2026.03.11 PRGDBC ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES APPROVED.PDF
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Minutes Parks, Recreation, Golf and Double Butte Cemetery Advisory Board March 11, 2026 Minutes of the Parks, Recreation, Golf and Double Butte Cemetery Advisory Board meeting held on March 11, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Hybrid Meeting- North Tempe Multi-Generational Center, 1555 N Bridalwreath St., Tempe, AZ, and virtual through Microsoft Teams. Members Present: Lane Waddell – Chair Mary Farmer – Vice Chair Eli Enger Elizabeth Hatch Katelyn Keberle Gerardo Lopez Cory Pechtl Lauren Wunderlich Lisa Zyriek Members Absent: Susan Carlson Regina Ponder City Staff Present: Alexander Jovanovic, Deputy Community Services Director – Parks (Staff Liaison) Shelbie Meyer, Administrative Analyst – Parks Joshua Bell, Administrative Supervisor – Recreation Kelly Rafferty, Recreation Manager Rick Oliphant, Recreation Coordinator – North Tempe Multi-Generational Center Other Guests Present: None. Agenda Item 1 – Public Appearances Carmella Staley, former Tempe resident, spoke on behalf of Double Butte Cemetery and its conditions. She and her family have five (5) plots, and she stated the conditions of the cemetery are terrible and not typical for desert cemeteries. There is damage to headstones, dirt piles, erosion, sinking to roads/edges, mud-filled irrigation ditches, oleander and olive trees were taken out (which beautified the area), dead trees and bushes everywhere. She stated one person is not enough to care for the cemetery. She has visited the cemetery for over 39 years and has three (3) family members buried. She is disappointed and saddened every time she visits her family and requests mitigation and answers. Agenda Item 2 – Approval of Meeting Minutes February 11, 2026 Motion by Elizabeth Hatch to approve February 11, 2026, meeting minutes. Seconded by Lisa Zyriek. Motion passed by a 9-0 vote. 2 Ayes: Lane Waddell, Mary Farmer, Eli Enger, Elizabeth Hatch, Katelyn Keberle, Gerardo Lopez, Cory Pechtl Lauren Wunderlich, and Lisa Zyriek Absent: Regina Ponder and Susan Carlson Agenda Item 3 – Development Review Process - POSTPONED This item is postponed to the April meeting agenda due to illness. Agenda Item 4 – Living Tree Program Alex Jovanovic introduced Joshua Bell, Administrative Supervisor, to present on behalf of the Living Tree Program. • Presentation Information o Background on Living Tree Donation Program (cost, communication process, connection with Urban Forester, personalization of brass leaf for recognition tree plaques) o Updates to the Program (logo colors, webpage, application/interest form, awareness, new locations for recognition tree plaques) • Board members asked questions and made comments about: o How many trees have been planted through this program? o Is there anything we are doing to put something (like a plaque) physically on the tree? ▪ Couldn’t the Urban Forester cap trees per park? ▪ Is only ~16 trees planted a year, that’s not a lot and we have many parks. o What is on the brass leaf? Is there any way we could do something similar to Sister City Garden that lists locations or maybe on the website? That brass tag doesn’t say where the tree was planted. o Advertising at Park Re-Opening at Campbell: there was a tabled event, the brochure you handed out would be good to get the word out. ▪ Put the price in comparison. o What if a donated tree dies or downed due to storm, who replaces the tree? Is it the City’s responsibility? o What are the main goals of the Living Tree program? o What is the max number of trees you would want to plant within the year? o How big is the tree? o Have you talked to Richard? He spoke to the board last month and made it seem like the issue is related to cost. o Would it be possible to post the list on the website (names, locations)? ▪ Not many people want their information posted. o Has this program targeting individual people specifically? Is there collaboration with businesses to achieve planting goals? o Is it the same leaf design at all three spots? 3 Agenda Item 5 – Shared Use Facilities Alex Jovanovic introduced Kelly Rafferty and Rick Oliphant on behalf of the information shared regarding North Tempe Multi-Generational Center, whereas Alexander, himself, presented on Tempe Elementary School District (TD3) & Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD). North Tempe Multi-Generational Center • Presentation Information o Opened July 31, 2006, into a 30,000 square foot recreation center which includes: preschool classrooms, afterschool/summer programming, senior center, meals on wheels and congregate meals, fitness center, gym, community classrooms, public computers, and public art features o List of facility partners: Tempe Community Action Agency, Maricopa County Head Start, Boys & Girls Club, TD3, and North Tempe Neighborhood Association o Programming: Senior center, Head Start, club, TCAA, and drop-in o 2024-25 Facility visits and contacts o Past, present, future in facility history and upgrades • Board members asked questions and made comments about: o Is the $25/year cost for the fitness center the cost for all facilities in Tempe or just this facility? ▪ Any talk about one card for the city at all facilities? o Do you guys have discounts or scholarships? o Silver sneakers reimbursed fees. o Do we have to pay a lease fee for the land (shared school district)? o Are the numbers based on 1 year or 2 years? o Headstart number: is that the same 15 kids for daily or monthly attendance? o Besides open gym, how often is the gym used? Most of the time the space is able to be rented, it is outside of gym hours. Tempe Elementary School District (TD3) and Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD) • Presentation Information o Shared Use Agreements: long-time agreements (1970’s) with Tempe Elementary School District (TD3) and Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD) o TUHSD: Corona, McClintock, Marcos de Niza, and Tempe High o TD3: McKemy and Connolly • Board members asked questions and made comments about: o TUHSD: Nobody uses the handball/racquetball courts at Marcos de Niza, could we turn it into something else? The tennis court gates have been locked over the weekend for 4-5 months now on both sides. o TUHSD: Is there opportunity to expand the shared use agreement to include volleyball or other sports? o TUHSD: Do the lights come on automatically at night? o TUHSD: This is a big deal for the tennis community. You can divide courts at recreation centers (free or at a small fee), parks (limited availability), and this shared use program. Inconsistency is 4 the main problem. Is it possible to work it into agreements to ensure the lights work, courts and gates are open, and in good shape? ▪ Requesting to work on clarity on hours, lights, open gates/entry points, and condition. o TUHSD: Big issue is that the gates are closed and overall lack of security at Marcos de Niza, whereas McClintock High is always used, open, and well maintained. o TD3: What will we do with the money now that we are taking away the lights? o It is still a decision for the city to cut the agreement or negotiate under their terms? What was their motivation to not have lighting and cut ties with City of Tempe? o TD3: Connolly is building a new school on the fields and put the fields between Connolly/Curry. o TD3: Is Kyrene interested in doing shared use? Agenda Item 6 – Board Priorities Prioritize Carmella Stapley and her concerns at Double Butte Cemetery at the next meeting. Agenda Item 7 – Future Agenda Items Board members opted to move the April 8th meeting to April 15th due to religious holiday. This meeting will be held at Escalante Community Center (La Paz room) and online. Agenda Item 8 – Public Meeting Attendance, Notices, & Announcements Lane Waddell reminded the board to confirm your attendance with Shelbie whether you are attending or unable to attend to meet quorum. Meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m. Prepared by: Shelbie Meyer, Administrative Analyst, (480) 350-8353 Reviewed by: Alex Jovanovic, Deputy Community Services Director- Parks, (480) 350-5811