Parks & Recreation Commission
Regular MeetingRoswell, NM · April 18, 2022
Minutes
MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Parks Administration Office
1101 W. 4th St.
April 18, 2022
5:30 PM
A. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Jane Ann Oldrup called the April 18, 2022 meeting to order at 5:31 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
The following Members were present: Jane Ann Oldrup, Becky Joyce, and Maegan
Sanders with Members James Edwards, Barry Mathison, and Becky Robertson being
absent. A quorum was not present.
Staff present: Jim Burress, Special Services Director; Colette Hall, Recreation Director;
Alex Diaz, Recreation Manager; John Wright, Zoo Director; and Sharene Brooks, Parks
Administrative Assistant, Sr.
Guests present: City Councilor Juan Oropesa, Corrine Oropesa, Vicki Burress, and Juno
Ogle.
Guests via GoToMeeting: Rita Kane Doerhoefer.
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA – No quorum was present; no action or vote was taken.
D. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES -- No quorum was present; no action or vote was
taken.
E. REGULAR ITEMS (ACTION ITEMS) (none)
F. NON-ACTION ITEMS
2. Discussion on Fee Schedules. (This item was not discussed.)
3. Discussion on Potential Capital Projects. Director Jim Burress encouraged the
Commission members to think about talking points and capital project ideals for the parks.
Examples were discussed (putting book pages and statues along the walking trails,
creating areas for selfies/picture-taking, bringing parks to 100%). Costs for playgrounds,
mulch, and picnic tables were also discussed. The Spring River Corridor Foundation
would be contributing funds for the Hayne’s Dream Project. Plans for the project had
been created and were gone over.
4. Report on Recreation and Aquatics Center. Director Hall let Commission members
know she also needed indoor project ideals for her department. She provided revenue
and membership numbers for the month of March. She was now certified to teach
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lifeguarding. Close to 100 people came to their St. Patrick’s Day event and 26 people
came to the first Game Night at the Adult Center. The hospitality room at the Adult Center
would be getting painted and the kitchen area would be getting changed up. The Easter
Egg Hunt event was a hit with over 100 participants. Manager Diaz explained how the
hunt took place in the swimming pool.
5. Report on Zoo. Director Wright informed the Commission that they had hired their 5th
Zoo Keeper. They had decided on a designer for the new entrance gift shop/farm
experience/bear exhibit. The Kids Stampede had gone well with 15 kids participating. The
possibility of a 1-mile run happening in the future was discussed. Bear experts would be
coming in to help with the design of the new bear exhibit. March had been the busiest
month for attendance since the Zoo had opened with fees. The reptile building and
concession stand would be getting updates. The butterfly garden would be opening in
May with a ribbon-cutting scheduled and the Brew At The Zoo event would be at the end
of April with over 200 pre-tickets sold.
6. Report on Parks Department. Director Burress gave details on the upcoming massive
beautification and clean-up of the bird sanctuary. Over the Easter weekend, City parks
were packed and greatly utilized. Parks crews had been busy picking up plastic Easter egg
remains and trash left behind in the parks. The Boys & Girls Club gardening area, the old
swimming pool, would be getting prepped for kids to continue to learn planting skills. The
kinds of plants and trees planted during the renovation of Carpenter Park were discussed.
With the frequent use of the Sunken Garden for photos and weddings, additional flowers,
etc. may be added to the pond landscaping.
7. Explore Future Goals. (This item was discussed during the Parks Department report.)
G. OTHER BUSINESS
8. Public Comments. Guest Burress mentioned the upcoming Open House at the Boys
& Girls Club on Saturday from 11-2.
H. ADJOURN -- No quorum was present; no vote was taken.
The meeting ended at 6:14 p.m.
