Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Advisory Board Agenda Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater St. May 27, 2025 - 6:00 PM If you require any accommodation (i.e. qualified interpreter, large print, reader, hearing assistance) in order to attend this meeting, please notify the Community Center at 913-322-5550 no later than 24 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. 1. ROLL CALL/ATTENDANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS Members of the public are encouraged to use this time to make comments about matters that do not appear on the agenda. Comments about items on the regular agenda will be taken as each item is considered. Please note: individuals making Public Comments will be limited to 5 minutes. 3. APPROVAL OF APRIL 22, 2025 MINUTES a. April 22, 2025 Minutes Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - Apr 22 2025 - Minutes 4. STAFF REPORTS a. Director's Report i. Community Center Update Director Update ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report April Membership April Visitation iii. 2025 Winter / Spring Recreation Report Winter Spring Recreation Report b. Assistant Director's Report i. Upcoming Events 1. "A Colorful Combine" Opening Reception A Colorful Combine Reception Informaton  2. Free Day at MCC June Free Day 3. Family Fun Friday 4. Dive in Movie Night - "Cars" Family Fun Friday 5. Make Music Day Make Music Day Poster 6. Flags 4 Freedom Flags for Freedom Poster ii. Program Updates 1. Merriam Farmers' Market May Update 5. NEW BUSINESS a. 2025 Girl Scout Owl Prowl Request Girl Scout Owl Prowl Cover Letter Girl Scout Owl Prowl Request for 2026 b. Park Monument Sign Review Monument Sign Overview Community Center Monument Sign - DRAFT Julius McFarlin Fields Monument Sign - DRAFT 6. OTHER BUSINESS 7. ADJOURNMENT  MINUTES Advisory Board Meeting City of Merriam, Kansas Merriam Community Center Tuesday, April 22, 2025 6:00 PM 6040 Slater Street 1. ROLL CALL/ATTENDANCE The April meeting of the Merriam Parks & Recreation Advisory Board was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chairperson George Vesel. Board members in attendance included: Tyson Boyer; Kathy Stull; Christopher Leitch; David Zukley; George Vesel; Alex Supple; and Doug Murphy. Staff members in attendance were: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director; Dave Smothers, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director; and Abby Hall, Guest Services Coordinator. Katie Leary notified staff and chairperson of their absence. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS a. 2026 Girl Scout Owl Prowl Request Angela Villanueva, representing the local Girl Scout Council, provided information regarding the Owl Prow Event. The event is designed that fees collected are invested directly into the cost of the event for girls 4th-6th grade. Girls in 7th-12th grade lead activities and assist in other roles for a successful event. The organizers' goal is to keep the event affordable for all girl scout members. The request for residential rate plays a significant role in achieving that goal. The Owl Prowl event includes troops from around the Kansas and Missouri areas including a teen troop from Merriam who participated last year in the event. There was a total of 750 people in the building during the 2025 event, with a ratio of 2/10 adult/kids. Potential changes for 2026 include reserving the Conference Room for a quiet space and reconfiguring the Kessler-Loomis room to improve the flow of the snack room. 3. APPROVAL OF MARCH 25, 2025 MINUTES a. March 25, 2025 Minutes Board Member Stull made a motion to approve the March 25, 2025 minutes. Board Member Leitch seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. 4. STAFF REPORTS a. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Page 1 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – April 22, 2025 i. Community Center Update A detailed memo was included in the packet. Updates to the information included:  The Art Committee met on April 10. They will be supporting the "Parade of Hearts" again this year. The location being discussed is the Merriam Visitor's Bureau. The semi-finalists for the parking structure project presented their design concept and inspiration to the committee. After discussion, the winning presentation, Milagros Collective, was selected. The committee appreciated their unconventional approach and their ideas for hosting community art workshops to bring art to the masses in a hands on way. References assured staff that Milagros would work very collaboratively to solve problems, meet requirements and navigate bureaucracy. The Milagros Collective also received the most enthusiastic and positive feedback from the community.  During the storms that occurred the weekend of April 19/20 a 24' section of barrier fence along the Streamway Trail between 67th and Shawnee Mission Parkway blew over. A user of the trail notified staff early Monday morning. With the help of Public Works, the section was removed off the trail until repairs could be made. The citizen commended staff about the quick response. Discussion:  There was a discussion about the Ikea friends and family membership agreement. Ikea should be publicizing this promo on their newsletter; it is not something that is actively promoted in the store. A member of the board expressed concern with this agreement that there will be an abuse of promotion by area IKEA friends and family non-resident patrons. Staff stated that the opportunity was discussed and the decision to continue the agreement was to build good will with an area business but over the course of the previous agreement no one took advantage of the program. Staff will monitor the use of the benefit. If staff feels the promotion is being abused, the contract can be revisited to determine next steps.  