break could be impacting turnout. Would love to explore options to grow the event and see more vendors with interactive activities. Daughter still loves the passport activity. o Met with Jeremy Martin, owner of Modern Strike, the week prior to ideate about programs, tournaments, and marketing outreach. Will continue to keep things open-ended regarding collaboration and promotion of programs. o Excited to start teaching again for Try Tennis (Lake Norman Tennis Association program) at Bailey Road Park as of the beginning of May. The class is at full capacity with participants ranging in age from 21 to 82. • Commissioner Travis Dancy – Absent c) Town Commissioner Report – Commissioner Todd Sansbury & Colin Furcht • Commissioner Furcht gave updates from the latest Town Board meeting, highlighting the budget discussion. • Explained how commissioners can help educate the public and push forward ideas and ask questions at the joint PRC meeting. 8) Old Business a) Parks & Recreation Commission Goals & Committees • Regionalism Committee – Vice-Chair Ritter sent an email to the team, but advised they would be holding off on meeting until Director Fitzsimmons received an update on the joint PRC meeting. • Public Awareness Committee – Commissioner True asked commissioners to let him know what Facebook groups they’d be engaging in to help boost the Department’s marketing efforts. Asked if event graphics/descriptions could be sent out ahead of time. • Strategic Planning and Long-Range Finance (SPLRF) – Discussed the maintenance and improvement projects for FY27 and got a start on the capital improvement plan (CIP) for FY28.  b) 2024 Park Bonds • Director Fitzsimmons reminded commissioners that soft costs were advanced in the winter and asked commissioners to attend Town Board and meetings to educate the Board on the importance of the bonds. • Holding off on any designs until there is more certainty with the bonds. This would not delay any project timelines but ensure we are not wasting funds on designs that may need to be redone later. • Executive Assistance Curcione to send out invites to the May and June Town Board meetings. c) Parks & Recreation Code of Ordinance Update • Director Fitzsimmons advised that the update would be brought forward to the Town Board at the May 18 meeting for approval. d) FY27 Budget Update • Director Fitzsimmons shared that as stated in April’s meeting, any net-zero budget goals should be approved by the Town Board, but capital improvement projects most likely will not be approved. • Looking at the year ahead, Director Fitzsimmons advised that the Department may need to pull back on turf/field maintenance and shift the focus to capital improvement projects (e.g. the WAC playground) 9) New Business a) FY27 Facility Rental Fee Recommendation b) Joint PRC and Northern Towns Park Advisory Council Meeting • Director Fitzsimmons advised that the joint meeting between the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Commission and the Northern Towns will take place on June 15, 2026, and focus on regional parks and recreation topics, including recreation programming, budget planning, land acquisition, and long-range planning efforts impacting northern Mecklenburg communities. He encouraged commissioners to attend, provide input, and ask questions. c) July 2026 PRC Meeting Date • The commissioners decided that the July 2026 meeting would be canceled due to the July 4 holiday. • Director Fitzsimmons asked commissioners to RSVP for meetings in a timely manner moving forward and advised that meetings would be held in Room 203 for the foreseeable future due to construction in Town Hall. 10) Adjournment • Chair Eustache adjourned the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Upcoming PRC Meetings – Thursdays, June 4 and July 2, 2026 Next Town Board Meetings – Mondays, May 18 and June 1, 2026