Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Advisory Board Agenda Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater St. November 25, 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. a. Crestview Elementary Rental Request Crestview Elementary Rental Request 3. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 28, 2025 MINUTES a. October 28, 2025 Minutes Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - Oct 28 2025 - Minutes 4. STAFF REPORTS a. Director's Report i. Community Center Update November Update ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Membership Comparison October Visits Comparison October b. Assistant Director's Report i. Program Evaluations 1. 2025 Farmers' Market Season Farmers' Market Season Evaluation  2. Merriam Drive Live Evaluation Merriam Drive Live Evaluation 3. Holiday Sip and Shop Evaluation Sip & Shop Evaluation ii. Upcoming Events 1. 29th Annual High School Visual Art Competition High School Visual Arts Competition Flyer 2. Christmas in the Courtyard Christmas in the Courtyard Flyer 3. Breakfast with Santa Breakfast with Santa Flyer iii. Program Updates 1. Art Committee Update 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Review of Annual Election Protocol Review of Election Protocol b. Election of Chairperson c. Election of Vice-Chairperson 6. OTHER BUSINESS 7. ADJOURNMENT 20 November 2025 City of Merriam Parks & Recreation Board 9001 W 62nd St Merriam KS 66202 Dear Board, I am writing on behalf of the Crestview Elementary PTA and am requesting a reduction in the room rental rate for the Merriam Community Center. Every year, our PTA hosts a fundraiser called Tacos & Trivia Night. For the last several years, we have held our event at the Shawnee Knights of Columbus. However, since our school is located in Merriam, this last year we had the privilege of having our event in Merriam and would love to continue this tradition again this year at this fabulous location. The participants raved about the space in the Community Center and how we were so excited to be hosting this spectacular event in Merriam as it was such a huge success. We have scheduled Tacos & Trivia to be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026 for this school year. Our Tacos and Trivia Night is one of our top fundraisers every year. We anticipate approximately 160 guests to attend a fun night full of tacos and trivia. We start our night with a taco buffet and then play 10 rounds of trivia. During the night, there is a silent auction filled with items donated from local businesses. Our fundraising goal for the event is raising $9,500 with expenses of $3,000, netting $6,500. In order to do this, we keep our expenses as low as possible. To that end, we are requesting a reduction in the room rental rate. We are so appreciative of all of the ways that the City of Merriam supports our school, and we would love to continue to partner together for Tacos & Trivia Night. Thank you for your consideration, Sara L. Fabian Crestview Elementary Vice President PTA, Tacos & Trivia Night Committee Co-Chair 6101 Craig St Merriam KS 66202  MINUTES Advisory Board Meeting City of Merriam, Kansas Merriam Community Center Tuesday, October 28, 2025 6:00 PM 6040 Slater Street 1. ROLL CALL/ATTENDANCE The October meeting of the Merriam Parks & Recreation Advisory Board was called to order at 6:01 p.m. by Chairperson George Vesel. Board members in attendance included: Tyson Boyer; Kathy Stull; Katie Leary; 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. Christopher Leitch and David Zukley notified staff and chairperson of their absence. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS Billy Croan had four comments:  He inquired if staff had received an email about information related to the petition zone at the birthday party. Staff acknowledge receipt of email but since the event was not coordinated by the department, they were not able to answer the question.  There are many talented local Merriam musicians that staff should utilize when booking bands for events.  In his conversations with residents, there have been concerns raised that efforts are not being made to preserve the name and history of Irene B. French. As discussed when MCC was being built, 5701, the former site of the Irene B. French Community Center is the area identified to honor Mayor French's history and contributions to the city. A project has yet to be identified for that property, pending decisions with the Army Corp of Engineers project.  