The Board expressed gratitude for the anti-graffiti effort at the parks. Staff is limited on what they can use to clean the area with and can not put anything chemically down on the safety surface to remove the graffiti. If graffiti is on an area that is not the safety surface, staff can use remover on those areas. ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report A detailed memo with supporting reports were included in the packet. Updates to the information included:  April membership visitation is averaging 354 visits/day which is 12 visits less per day than 2024. Since membership sales are still improving, it is not uncommon to see member visitation fluctuate when the weather is nice. This historically indicates that people are taking advantage of the good weather days instead of coming indoors. Page 2 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – April 22, 2025  Daily visitation for April is averaging 49 visits/day which is an increase of 3 visits/day over 2024.  April revenue is anticipated to surpass April 2024 revenue based upon average daily collections. Discussion:  It is staff's goal to greet visitors as they enter the facility and determine how to assist them since it could be their first visit or their first time attending a program. Guests who are members know to scan in their membership cards. Repeat non-members know to purchase a day pass to use the facility. iii. 2025 Summer Postcard Promotion Included in the packet was a draft of the summer postcard initiative. Staff is working with the mail house to finalize the mailing list. The goal of the postcard is to be in mailboxes the week of May 26. Like other years, the promotion is buy one, get one free day pass up to three free. The concept is that a household is defined as 6 people targeting our definition of household. Discussion:  Staff hopes that about 10% of the mailed promotions are redeemed. Historically, there have been three-five memberships purchased from this promotion which typically covers the cost. iv. Quarter 1 Financial Update The Q1 financial report reflects revenues and expenditures as tracked through our financial software. At 25% through the year, actual expenses are at 19% of budget, indicating overall underspending. However, five budget lines are currently over the 25% mark: Group Insurance, Unemployment Tax, Workers’ Compensation, Other Contractual Services, and Repair & Maintenance Services. Of these, only Other Contractual Services and Repair & Maintenance are directly managed by staff. Notably, several first-quarter costs, such as annual permits and the scheduled UV bulb replacement for sanitation, contribute to front-loaded expenses. Revenue performance remains strong, with 27.4% of budgeted revenues already realized. While seven lines are currently below 25%, most are tied to summer programs (Summer Memberships, Swim Team, Concession Cart), which will trend upward in later quarters. The remaining underperforming lines (Adult Educational Programs, Adult League Fee, Youth Fitness, and Vending Machine) represent just 2.1% of the total budget. Compared to Q1 2024, the most significant increases in expenses are in salaries/benefits and utility services, while revenues have grown most in Annual Memberships, Daily Passes, Water Fitness, and Small Group/Personal Fitness. Cost recovery is slightly below last year’s rate but remains on track to Page 3 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – April 22, 2025 meet the 66% goal outlined in the proforma. Discussion:  The fleet vehicle is the department truck. b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 1. Brunch with the Bunny Discussion:  This was once again a sold out event, with roll over onto a waitlist. This sold out within two weeks of being active. Staff will be talking to the Boy Scouts to see if they would like to help with future events.  Room capacity for these type of events is based off how many guests sign up and what the activities are to ensure guests have enough space to move around. ii. UPCOMING EVENTS 1. Superhero Day An event flyer was included in the packet. Unfortunately, this event had to be canceled after the registration deadline due to low enrollment. 2. "Through the Lens" Opening Reception An event flyer was included in the packet. Discussion:  These will be different photographers than the show earlier this year. 3. Farmers' Market Opening Day An event flyer was included in the packet. Discussion:  Per the recommendation of vendors, the start time this year is one hour later at 8 a.m. 4. Turkey Creek Festival 5K An event flyer was included in the packet. Discussion:  This event has 60 registrants already which is ahead of registrations for the same time of the 2024 event.  Staff has been able to secure several new sponsors allowing for Page 4 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – April 22, 2025 a promotional crossbody bag to be given to all registered runners.  