Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Commission

PARKS, RECREATION, & CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 6:15 p.m. Thursday March 17, 2022 800 Municipal Dr. Farmington, New Mexico The Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Commission (PRCA) of the City of Farmington met in a regular session on Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 6:15 p.m. Members Present Deborah Cutler, Chair; George Golombowski , Co-Chair; Carla Stimac, Ken LaCasse, Richard Griffiths , and Leslie Thompson. Members Absent: Larry Hilliard, Patricia Baca, Melissa Mortensen, Evan Noel, and Thomas Hawkins. Also present were: Natalie Spruell PRCA Assistant Director Gwen Johnson; PRCA Administrative Aide OPENING OF MEETING Deb Cutler called the meeting to order at 6:15 pm ROLL CALL 6 Commissioners present, 5 absent APPROVAL OF MINUTES The February, 2022 minutes needed approval, Rick made a motion to accept the minutes as written and Leslie made the second. Vote was taken, and the minutes were approved unanimously. DEPARTMENT REPORT Natalie Spruell presented. Project and Division Updates  Recreation Division: Sycamore Center and the Recreation Center: With it being St. Patrick’s Day, Sycamore is hosting the Annual St Patrick’s Day Madness event. With Spring Break also this week and kids out of school, both Centers have been busy. Athletic Fields are in full swing. Softball and Baseball season is around the corner.  An excellent candidate has been selected for the Recreation Supervisor position and he has been hired. He will be starting in the next couple of weeks. Interviews are being scheduled for the Recreation Programs Supervisor.  Aquatics: Concerning the Aquatic Center, the deck re-surfacing bid is set to go out again and we hope to get that project moving. The Farmington Aqua Park scope of work report is complete and the next step is to get that moving through the steps of approval and out to bid in the near future. Lions Pool has re-opened and the patrons are happy. The project came in on schedule. The informative meeting that was held before the reopening was very well attended with around 40 people coming out for that. Lake Farmington’s target date to be opened for non-motorized water craft will be April, 15th.  Civic Center: Great entertainment is on the schedule. Gene Kelly’s lost Musical is playing currently.  Golf Course: Current renovation, construction project at the course is moving along very well. The contract is set for finish date of 150 days and they are on track. Updates on Facebook have been informative and is keeping the public informed.  Indian Center: As we were going through the budget process we found that the Centers cost for food has increased 18%. This is being evaluated to see where this cost can be cut back and a possible increase in pricing is also being projected.  Museum: E-3 Children’s Museum is back open. This re-opening has been very well received. They will have Tuesday thru Saturday hours  Park Operations: Our Park Operations team has been getting ready for the new trail system, On Friday March 25th at noon the “Among the Waters” ribbon cutting and a dedication of Lehmer’s  Lookout with a beautiful plaque to honor Dr. Lehmer, founder of The River Reach Foundation, and many years of dedication, passion and work with our river banks, and waters in our area. The trail is beautiful! There will be a shuttle service for those that cannot make the mile walk in and mile walk out. Vietnam Veterans park playground should be finished by the end of the month. It has been a fun project The Jaycee Park new playground equipment is really being enjoyed and we hope Vietnam Veterans park new playground will be well received also. Brookhaven East Park will also be getting some much needed upgrades with a new playground structure in the future. All Abilities professional services contract has been awarded and officially signed. The planning process will now begin to start. The Gold Star memorial installation, at the All Veterans Memorial Park is in the process of being planned once again. COVID interfered with that schedule so we are now back to pursuing getting that moved forward and looking forward to a dedication this fall. With no further items for discussion or comment from the Commissioners, Deb Cutler, Chair; entertained motion to adjourn. Motion was made by Leslie Thompson and seconded George Golombowski. Vote was taken all in favor and meeting was adjourned at 6:40pm. Next Meeting April 21, 2022 Deb Cutler - Chair _____________________________________ Gwen Johnson, PRCA Administrative Aide ________________________________________