There has been concerned raised that LucyAnn Vavra Park has been lost with the construction of the community center and library. LucyAnn Vavra was the first city administrator. Staff stated that the property is still identified as Vavra Park and identified as parkland but in conversations about signage for the property, it seemed odd to say Merriam Community Center at Vavra Park. 3. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 23, 2025 MINUTES a. September 23, 2025 Board Member Supple made a motion to approve the September 23, 2025 minutes. Board Member Murphy seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. Page 1 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 28, 2025 4. STAFF REPORTS a. DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. Community Center Update A detailed memo was included in the packet. Updates to the information included:  With the conclusion of the park rental season, the portable toilets will be removed for the season this week. They will return in April 2026.  As a reminder the November 2025 Park Board meeting will be the meeting of the annual election for Chairperson and Vice Chairperson with the new term beginning with the January 2026 meeting. There is no December meeting.  The Sylvester Powell Community Center is seeking reciprocal use of the Merriam Community Center on Saturday, November 15. They are hosting Mainstream Coalition and want to close to anyone not currently registered for the event or any of their programs/classes. They are requesting 50 day passes. Staff is working out the logistics for tracking reimbursement for the visits that will Mission will be billed for after redemption.  On Friday, October 24 the windows between the aquatic lobby and natatorium started showing signs of rising humidity. Staff immediately contacted Facility Maintenance. They discovered that the Desert Aire Unit has a small refrigerant leak. The increased humidity did not impact the overall operation of the space and remained open all weekend. The vendor did make a weekend service call to add refrigerant to stabilize the humidity levels. They are anticipated to return later this week to address the leak.  "Bask", the courtyard artwork, lighting issue has been isolated to the controller. The Facilities Team is aware of the need to have this repaired by the Christmas in the Courtyard event.  One of the family change swim suit dryers in family change is operational. Both will be replaced when the new ones arrive. Discussion:  The portable bathrooms are on a year-to-year contract and have had no price increase for the past few years. They are located in the parks during rental season April-October.  The Desert Aire Unit runs 24/7. Unlike other systems, it cannot be adjusted to work differently when the space is not occupied.  There are instructions on the suit dryers explaining proper use. Unfortunately, since they use centrical force to spin, people hold them down longer than needed until all the water drains out. There is not a timer system since it takes between 5-8 seconds for the machine to complete the task. Page 2 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 28, 2025 ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report A detailed memo with reports were included in the packet. Updates to the information include:  October member visitation is averaging 324 visits per day compared to 312 visits per day in 2024. If this pace continues, membership visitation will surpass 2024 on Thursday.  October’s daily visitation is averaging 31 visits per day, up from 21 per day in 2024. Daily visits first surpassed 2024 levels on Wednesday, October 22. This October increase is expected to reverse the recent trend of falling behind 2024 visitation numbers.  In reviewing October 2025 revenue, staff anticipates that if revenues exceed it will not occur until Friday. This would be the first month revenues have not exceeded the previous year. There was no discussion. iii. Quarter Three Financial Reports The packet includes the Quarter 3 financial reports for the Merriam Community Center, prepared using data from the City’s financial software. It is important to remember that staff created the 2025 budget in early 2024. The data from 2023 was utilized but it was the first year of full operation of MCC after COVID. Since the budget year is 3/4 complete, staff monitor any expense line exceeding 75% of its budget; however, due to the seasonal nature of operations, this is not necessarily a concern. In reviewing the expense actual categories, there are two expense categories staff are closely monitoring. These include Repair and Maintenance Services and General Supplies. If an expense line exceeds its budget, staff will manage it within the overall budget. Only an overage in the total budget is cause for concern, and staff are confident there are no budgetary issues at