Volunteer space is full for this and the festival. 5. Turkey Creek Festival An event flyer was included in the packet. iii. PROGRAM UPDATES 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. OTHER BUSINESS 7. ADJOURNMENT Board Member Leitch made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:37 p.m. Board Member Supple seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. Page 5 of 5 TO: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: Monthly Director’s Report DATE: May 27, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS Community Center Update • After working with the online calendar system to notify patrons of available lap lanes, open basketball and group exercise space, Michael Lincoln, Aquatic Coordinator, recommended a change in the calendar system. He researched various free on-line applications and found one that is easier to manage and provides a better product for patrons. The new calendar system went live on May 1. Thanks to various staff that worked to change published QR codes, the new system is working great! • Pool preparation continues. Staff began filling the pool on May 1 and deck furniture was moved out of storage that same day. The goal of having the pool filled and balanced by May 14 was achieved. Lifeguard certifications and training began on May 17. • Staff interviewed for the Program Assistant vacancy. An offer letter has been extended and accepted on May 6. Logan Dunn will begin work on Tuesday, May 27. • The summer intern, Charlie Muessel, started on Monday, May 19. • The Military Banner Program for 2025 will be making their debut the week of May 19. This year there were four new banners. Due to the small request, staff contacted 2024 participants to see if they would want to display their banners again in 2025. Four banners are expected to be returned, taking the total number to display to eight. • Sponsor letters for Flags4Freedom and Turkey Creek Car and Motorcycle Show have been mailed in preparation for those events. • Due to changes in the Johnson County Health and Environment code, staff are in the process of changing a rule sign for operation. Two new rules are now required: no intentional hyper- ventilating or breath-holding games and only service animals are allowed on the deck. Sign proof has been approved, and staff are waiting for the final product. • General maintenance repair work on the upper deck of the parking structure started on Monday, May 12. The upper deck will remain open during this timeframe with only sections where the work is being completed closed. There will be repair work completed on the entry, this will require the  upper deck to be closed. Staff are coordinating the work with the vendor for the deck to close on a Monday night so work can be completed on Tuesday, one of the slower days of the week. • On Wednesday, May 14, the lower-level parking structure height tubes were hit twice by two different vehicles, partially removing them each time before the vehicles backed out of the structure. • On Thursday, May 15 the robot vacuum for the pool stopped working. Staff evaluated options for replacement and have ordered a new vacuum. Unfortunately, the new vacuum is not expected to arrive until mid-June. There is a manual vacuum that is available to be used in the meantime. • Turkey Creek Festival and 5K run were a huge success. The 5K ended with 339 runners surpassing the staff’s goal to have 300 runners. The weather was fantastic for festivalgoers. A final evaluation of these events will be available once all invoices are paid. • On Monday, May 19 staff identified water leaking in the mechanical room. Upon investigation, one of the two water heaters had a bad tank and will need to be replaced. The warranty for the water heater is 3 years. The installation of the new water heater was completed on Tuesday, May 20 with hot water supply cut off for 3 hours (12-3) during a time of less demand. • Due to the cool, rainy temperatures anticipated for the last week of May, the outdoor pool will likely not open all week. The weather policy for the pool states that the air temperature needs to be 70 degrees. Staff will monitor the weather and decide no later than 10 a.m. each day to open or possibly delay the opening of the outdoor pool based upon the forecasted temperatures. Park Updates • On Sunday, May 4, the Merriam Marketplace was rented for a Cinco de Mayo Car Show. • The Merriam Drainage District project noted in the March Directors report from Shawnee Mission Parkway to the Merriam Drive Bridge to fill and repair groundhog holes, repair the wall on the west side of the creek north of Merriam Marketplace and clear trees in the creek or immediately adjacent began on Monday, May 12. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Included in the packet are the comparison reports for annual membership sales and daily visits for March. April membership sales decreased by 10 from April 2024 to April 2025. The difference is seen in insurance-based memberships such as Silver Sneakers and Peerfit. Paid membership categories that experienced growth were Adult, Household, and Senior. Membership cancellations decreased by 15, totaling 21 in April 2025 versus 36 in April 2024. Cancellation reasons: Medical – 1, Financial – 1, Non-Usage – 9, Relocation – 2, Other – 8. The April installment payment exceeded the same period in 2024 by $5,914, reflecting growth that is $3,369 higher than the increase from 2023 to 2024. April installment bill was $2,593 less than the record installment bill collected in August 2024. April 2025 member visitation fell 272 visits compared to April 2024 due to the facility being closed for Easter Sunday. (2024 Easter was in March. While operating one day less in 2025, average daily visitation did increase to 369 visits/day from 366 visits/day in April 2024. The highest visitation day was Monday, April 21, with 530 visits, falling short of April 2024’s highest day by 2 visits. Daily visits fell 104 compared to April 2024, averaging 45/day compared to 47/day in 2024, with the highest day pass sales on Saturday, April 5 (89). Insurance visits increased by 330 compared to April 2024. Average visitation increased to 118/day from 103/day in 2024. Through April, insurance visits have increased by 843 visits over the same period of 2024. Recommendation: This memo was provided for your information. No action required. Membership Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 TWO PERSON CHARTER TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 229 195 214 57 ACTIVE & FIT 52 95 130 218 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 340 305 327 113 CARETAKER PASS 2 2 4 5 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 3 22 6 3 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 118 105 49 22 FIT CLASS PASS 119 108 94 35 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 515 439 518 160 NANNY PASS 7 6 8 2 ONE PASS - HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS 28 39 TIVITY PRIME MEMBERSHIP 52 45 63 20 PEERFIT 7 52 30 45 RENEW ACTIVE 177 185 492 743 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 3 4 4 0 RETIRED SENIOR 1 11 2 0 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 14 14 27 6 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 79 81 78 33 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 140 140 143 39 SILVER & FIT 8 6 60 23 SILVER SNEAKERS 229 222 751 879 YOUTH MEMBERSHIP 54 44 47 14 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP SALES 2,149 2,081 3,075 2,456 CANCELLATIONS 516 547 516 126 SUSPENDED 0 0 0 EXPIRED** 36 9 0 *Charter Sales for Grand Opening began in March **All Council and Employee related passes expire annually in December ***Includes 80 IBFCC memberships carried over due to COVID-19 closures Annual Membership Sales Comparison Year-to-Date 2025 Membership Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 TWO PERSON CHARTER TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 12 20 22 17 ACTIVE & FIT 3 2 2 2 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 15 18 20 31 CARETAKER COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 1 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 3 3 5 3 FIT CLASS PASS 6 11 11 10 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 27 20 30 37 NANNY PASS ONE PASS - HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS 1 PRIME MEMBERSHIP 2 4 4 3 PEERFIT 1 7 3 RENEW ACTIVE 16 14 15 13 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD RETIRED SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 3 5 2 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 4 3 4 1 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 12 7 9 11 SILVER & FIT 1 2 SILVER SNEAKERS 13 10 21 12 YOUTH MEMBERSHIPS 2 4 5 4 TOTAL MEMBERSHIPS SOLD 116 121 161 151 CANCELLATIONS 44 40 36 21 SUSPENDED EXPIRED 1 9 Membership Report April 2025 2025 TOTAL VISITS JAN* FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 11,964 10,628 11,343 10,699 44,634 DAILY VISITS 1,526 1,723 1,878 1,300 6,427 GUEST PASSES 81 0 0 0 81 TOURS 10 11 20 9 50 2024 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 12,223 10,797 11,081 10,971 11,930 17,214 17,269 13,763 10,075 9,660 9,833 10,367 145,183 DAILY VISITS 1,736 1,379 1,820 1,404 2,171 3,793 3,428 2,107 901 650 1,321 1,570 22,280 GUEST PASSES 10 0 0 0 0 4 44 0 0 2 0 1 61 TOURS 32 31 11 0 33 28 13 3 0 11 20 7 189 2023 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 11,709 9,991 11,632 9,049 10,112 15,567 13,858 12,976 8,972 9,105 8,704 9,441 131,116 DAILY VISITS 1,465 1,241 1,790 1,122 2,037 3,478 2,814 2,116 1,052 751 957 1,511 20,334 GUEST PASSES 3 8 1 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 TOURS 35 18 10 10 26 43 26 28 18 8 3 5 230 2022 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 7,282 7,419 9,127 8,142 8,202 11,668 11,816 11,214 8,502 7,739 8,521 9,558 109,190 DAILY VISITS 739 1,067 1,449 1,045 1,649 3,051 3,079 1,836 750 569 906 1,137 17,277 GUEST PASSES 10 21 48 2 0 0 0 24 0 0 1 4 110 TOURS 45 32 45 55 4 49 37 61 30 20 12 0 390 2021 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 3,318 3,169 4,924 4,769 4,775 10,607 11,284 9,662 6,138 5,799 6,006 6,097 76,548 DAILY VISITS 185 211 482 386 576 2,148 2,055 1,774 496 401 590 661 9,965 GUEST PASSES 3 2 24 20 7 24 18 19 10 2 3 0 132 TOURS 77 38 93 85 102 90 107 65 27 83 33 28 828 *January 2025 facility was closed 2 days due to significant snowfall Visit Comparison 2021-2025 2025 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 590 604 529 530 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 20th) (Mon 17th) (Mon 10th) (Mon 21st) 132 151 146 89 DAILY VISITS (Thurs 2nd) (Sun 16th) (Thurs 20th) (Sat 5th) 2024 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 