Next Commission meeting: May 16, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
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Agenda
ROSWELL PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Monday, April 18, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
Parks Administration Office
1101 W. 4th St., Roswell, NM
Commission Chair: Jane Ann Oldrup
Vice Chair: Barry Mathison
Members: James Edwards, Maegan Sanders,
Becky Joyce, and Becky Robertson
Staff Coordinator: Jim Burress, Special Services Director
A. Call to Order
B. Roll Call
C. Approval of the Agenda
D. Approval of the Minutes
1. Consider approval of March 21, 2022 meeting minutes
E. Regular Items (Action Items)
(none)
F. Non-Action Items
2. Discussion on Fee Schedules (James Edwards)
3. Discussion on potential Capital Projects (Jim Burress)
4. Report on Recreation and Aquatics Center (Colette Hall)
5. Report on Zoo (John Wright)
6. Report on Parks Department (Jim Burress)
7. Explore future goals (Jim Burress)
G. Other Business
8. Public comments
Next Meeting: May 16, 2022
Notice of this meeting has been given to the public in compliance with Sections 10-15-1 through 10-15-4 NMSA 1978 and Resolution 22-14.
NOTICE OF POTENTIAL QUORUM – A quorum of the City Council may or may not attend, but there will not be debate by the City Council, and no
action will be taken.
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aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact Human Resources at 575-624-6700 at least one week prior to the
meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please
contact the City Clerk at 575-624-6700 if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.
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MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Parks Administration Office
1101 W. 4th St.
March 21, 2022
5:30 PM
A. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Jane Ann Oldrup called the March 21, 2022 meeting to order at 5:31 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
The following Members were present: Jane Ann Oldrup, Barry Mathison, James
Edwards, Becky Joyce, and Becky Robertson with Member Maegan Sanders being
absent.
Staff present: Jim Burress, Special Services Director; Colette Hall, Recreation Director;
Alex Diaz, Recreation Manager; Juanita Jennings, Public Affairs Director; John Wright,
Zoo Director; and Sharene Brooks, Parks Administrative Assistant, Sr.
Guests present: Mayor-Elect Tim Jennings, City Councilor Juan Oropesa, Corrine Oropesa,
City Councilor Jeanine Best, Councilor-Elect Juliana Halvorson, Councilor-Elect Ed
Heldenbrand, Kerry Moore, Vicki Burress, Rita Kane Doerhoefer, Ron Lethgo, Bob
Edwards, Laurie Dudek, Juno Ogle, Ivan Hall, Steve Smith, and Carolyn Mitchell.
Staff/Guests via GoToMeeting: City Councilor Barry Foster; Public Information Officer
Todd Wildermuth, Pat Krakauskas, and Anna Whistler.
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chair Oldrup made a clarification regarding guest speaker Tim Jennings’ title. Member
Joyce motioned to approve the agenda, Member Edwards seconded; a voice vote was
unanimous, and the motion passed with Member Sanders being absent.
D. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
1. Member Mathison motioned to approve the minutes of the January 24, 2022 meeting,
Member Joyce seconded; a voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed with
Member Sanders being absent.
E. REGULAR ITEMS (ACTION ITEMS) (none)
F. NON-ACTION ITEMS
2. Guest Speaker Mayor-Elect Tim Jennings. Guest Jennings gave an explanation
for the purpose of him being at the meeting. He commented that the activities that the
community provides speak to its character and are important to the quality of life. He
also commented on the fees/costs being charged by the City, State grant money being
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spent on baseball field plans, the condition of City parks and facilities, large water leaks
in the community regularly, many years of non-maintenance of facilities, Main Street
needing to be redesigned for pedestrian traffic, donation of the carousel to the City, PETA
involvement at the Zoo, Adult Center fallen by the wayside, CDL driver pay, golf greens
costly to maintain, still need to figure out how to connect the Cielo Grande Trail, would
like to get the Adult Center up and running quickly, biggest thing City has to offer is quality
of life, a symphony in the park would add class and character, and Roswell is very lucky
to have three golf courses. Guest Edwards made comments regarding the Spring River
Corridor trying for the past five years to connect the trails, the obstacles they had
encountered, and high race fees. Guest Doerhoefer raised concerns as to the lack of
porta-pots, the fees at Cielo Grande, and the issue of vandalism. Guest Smith provided
information on upcoming improvements at the bird sanctuary, giving a good example of
the community working with the City. Member Robertson inquired about the follow-up
meetings after the 2/7/22 community golf course meeting.