this time. The remaining expense categories are within normal range for third quarter. In reviewing revenues it is important to remember that staff does take a more conservative approach in calculating revenue with limited history and unrealistic growth percentages of 2023. Of the 24 revenue categories, 16 are exceeding third quarter expectations with eight exceeding the budgeted total. Lines underperforming include Adult Education, Adult League Fee, Youth Fitness, and Vending Machine. The revenue lines underperforming consist of 2.1% of the overall operating budget. Concession Cart Revenue is complete for the 2025 season and will fall short of budget total. Through the third quarter, actual budget is 88.6% of the budgeted revenue. Staff anticipate exceeding budgeted revenues by mid November. Cost recovery remains within the acceptable margins outlined in the Facilities Master Plan Page 3 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 28, 2025 b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 1. Turkey Creek Car and Motorcycle Show A detailed report was included in the packet. The event had wonderful weather. Revenue shortfall is seen in sponsorships with the loss of a few sponsors from last year. Staff was successful in recruiting a new sponsor. Discussion  Food trucks require 120 sales in order to consider an event successful. This year there were four food trucks at the event. Vendors have preferences for the events they participate and staff likes to keep a variety for each event. Eat Schmidt is a Merriam food truck. 2. National Night Out A detailed report was included in the packet. The event included a rededication of McFarlin Fields at this event. Stage location was changed due to this unveiling of the sign. Staff utilized the utility vehicle to shuttle some of the McFarland's to and from the event. Discussion  Historically, the event was held in August, but due to the extreme heat, the has been alternative date set in October. This is a national event so there is no flexibility for staff to move the celebration. 3. Murder Mystery Night A detailed report was included in the packet. The event requires 30 participants to cover costs. This year the event had 35. There was no discussion. 4. Halloween Happenings A detailed report was included in the packet. Beautiful day for this event, 400 guests came this year. New this year was the addition of the Trunk or Treat. Several Merriam businesses and organizations participated. There was no discussion. ii. UPCOMING EVENTS 1. "Structure" Opening Reception An event flyer was included in the packet. This event is a photography show featuring two photographers and one who creates digital collages. Page 4 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 28, 2025 2. Holiday Sip and Shop An event flyer was included in the packet. The vendors spots are all filled. This event is for shoppers seeking homemade wares for holiday gifts. Shoppers have the opportunity to purchase two drink tickets to enjoy while shopping. iii. PROGRAM UPDATES 1. Art Committee Meeting Update Friday, October 24 was the ribbon cutting for the new parking structure art project. The artists came back from another job to attend the event. The Art Committee did see some samples of the artwork for the city hall windows as part of the renovation project. They are considering the next project, preferably a 3D sculpture in the butterfly garden area along the trail. This project is not to exceed two-hundred thousand dollars. 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Turkey Creek Festival Agreement with JCPRD Included in the packet is a memo and agreement with JCPRD for use of Antioch Park during the Turkey Creek Festival. The agreement, originally approved in 1997, supports the festival’s mission to provide family-friendly activities for all ages. No major changes are proposed for the 2026–2028 term, other than a potential fee adjustment in Exhibit B. JCPRD reviews fees annually, with any increase expected to be under 10%. Staff recommend approval of the 2026–2028 Turkey Creek Festival Agreement with JCPRD and request Park Board recommendation to City Council for approval. Discussion:  Fees did increase slightly from 2025 to 2026. Since the event is closed to other renters, anything with a fee must be rented.  The Antioch pond is stocked. Board Member Leary made a motion to recommend City Council approve the 2026-2028 Turkey Creek Festival Agreement with JCPRD for the use of Antioch Park. Board Member Stull seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. 