558 566 548 532 635 827 828 656 484 486 511 523 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Wed 24th) (Mon 19th) (Mon 25th) (Mon 1st) (Wed 29th) (Mon 17th) (Mon 15th) (Fri 2nd) (Mon 16th) (Mon 21st) (Mon 4th) (Mon 30th) 122 124 151 133 166 (Wed 181 186 220 128 49 91 137 DAILY VISITS (Tues 2nd) (Sat 10th) (Thurs 14th) (Sat 13th) 29th) (Mon 24th) (Sat 13th) (Sat 31st) (Sun 1st) (Fri 11) (Sat 2nd) (Mon 30th) 2023 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 581 512 548 434 561 892 707 588 462 463 460 525 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 23rd) (Mon 20th) (Mon 13th) (Mon 10th) (Wed 31st) (Mon 19th) (Mon 3rd) (Mon 21st) (Mon 4th) (Mon 30th) (Mon 27th) (Mon 18th) 95 113 178 73 182 252 224 174 140 46 65 119 DAILY VISITS (Sat 14th) (Sat 25th) (Tues 14th) (Sat 1st) (Mon 29th) (Mon 19th) (Sat 29th) (Sat 19th) (Sat 2nd) (Sat 21st) (Thurs 11th) (Thurs 28th) 2022 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 339 412 412 409 420 641 531 568 425 346 427 439 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 24th) (Mon 21st) (Mon 28th) (Mon 11th) (Wed 25th) (Mon 13th) (Wed 6th) (Mon 1st) (Mon 19th) (Wed 26th) (Mon 14th) (Mon 12th) 62 90 91 79 159 261 174 152 72 40 84 83 DAILY VISITS (Sat 29th) (Sat 26th) (Fri 18th) (Sun 3rd) (Mon 30th) (Sat 18th) (Sat 9th) (Sat 13th) (Mon 5th) (Fri 14th ) (Sun 20th) (Fri 30th) 2021 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 149 (Tues 159 (Tues 213 228 247 496 478 449 297 310 284 304 MEMBERSHIP VISITS 5th) 2nd) (Mon 15th) (Thurs 8th) (Wed 19th) (Wed 16th) (Tues 13th) (Mon 9th) (Mon 6th) (Mon 25th) (Tues, 2nd) (Mon 27th) 147 22 66 45 52 69 136 126 (Mon 9th / 78 29 81 51 DAILY VISITS (Sat 16th) (Thurs 25th) (Fri 19th) (Sat 10th) (Mon 31st) (Sun 13th) (Mon 5th) Wed 11th) (Mon 6th) (Fri 15th) (Sun 14th) (Tues 28th) Highest Attended Day Comparison 2021 - 2025 2025 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,357 1,219 1,400 1,417 5,393 Prime Fitness 202 190 193 168 753 Renew Active/OnePass 1,394 1,128 1,260 1,389 5,171 Silver & Fit 16 12 16 26 70 Active & Fit 336 286 345 343 1,310 PeerFit 109 106 85 89 389 2024 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,391 1,438 1,459 1,459 1,493 1,506 1,687 1,723 1,551 1,559 1,501 1,457 18,224 Prime Fitness 157 179 187 190 166 191 204 179 155 125 147 165 2,045 Renew Active/One Pass 1,047 980 1,014 1,060 1,007 1,097 1,303 1,414 1,226 1,173 1,139 1,171 13,631 Silver & Fit 0 11 12 3 1 1 19 19 2 18 17 21 124 Active & Fit 305 318 315 305 315 308 316 293 315 299 316 307 3,712 PeerFit 107 96 125 85 78 84 107 86 96 89 65 89 1,107 2023 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,364 1,262 1,497 1,178 1,189 1,259 1,237 1,464 1,302 1,275 1,148 1,277 15,452 Prime Fitness 173 150 134 128 130 188 161 180 112 116 111 132 1,715 Renew Active 787 683 891 726 743 710 816 917 735 884 859 1,001 9,752 Silver & Fit 17 15 10 4 11 8 16 11 7 6 8 1 114 Active & Fit 276 319 310 283 293 352 331 331 314 309 271 255 3,644 PeerFit 90 69 73 93 83 88 69 57 63 50 64 68 867 2022 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 831 788 1,114 950 792 944 986 1,065 978 956 956 1,048 11,408 Prime Fitness 103 96 117 134 143 151 153 189 145 144 140 129 1,644 Renew Active 419 470 594 573 489 561 666 645 580 523 622 654 6,796 Silver & Fit 45 43 42 22 20 18 20 26 34 14 16 13 313 Active & Fit 88 64 88 98 121 128 173 208 200 188 177 217 1,750 PeerFit 55 57 87 90 86 113 81 87 76 94 76 61 963 2021 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 328 347 443 437 410 475 595 811 557 645 773 738 6,559 Prime Fitness 24 17 35 56 53 52 118 112 69 72 59 76 743 Renew Active 136 138 254 286 291 299 330 349 298 309 315 386 3,391 Silver & Fit 8 8 13 12 18 22 24 48 9 10 33 34 239 Active & Fit 3 2 0 3 24 51 42 62 58 56 45 61 407 PeerFit 3 46 39 27 53 44 62 49 54 68 64 509 Insurance Visit Comparison 2021-2025 WINTER/SPRING 2024 2025 YOUTH AQUATICS Class Enrolled Participation Enrolled Participation Parent / Child Swim Lessons 41 142 38 211 Preschool Swim Lessons 54 246 51 227 Youth 1 59 235 40 196 Junior Dolphins / Spring Clinic 80 71 1 1 Infant Survival Swim 2 24 9 14 KU Sensory Enhanced Aquatics- YOUTH 24 334 42 443 MJs Kids 513 697 MJs Spring Swim Clinic 37 80 36 71 Superkids ALL LEVELS 180 1,154 350 1,599 Private /Semi-Private Swim Lessons 154 181 TOTAL 477 2,953 567 3,640 YOUTH EDUCATIONAL Tumbling / Gymnastics / Move with Me 96 267 41 116 Dance Expressions 9 20 0 0 Kawaii Kids Martial Arts 85 286 84 254 Aiki Kids Child/Parent Fundamentals 22 79 40 60 Merriam All-Star Basketball Academy 17 50 AYSO Play! Plus Soccer Camp 0 0 Preschool P.R.E.P 1 30 24 24 TOTAL 367 837 206 554 ADULT FITNESS (LAND) Cardio & Strength † 12 139 42 244 Fit Camp † 5 78 1 49 Kettlebell AMPD † 0 91 3 119 Morning Burn Bootcamp † 5 233 3 110 Shape Up † 0 118 0 85 Fitness Challenge 2 2 WERQ † 5 40 5 79 Stretch & Roll 8 37 Morning HIIT 2 4 Pickleball Kickstart 25 94 16 38 TOTAL 71 876 82 1085 YOGA Restorative Yoga † 2 114 1 176 Ballet Yoga † 0 42 Gentle Iyengar Yoga 12 43 17 41 Iyengar Yoga Level 1 15 55 15 41 Iyengar Yoga Level 2 28 36 31 78 Goat Yoga 13 13 Kitten Yoga 30 55 25 30 TOTAL 87 345 102 392 Winter Spring Report 1  2024 2025 Enrolled Participation Enrolled Participation ADULT MARTIAL ARTS Aikido Yoshinkai 26 105 19 75 The Ki Society 19 107 24 114 TOTAL 45 212 43 189 ADULT ED Adult DIY (Galentine, Butterfly Wreath, Petals & Pours) 46 65 27 27 Women's Self Defense Workshop 28 28 34 16 Silent Disco 0 0 Merriam Dodgeball Showdown 0 0 Hanging Basket Workshop 30 30 30 30 What's Cluckin' In the Hen House 15 15 0 0 Heartland Workshop 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 119 138 91 73 WATER FITNESS Adult Swim Lessons 1 3 5 15 KU Sensory Enhanced Aquatics - ADULT 8 95 8 31 Aqua Interval Fitness 22 117 24 195 Aqua Flow †  1 678 0 867 Cardio Splash † 6 1,107 0 1,234 Phyllis' Water Therapy 1 2 Warm Water Therapy 1&2 15 28 14 60 Water Aerobics † 3 66 1 55 Water Walking / Therapy Fitness † 5 9 TOTAL 62 2,105 52 2,471 50+ Silver Screen Matinee 131 155 AFEP (Flexercise) 509 507 Tap Class † 4 45 13 54 Cardio Chair Drumming † 0 571 0 605 Iyengar Chair Yoga 8 49 5 32 Senior Strength † 0 320 SilverSneakers® Classic 116 AARP Smart Driver Course 4 Silver Spades Card Game 87 Living for Longevity Series 39 Lunch & Learn 26 26 25 25 Bingo 228 243 TOTAL 38 1,559 43 2,569 Winter Spring Report 2  2024 2025 Enrolled Participation Enrolled Participation SPECIAL EVENTS Daddy Daughter Event** 40 44 80s Retro 0 0 Mgical Kingdom Party 58 58 Brunch with the Bunny 126 126 125 125 Volunteer Appreciation** 55 50 Super Hero Day 0 Heartland Exhibition 109 225 63 110 Art Gallery Attendance 259 242 TOTAL 275 709 246 635 RENTALS Gym 345 2,098 222 2,331 Pool/Lap Lane 72 61 Birthday Party (Pool) 75 1,962 102 2,100 City Meetings 94 382 Room 5,591 336 7,989 Field Rentals 39 Shelter Rentals/Market 6 TOTAL 465 9,817 660 12,863 DAILY VISITS Membership Visits 45,072 44,634 Daily Passes 6,339 6,427 Pickleball Punch Pass 485 507 Walking Track Punch Pass 373 706 Aqua Toddler / Sensory Swim Time 41 19 Preschool Indoor Park 257 344 Child Watch 430 477 Tours 74 50 Guest Passes 10 81 TOTAL 0 53,081 0 53,245 GRAND TOTAL 2,006 72,632 2,092 77,716 Winter Spring Report 3 DURIS A COLORFUL COMBINE J U N E 5 –2 8 H E ATH ER D U R IS JAN E Y G R EEN E SUSAN PFAN N M U LLER GREENE OPENING RECEPTION Thursday, June 5, 2025 7–8:30 p.m. GALLERY HOURS M-TH 5 a.m.– 9 p.m. F 5 a.m.– 8 p.m. SAT 8 a.m.– 8 p.m. SUN 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. PFANNMULLER MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER 6040 Slater St. // 913-322-5550 Merriam.org/artgallery  M C C F R E E DAY! Friday, June 6 Merriam residents are invited to enjoy a free day exploring the community center and its amenities. Proof of Merriam residency required. Classes not included. MERRIAM PARKS & RECREATION | 6040 SLATER ST. | 913-322-5550 | MERRIAM.ORG/PARKS  2025 FA M I LY FUN LIVE MUSIC: JUNE 13 BIG RICK SOUL BAND 6-8 P.M. BROWN Kick off your weekend with fun for the whole MEMORIAL family! Enjoy live entertainment, food, and fun activities like the construction sand sensory activity from Inspired Play Café. PARK 5040 Booker Drive FREE | All Ages Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/parks KANSAS CITY Make Music Day is a free JUNE 21 celebration of music from MERRIAM COMMUNITY across the world! CENTER COURTYARD All Ages | FREE Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/events  To all that took an oath to protect. FLAGS 4 FREEDOM JUNE 28 – JULY 5 ‣ MERRIAM MARKETPLACE HONOR SPONSOR A RIBBON Visit Merriam Marketplace on July 4 at 1 p.m. to enjoy live patriotic music by the American Legion Band of Greater Kansas City and various food trucks. flags4freedom.org  May 2025 Update Opening day for the 2025 season was Saturday, May 3 and kicked off with a full market of vendors. Reusable shopping bags and car fresheners were available for the first 200 shoppers and musical entertainment was by Brooke Mertz. On Saturday, May 17 there was a free kid’s activity of a woven herb basket craft + small herb plant while supplies last. The Turkey Creek Festival pancake breakfast, hosted by Boy Scout Troup 0247, was also 7 – 10:30 a.m. that day. Musical entertainment is scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and a FREE kid’s activity the third Saturday. Our Market Attendant from the past four years returned. The new attendant started training with her on May 3 and will be working on her own by Saturday, May 31. Week 2023 Vendors 2023 Attend 2024 Vendors 2024 Attend 2025 Vendors 2025 Attend 1 20 531 22 586 36 503 2 20 615 23 465 35 666 3 25 775 26 665 33 747 Kid’s activity Car freshener sample sample TO: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: Girl Scout Ree Reduction Request DATE: May 27, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS At the April Park Board meeting, a member of the local Girl Scout Council made a request to have a reduction in fees associated with their annual Owl Prowl Event. Whenever a request for a reduction fee is requested, these items are brought to Park Board. The goal of the process is to determine if the group making the request is adequately prepared to host a successful event. Historically, the organization requesting the reduction is either a non-profit or holds a 501c3 distinction. The event that the Girl Scouts are proposing is entitled “Owl Prowl” and 2026 will be the 43rd anniversary. The event is a non-sleeping event geared for girls in 4th-6th grade with girls in 7th-12th grade serving in leadership roles providing activities throughout the night. Volunteers are required from each troop participating. They serve in a variety of roles from keeping the girls moving through the activities of the evening to