3. Discussion on Commission Membership Openings, Members that Need to Re-
Apply, Election of Officers. Chair Oldrup informed the commission about terms ending
for herself and Member Mathison, the openings, and Member Sanders needing to re-apply.
Director Jennings provided membership process information.
4. Discussion on Inclusive Playground Funding and Start Date. Director Burress
advised that bid packets for the playground had been opened, money had been received
from the State, and the project would consist of two phases. Guest Jennings commented
about local businesses having the opportunity to bid and participate as to the equipment
part of the project and that the City should not have to go to Albuquerque to get a
plan/design.
5. Report on Recreation and Aquatics Center. Director Hall provided revenue and
membership numbers for the month of February. They were wanting to provide a lot of
intro’s for a variety of different activities/sports. She would be getting certified as a
lifeguard trainer. They were still looking for an Adult Center (A/C) Supervisor. They had
been working on a vision for the A/C, gearing towards active seniors. They did a SWAT
Analysis, looking at strengths and weaknesses in order to set goals. Staffing continued
to be an issue as it is hard to find qualified staff. Guest Smith inquired about the ten
bicycles bought for the Center. Guest Mitchell commented that there had been no
publicity of what was going on at the A/C and that seniors were not going to go online to
get information – it needed to be in the newspaper. They had tried to work with the center
before and need someone that is willing to work with them. Member Edwards was
pleased with the camp that was offered during Spring Break. Manager Diaz summarized
what the summer camp was all about and how it worked. There were over 40 kids
registered, with at least 30 attending on a consistent basis. They had sent out a survey
to collect feedback and would be seeking an accreditation. There was discussion
regarding impoverished children, scholarship funding/grants, and keeping fee schedules.
Director Jennings commented about getting back on schedule with advertising post-
COVID and that a 12-page spread will be in the newspaper on April 9th.
6. Report on Zoo. Director Wright gave updates of what had been going on at the Zoo
the last couple of months. They have worked on cleaning-up piles of debris that had been
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accumulating over the decades. $720,000 in Project Funding had been obtained for
designing the new Leprino gift shop entrance. They will be working on the bear exhibit,
camera/Wi-Fi upgrades, and replacing fencing to 8 feet high. The Zoo had a turnout of
11-14 kids per day during their camp. They have been prepping for their butterfly opening
on May 7th. The Zoo has 12 free days per year, providing an option for people without the
income. The flooring in the bathrooms and in the reptile building had been replaced. Two
seasonal workers had been hired as two Grounds employees had been on FMLA. The
Zoo has had to juggle positions due to staff shortages. Chair Oldrup inquired about the
process of going to the Zoo now.
7. Report on Parks Department. Director Burress reported on the recent Block Party that
had been held at Carpenter Park. There would be enough money left over from the project
to install two more picnic shelters. Chisum Park would be the next project. $40k in picnic
tables and trash cans would be installed throughout the parks. A new sidewalk had been
added to Delta West Park and $7,000 in trees would be provided by the Rotary Club. Guest
Jennings inquired about the City tree farm near Loveless Park.
8. Explore Future Goals. Director Burress advised that they need to take a hard look at
where they are going with the Parks. They need to pick something and run with it. The
possibility of having a pre-made trailer for organizations that are volunteering to do clean-
ups was discussed.
G. OTHER BUSINESS
9. Public Comments. Guest Lethgo, from the Kiwanis Club, introduced himself and
provided information regarding the club’s involvement with the upcoming All-Inclusive
Park.
H. ADJOURN
Member Edwards motioned to adjourn the meeting, Member Joyce seconded; a voice vote
was unanimous, and the motion passed with Member Sanders being absent.
The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
Next Commission meeting: April 18, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
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