6. OTHER BUSINESS 7. ADJOURNMENT Board Member Leary made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:40 p.m. Board Member Murphy 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: November 26, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS Community Center Update • The two blinds in Esther Brown, yoga room, are operational. • On Monday, November 17 the two new suit dryers in Family Change were installed. The old suit dryers will be kept for parts for the existing suit dryers in the women’s and men’s locker room. • The Tim Murphy Art Gallery will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. To commemorate the success of the program, artists selected to exhibit in 2026 will receive a branded stemless wine glass. The supplies used for the exhibit’s opening reception will also be branded to celebrate 30 years. • At the conclusion of the summer season, staff identified damage to the top panel of the concession cart. Staff have worked with the marketing team to update the design and are working with a vendor to create a replacement panel. • In preparing for Halloween Happenings at the Merriam Marketplace, several of the tables and folding chairs were not properly functioning. To be prepared for the 2026 season, 4 new tables and 8 new chairs have been purchased. • With the approval of the fee schedule for 2026, staff have prepared the rate increase letters for impacted memberships. The letters will be mailed on December 1. Staff are working with RecTrac support to correctly implement the fee increase to existing monthly installment billed households to ensure a smooth transition for the first installment billing of 2026. • Staff welcomed students from Project Search to the facility on Wednesday, November 5. Each year a new class is welcomed to the facility for a tour and presentation on the hiring process and responsibilities of a successful candidate. In addition, to serving on the advisory council for the program, staff are also serving as Employment Planning mentors to students. The purpose is to provide career guidance, encouragement and networking opportunities for young adults with disabilities while supporting workplace readiness and building confidence. • On Saturday, November 15 Powell Community Center hosted Mainstream Coalition. Due to the size of the event, they closed the center to members and offered them day passes to MCC. Staff processed an invoice for 81 day passes that will be reimbursed at the non-resident adult rate.  • Staff with KU Sensory Aquatics were notified they received the Frontiers Broderick Crawford Community Partnership Award for their proposal, Preventing Drowning in Autistic Children Through Scaled-UP Community Aquatic Programs. The funding is awarded to their community partners who provide the facilities to offer these programs. Park and Rec staff are working with KU Staff on the logistics of the payout. The amount to be awarded to department has yet to be announced. Park Updates • Five new trash cans were purchased to replace the receptacles at Waterfall Park and Quail Creek Park. They are expected to be delivered by mid-December. As weather allows, Public Works staff will install. This will leave receptacles at Chatlain, Werner and the Merriam Marketplace to be replaced to complete the project. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Included in the packet are the comparison reports for annual membership sales and daily visits for October. October total membership sales declined by 6 compared to 2024. Fluctuation in sales is seen in several categories. Looking at the traditional memberships of Two-Person, Adult, Household, Senior Household, Senior and Youth sales decreased 3 compared to 2024 numbers. Membership cancellations increased by 10 in October 2025, totaling 49 versus 39 in October 2024. Cancellation reasons: Medical – 5, Financial – 6, Non-Usage – 21, Relocation – 5, Other – 12. The October installment payment exceeded the same period in 2025 by $1,400. Through November, installment bill payments have increased almost $60,000 over 2024. As projected, October members’ visitation exceeded October 2024 visitation by 858 visits. The highest visitation day was Monday, October 20 with 488 visits. Through October, member visitation has increased by 2,008 visits which is an average of 7 more visits per day than 2024. Daily visits increased 272 compared to October 2024. Daily visitation averaged 30/day compared to 21/day in 2024, with the highest single day sales on Saturday, October 4 (93). For the year, daily sales are now 107 higher year-to-date than in 2024. This is a great example of the fluctuation that occurs in month-to-month operations and why it is important to monitor both monthly and year-to-date statistics. Insurance visits increased by 289 compared to October 