securing any possible exit points or areas within the facility that are off limits. At the April meeting, the group shared their goal to keep the event affordable for all girl scout members. They also stated that in 2025 there was a teen troop from Merriam that participated. There was a total of 750 people in the building during the 2025 event with a ratio of 2 adults per 10 kids. Potential changes for 2026 include reserving the Conference Room for a quiet space and configuring the Kessler-Loomis room differently to improve the flow of the snack room. Since exact space and time frames are still uncertain, staff have created an estimate outlining each space and the fees associated. The chart below provides the overall rental cost based on each category of fees. There are a few constant variables. Staff costs and aquatic rental fees do not have fees established for non-resident and commercial rates. The formal request made by the Girl Scouts is attached.  Non - Resident Resident Commercial Space Fees Fees Fees Founders Room 4pm-7:30am $ 1,472.50 $ 1,860.00 $ 2,247.50 Esther Brown 4 pm - 7:30 am $ 465.00 $ 542.50 $ 697.50 Conference Room 4 pm-7:30 am $ 387.50 $ 465.00 $ 620.00 Gymnasium 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 540.00 $ 675.00 $ 810.00 Group X 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 472.50 $ 607.50 $ 742.50 Child Watch 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 337.50 $ 405.00 $ 540.00 Aquatics 9 pm - 3 am $ 1,920.00 $ 1,920.00 $ 1,920.00 Party Room #1 9 pm - 3 am $ 150.00 $ 150.00 $ 150.00 Party Room #2 9 pm - 3 am $ 150.00 $ 150.00 $ 150.00 Subtotal $ 5,895.00 $ 6,775.00 $ 7,877.50 Applicable Discount $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 4,395.00 $ 5,275.00 $ 6,377.50 Additional Staff ($20/hr.) 8 Lifeguards 8:30 pm - 3:30 am $ 1,120.00 $ 1,120.00 $ 1,120.00 1 Porter/Janitor 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 270.00 $ 270.00 $ 270.00 2 Facility Attendants 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 540.00 $ 540.00 $ 540.00 $ 1,930.00 $ 1,930.00 $ 1,930.00 Total Event Package $ 6,325.00 $ 7,205.00 $ 8,307.50 Recommendation: Staff recommend Park Board approve the rental rate reduction from commercial to residential for the Girl Scout request for Owl Prowl 2026. March 4, 2025 Dear Park Board Members, This letter is a request for the reduction of fees for our Girl Scout event on January 17, 2026. The event is called Owl Prowl. Owl Prowl started as a volunteer-led Girl Scout Northland troop lock-in over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in 1983. Over the years, more troops joined, and the Owl Prowl event was officially formed. Born from this simple troop lock-in, we have one of the most looked forward to events for our Girl Scouts. Girls cannot wait to be old enough to attend and then move on to leading it. Owl Prowl is a non-sleeping event for 4th - 12th grade girls. Girls 4th - 6th grade attend the event, 7th - 12th grade girls lead activity booths and fill in other leadership roles. Our teens work hard to come up with an activity that fits our theme and falls in the steps of our badge programs or under our Girl Scout Pillars (STEAM, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship and Civic Engagement). They submit their activity for approval, and with the approval fully execute their booth at the event. This not only allows our younger girls to have an enriching and fun night, it also provides an opportunity for Teen girls to practice problem solving, budgeting, and learn how to be our leaders for tomorrow. Besides engaging and fun booths, they will have swimming, a photo booth, food, movies, a dance party and more. Owl Prowl had 550 girls in 2025, and for our 2026 year we are expecting 500 - 600 girls. In 2023, we opened this event to our entire council, and for the first year held the event at Merriam Community Center. MCC is the perfect location, being centrally located for all the Scouts in our council. The facility is so well maintained and the staff are attentive and helpful. Girl Scouts is an organization made up of volunteers! Our committee is made up of all volunteers who work very hard to create the memories our girls love. We work very closely with our council representative to make sure Owl Prowl is a success. We price our event off a budget that is not designed to have excess money left over. In the event that a cost is lower than expected, we have other areas to apply the funds so that the event is more enriching for our girls. Our goal in the end is to have an incredible event that our girls love and to use every resource we have to make this happen. The Owl Prowl committee is asking that the Park Board reduce our rate from commercial to residential. This would allow us to keep the cost per girl down, directly allowing more girls to attend financially and opening it up to more troops. Thank you for your time and consideration in lowering our rate for this event. You are helping us build girls of courage and confidence that will make the world a better place. Yours in Scouting, Angela Villanueva Owl Prowl Director Proposal for Merriam Parks & Recreation Prepared by the volunteer committee for the Girl Scout event “Owl Prowl” 3/4/25 1. Mission Statement Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girls that participate in the Girl Scout program benefit in 5 important ways through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience: strong sense of self, positive values, challenge seeking, healthy relationships and community problem solving. When girls exhibit these attitudes and skills, they become responsible, productive, caring, and engaged citizens. 2. Event Plan - see attachment A. 3. Sponsorship Plan - not applicable for this event. 4. Marketing/Promotion Plan - see attachment B. 5. Security Plan - during the entire event, registered adult Girl Scout volunteers are posted at every entrance to the venue. All adults in attendance are required to have a verified background check. In case of evacuation, our reunification point is Merriam City Hall. 6. Volunteer Plan - the Owl Prowl event is led by a tenured group of Girl Scout adult volunteers. Combined, the planning committee has over 100 years of Girl Scout volunteer leadership experience. The committee currently has 13 full time members. Every troop that attends the event is required to have enough registered Girl Scout adult volunteers in attendance in accordance with the safety ratio required by Girl Scouts of the USA. Troops will be required to have 2 adult volunteers in attendance for an average of every 18 girl members. These volunteers are given assignments throughout the event to ensure that all girl activities are supervised appropriately. 7. Certificate of Insurance will be issued by Granite State Insurance Company prior to the event for the coverage required. 8. Weather Plan - historically this event has not been canceled due to weather conditions. Attendance during inclement weather has been at the discretion of the volunteer or caregiver. Attachment A Event Plan Owl Prowl: January 17, 2026 4:00 pm Committee arrives at Merriam Community Center, Unload and organize. 6:00 pm Setup gym, exercise rooms 6:30 pm Teens check in and dinner is served 7:00 pm Teens set up stations 8:00 pm 4th - 6th grade troops check in, set up home base, go over rules, map, swim schedule, and adult work schedule. Setup pool party rooms. 9:00 pm Event begins! 9:15 pm First swim session begins Session 1: 9:30 - 10:30 pm Session 2: 10:30 - 11:30 pm Session 3: 11:30 - 12:30 am Session 4: 12:30 - 1:30 am Session 5: 1:30 - 2:30 am 10:00 pm Kitchen & Hospitality rooms open 3:00 am Teen activities in the gym close and clean up. After Hours activities open in the gym 4:00 am Teen activities in exercise rooms close and clean up. Kitchen closes and cleans up. 5:00 am Troops leave 6:00 am Committee leaves Attachment B Marketing Plan Owl Prowl, January 17, 2026 Owl Prowl is a Girl Scout sponsored, all night lock-in for grades 4-12. A variety of activities are offered - swimming, games, crafts, and a movie for 4th - 6th graders, all led by the 7th - 12th grade Girl Scouts. This event encourages independence and leadership skills in a safe environment with adult supervision. Owl Prowl will be promoted in several ways. ● Information meeting for SU Managers for key areas invited to the event ● Owl Prowl Facebook group ● Owl Prowl website - https://gsowlprowl.weebly.com/ ● Information table at Girl Fest/Amazing Race ● Girl Scouts of NE KS & NW MO Facebook group ● Email blast to caregivers with details about Owl Prowl and registration info. ● Zoom open house for all troop leaders and volunteers in service areas ● Service Unit meetings Registration for Owl Prowl will open in the beginning of October and close mid-November. TO: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation SUBJECT: Monument Sign Replacement Project DATE: May 27, 2025 As part of the 2025 budget, staff requested funding to make improvements to two existing signs. The existing small Community Center monument sign on IKEA Way is difficult to see. In addition, there is no signage at this entrance that indicates the library is on the campus. To avoid having two signs at this location, staff collaborated with library personnel to create the attached rendering. This sign will be the same size as the monument sign on Slater St. It will be placed in the same location as the smaller sign. The new sign will be raised to the base of the sidewalk to improve visibility. Since it is a larger sign, the sign will start in the same western location as the smaller sign but extend further east. The sign denoting Julius McFarlin Fields was not updated to the new standard of sign during the initial transition of signage. This sign currently is located along the drive inside of Waterfall Park and is not visible from Merriam Dr. Working with Public Work staff, the new monument sign will be located closer to the existing Waterfall Park monument sign that sits along Merriam Drive. The general location is indicated below by the red marking. Public Works will remove the existing signs and pour the necessary concrete footers and slabs for installation. The vendor anticipates the installation of the sign to be late July or early August. Recommendation: Staff is seeking Park Board approval of the proposed monument sign renderings. 5/14/25, 3:07 PM Mail - Anna Slocum - Outlook https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADkzYTNjZjg5LTA0Y2YtNDdkZS1iNTgzLTJhNTNhZDdkMTczNgAQALlKaZFfOvZMnDFJE5gEvUM%… 1/1 5/14/25, 3:13 PM Mail - Anna Slocum - Outlook https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADkzYTNjZjg5LTA0Y2YtNDdkZS1iNTgzLTJhNTNhZDdkMTczNgAQAJGKOejCI0xIi00YA1MzRMs%3… 1/1