2024. The increase was driven by Prime Fitness, Renew Active/One Pass and Active and Fit categories. Year-to-date visitation for insurance memberships increased 2,719 for the same time period of 2024, an increase of 8.4%. Recommendation: This memo was provided for your information. No action required. Membership Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 TWO PERSON CHARTER TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 229 195 214 173 ACTIVE & FIT 52 95 130 259 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 340 305 327 267 CARETAKER PASS 2 2 4 7 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 3 22 6 3 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 118 105 49 68 FIT CLASS PASS 119 108 94 105 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 515 439 518 443 NANNY PASS 7 6 8 6 ONE PASS - HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS 28 59 TIVITY PRIME MEMBERSHIP 52 45 63 44 PEERFIT 7 52 30 69 RENEW ACTIVE 177 185 492 879 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 3 4 4 1 RETIRED SENIOR 1 11 2 0 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 14 14 27 29 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 79 81 78 88 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 140 140 143 112 SILVER & FIT 8 6 24 27 SILVER SNEAKERS 229 222 787 971 YOUTH MEMBERSHIP 54 44 47 72 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP SALES 2,149 2,081 3,075 3,682 CANCELLATIONS 516 547 516 457 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 23 16 13 7 ACTIVE & FIT 3 11 8 3 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 30 24 17 26 CARETAKER 2 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 2 2 3 2 FIT CLASS PASS 7 15 7 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 34 25 30 23 NANNY PASS 2 ONE PASS - HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS 3 2 PRIME MEMBERSHIP 1 5 3 2 PEERFIT 6 3 RENEW ACTIVE 8 11 11 14 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 1 RETIRED SENIOR 1 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 1 3 2 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 11 11 10 13 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 15 19 16 13 SILVER & FIT 1 SILVER SNEAKERS 16 13 20 11 YOUTH MEMBERSHIPS 5 1 1 TOTAL MEMBERSHIPS SOLD 156 164 137 131 CANCELLATIONS 47 59 39 49 SUSPENDED EXPIRED 11 Membership Report October 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 11,179 17,374 18,276 14,391 10,619 10,518 126,991 DAILY VISITS 1,526 1,723 1,878 1,300 2,220 3,832 3,251 2,031 813 922 19,496 GUEST PASSES 81 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 6 117 TOURS 10 11 20 9 3 6 0 1 0 16 76 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 590 604 529 530 596 907 967 735 502 488 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 20th) (Mon 17th) (Mon 10th) (Mon 21st) (Tues 27th) (Mon 16th) (Mon 14th) (Fri 8th) (Mon 15th) (Mon 20th) 132 151 146 89 128 246 152 148 79 93 DAILY VISITS (Thurs 2nd) (Sun 16th) (Thurs 20th) (Sat 5th) (Sat 31st) (Sat 21st) (Sun 27th) (Fri 8th) (Mon 1st) (Sat 4th) 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 1,340 1,492 1,724 1,685 1,475 1,485 14,594 Prime Fitness 202 190 193 168 208 222 243 195 150 178 1,949 Renew Active/OnePass 1,394 1,128 1,260 1,389 1,191 1,278 1,671 1,628 1,513 1,428 13,880 Silver & Fit 16 12 16 26 5 4 2 5 3 1 90 Active & Fit 336 286 345 343 336 401 525 434 398 386 3,790 PeerFit 109 106 85 89 52 106 108 78 57 74 864 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  MERRIAM FARMERS’ MARKET - End of the Season Meeting Wednesday, October 29, 2025 - 6:00pm Merriam Community Center – Campbell Room 1. In attendance – Ingrid Berg, Bradie Lynn Ramirez, Jim & Lynn Hayes, Derek Sands, Faye & Ted Burris, Irene King, Mary Kelley, Steve Bowlin, Maja Vidrih 2. Attendance Figures: 2025 – 13,622; (2024 – 12,906 it was brought to staff’s attention that this was miscalculated and should be 15,532); (2023 – 12,746) 3. Advertising: ($5,400 budgeted - $5,311.27 spent) a. Market bag giveaway (400 for $1,060.77) + T-shirts (100 for $988.50 - FREE for vendors - $15 for public to purchase) b. Pitch advertising – May, June & July ($1,296) c. iFamily - May, June, July, Aug ($1,316) d. car fresheners giveaway - $650 – try something else e. IDEAS for 2026… i. Increase social media coverage for the market. Try to have weekly “vendor spotlight” posts and list vendors that will be at market each week. 4. Fee: Full Season vs. Daily Vendor – 21 weeks a. 2025 – $400 - $19.04/Saturday b. 2025 Daily - $25/Saturday 5. Dates for 2026 a. Saturdays: May 2 – September 26 : 8am-1pm b. Fourth of July: Closing an hour early. Open 8am – noon for Flags4Freedom concert. i. If less than half vendors – move everyone to south end so volunteers can set up for concert on the north end c. Flags4Freedom display – tentative: install: June 27 – take down: July 5, 2026 d. Car Show – Saturday, September 12, 2026 – No Market i. It was suggested to be sure to promote that there are still two weeks of market left after being closed for this event 6. Rules and Regulations Set up & policies a. Prepayment for daily spots will be required for 2026 7. Entertainment First Sat – live music Third Sat – FREE kids’ activity 8. Ideas for next season: There was a great discussion on ways to keep people informed and engaged throughout the season. a. Vendors to maybe run specials or offer coupons for returning shoppers. b. Try some spin the wheel giveaways donated by featured vendors c. Have each vendor give away raffle tickets (provided). The more people shop the more they collect. Or have a passport and turn in once have purchased something from every vendor. Do a grand prize drawing (item TBD) toward the end of the year  using those tickets/passports. d. Continue streaming commercial free music on non-live music days. e. Be sure to keep an eye on drinking fountain and clean as needed. 9. Questions a. It was brought up to continue the market through October. Between a Parks & Recreation event the first Sat in October and produce being pretty much done by that time it was discussed, but decided not to as filling the stalls with unique items for that long would be difficult. 10. Adjournment 6:55 pm Week 2023 Vendors 2023 Attend 2024 Vendors 2024 Attend 2024 Vendors 2024 Attend 1 27 531 22 586 36 503 2 30 615 23 465 35 666 3 25 775 26 655 33 747 4 23 703 25 630 31 561 5 23 500 26 578 34 507 6 19 500 29 711 30 468 7 27 591 30 683 30 882 8 26 550 30 773 32 703 9 22 782 29 787 33 703 10 27 615 29 803 29 629 11 21 537 31 908 36 917 12 30 600 31 1,210 31 565 13 25 825 34 870 29 702 14 27 717 30 1,092 35 889 15 27 500 29 933 29 799 16 23 712 31 788 35 940 17 24 500 30 827 35 668 18 23 581 29 748 27 478 19 26 60 25 609 35 466 20 22 365 TCCS TCCS TCCS TCCS 21 26 243 26 314 29 443 22 25 400 25 562 28 386 Totals 517 12,202 590 15,532 672 13,622 Event Name: Merriam Drive Live Date: October 4, 2025 Location: Merriam Marketplace Number in attendance: 1,100 Revenue: Embrace the Grape revenue share $479.25 Sponsors $6,500.00 Food trucks $320.00 Total Revenue: $7,299.25 Expenses Entertainment $11,500.00 Kids entertainment $1,560.00 Advertising $5,270.00 Stage/sound $13,350.00 Porta-potty $95.00 Volunteer food $20.60 Total Expenses $31,795.60 Special Items Needed: Majority of event needs are in the event trailer. Other items are pulled from a list, specific to the event. Modes of Publicity: MPRD Fall Brochure, flyer at all parks, Park Board, posters at Community Center, Merriam Marketplace and City Hall, various online event sites, E-Merriam, lobby BrightSign, and Shawnee Mission Post. Ran an advertising campaign with do816, OutFront, and The Pitch. Committees/Volunteer/Staff: Recreation Manager, Parks and Recreation Director, Assistant Director Parks and Recreation, Recreation Coordinator and Recreation Assistant Strengths: While tribute bands seem to work for this event, we’ll need to think of other ways to increase attendance. Weaknesses: One challenge we noticed was around band name recognition. The first two bands drew noticeably larger crowds, likely because their names clearly referenced the tribute artists they were honoring. Attendees knew exactly what kind of music to expect. Unfortunately, there was a large corn hole tournament in Kansas City that may have hurt our little tournament. Meet with Midwest Elite Cornhole group and have a marketing plan for 2026. In contrast, the later bands had more ambiguous names that didn’t signal the style or artist being covered. This may have led to confusion or hesitation from potential attendees who weren’t sure what they’d be hearing. Clearer branding or promotional language could help bridge that gap in future events. Opportunities: Invest in higher‑profile talent to enhance the overall experience. By strategically curating the lineup and focusing on quality acts, we can attract a broader audience and strengthen our competitive position against other regional events — creating a distinctive identity that sets us apart. Special Event Evaluation Form Event Name: Holiday Sip & Shop Date: Friday: November 14, 2025 Location: MCC Number of Vendors: 33 Number of shoppers: 230 Ages: all ages Cost of Event: FREE for shoppers / $5 for two drink tickets Revenue: 33 vendors x $20 $660 74 tickets for 2 drinks x $5 $370 $1,030 Expenses: Tipsy’s Wine & Spirits (wine & seltzer) $100.17 Net: $929.83 Special Items Needed: Borrowed 11 tables from City Hall. Laptop or Firestick for “fireplace” on screens & Christmas music. Cash bag and some change for drink ticket sales. Portable bar – stocked with beer, wine and pop. Modes of Publicity: Fall Highlights, Fliers at parks, City Hall and Antioch Library, Outdoor sign, Lobby & MCC Brightsigns, Facebook®, MPRD website. Staff: Ingrid Berg, Renee Jenkins & Logan Dunn (Lee O’Donnell & Jude Koertner helped break down) Strengths: Vendor spots sold out early. Had one no show. Adding vendors to the hallway extended the variety of items being sold and there was a steady flow of shoppers throughout the evening. The bar in the hallway helped with flow of traffic in general. Having the Facility and Fitness attendance stay to helped expedite clean up greatly. Opportunities: Limit one booth per vendor. Limit to 30 vendors total with two less in the hallway as space was pretty tight out there. Add to website/remind vendors items must be hand/homemade and vet more thoroughly. Be sure to have lights on and building stay “open” until 9pm. Other notes: Move chairs and benches out of hallway.  29TH ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL 2024 2D WINNER ZAIRA GOMEZ VISUAL ART EXHIBITION DECE M B E R 4 – 27 J U R I ED WO R KS FRO M AR E A 2024 3D WINNER H I G H SC H OO L S TU D ENTS RU YOTHER OPENING RECEPTION Thursday, December 4, 2025 7–8:30 p.m. ▶ 8 p.m. Award Ceremony GALLERY HOURS 2024 DIGITAL ART WINNER M-TH 5 a.m.– 9 p.m. ALEX GAUGHRAN F 5 a.m.– 8 p.m. SAT 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. SUN 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. 2024 PHOTOGRAPHY WINNER MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER JACKSON CLINGAN 6040 Slater St. // 913-322-5550 Merriam.org/artgallery  C hristmas ourtyard IN THE 5 6:30-8 p.m. // Merriam Community Center Come and be a part of our time-honored tradition of lighting up Merriam Municipal Plaza. Activities include time with Santa, live music, crafts, treats, and more! Support the Johnson County Christmas Bureau by bringing a new toy or canned food item; monetary donations also accepted. FREE | All Ages Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/events  B R E A K F A S T with Santa DEC. 6 9-10:30 A.M. MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER Breakfast with Santa is a popular community event in Merriam. The morning is full of holiday fun, including a holiday craft, games, pancake breakfast, and, best of all, Santa! $8 / person | All Ages | Register by Nov. 28 Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/events TO: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation SUBJECT: Review of Annual Election Protocol DATE: November 25, 2025 The process of nominating and election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson is a task that is to be completed annually in November. The newly elected Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson begin their year of service in January. The Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting Procedures and Rules of Order revised on May 25, 2021, state the following: Nomination Process: 1. Review of the process will occur at the November meeting prior to the nomination process. 2. The procedure for nomination of the position will be from the floor at the November meeting. Each position will have a separate nomination process. 3. Nominations can be brought forth from any member. A member should know beforehand if the person he or she wishes to nominate is eligible and willing to serve. 4. A person may nominate themselves. 5. A member cannot nominate more than one person for an office until everyone has had the opportunity to make nominations. 6. The presiding Chairperson can continue presiding, even if they are one of the nominees for the office. 7. A member can decline the nomination during the nominating process. 8. After each nomination, the Chairperson will repeat the name for the members and ask for further nominations. At the completion of the nominating process, the election of candidates will occur by voice vote for each position. Election Process: 1. If more than one person has been nominated, the Chairperson will take the vote on candidates in the order in which they were nominated. Members must remember to vote yes for the candidate they want and vote no for the other candidates. The first candidate to receive a majority of the vote wins. 2. In the event of a tie vote, members keep voting until someone is elected. 3. At the conclusion of the voting process, the Chairperson officially announces the results of the vote. This memo is provided for your information to prepare for the annual election process.