Parks and Recreation Advisory Board January 14, 2026 minutes
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Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes January 14, 2026 Page 1 City of Mesa Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes DATE: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 TIME: 5:00 PM LOCATION: 708 W Baseline Road Bldg. 4, Board Room, Mesa, AZ The Mesa Parks and Recreation Advisory Board held a meeting open to the public at the date and time above. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Campbell called the meeting to order at 5:03 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Troy Campbell; Vice-Chair Nina Fader; Board Members: Alexis Zaring; Melanie Narish; Michelle Streeter; Jeff Rush; Krista Rowley and Sean Lunny BOARD MEMBERS EXCUSED ABSENCE: Marie Johnson and Benjamin Manning BOARD MEMBERS UNEXCUSED ABSENCE: Cali Goldsby 3. LEADERSHIP TRANSITION UPDATE – Andrea Alicoate- Interim Director and Candace Cannistraro – Deputy City Manager Deputy City Manager Cannistraro introduced herself and provided the update that Andrea Moore & Aimee Manis retired from the City of Mesa. She shared that Haylie Smith is acting as the interim Deputy Director of Recreation and Andrea Alicoate is serving as the interim Director. She projects that the search for a new director will take about 6 months due to conducting a national search with an outside recruiting firm and she will keep the advisory board updated as they will have some input into the search. Deputy City Manager Cannistraro introduced Interim Director Alicoate and gave a quick background on her history with the City. Interim Director Alicoate shared more of her background and stated that her role will be to give support and direction where it is needed so we have a smooth transition for the new Director coming in. 4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES It was moved by Vice-Chair Fader and seconded by Member Rush to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes from November 14, 2025. The motion passed unanimously. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Campbell reported that Cami Burns submitted a comment card to address the board. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes January 14, 2026 Cami expressed her interest in contributing to the City of Mesa Parks and Recreation. She gave a brief overview of her history and shared her interest in seeking the job as the Recreation Coordinator that was posted recently and how she could contribute to that role. 6. TAKE ACTION ON NAMING THE PARK AND TRAILHEAD LOCATED AT RED MOUNTAIN FREEWAY TO RED MOUNTAIN NATURE PARK – Zac Koceja – Deputy Director – Park Planning and Development (See attached documents) Parks Board consideration of the staff recommendation to name the park and trailhead located at McKellips and the Loop 202 Freeway (Red Mountain Freeway) to Red Mountain Nature Park. Deputy Director Koceja gave a quick introduction to himself. He showed where the park is located on a map and explained how the land is owned by Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with the City leasing it from them. BLM maintains physical ownership of the property with Parks and Recs leasing it at no cost to use for public recreation. The name being proposed for the natural preserve, “Red Mountain Nature Park” due to its location in the Red Mountain District with some separation in name from the recreation center since it is a more passive nature park. The improvements will include an off-street parking lot, some nature trails, connection paths, and some interpretive signage. After discussion it was moved by Vice-Chair Fader, seconded by Member Rowley to approve the naming of the park and trailhead located at McKellips and Loop 202 Freeway (Red Mountain Freeway) to Red Mountain Nature Park. The motion passed unanimously. 7. INCLUSION PRESENTATION – Sharayah Gorke, Recreation Programmer (See attached presentation) Sharayah gave a synopsis of what inclusion services we offer and how we are growing them. She reviewed her responsibilities as the programmer, overseeing them including staff training and community outreach. 8. DIVISION UPDATES – Recreation, Commercial, and Planning & Development (See attached presentation) RECREATION- Haylie Smith, Interim Deputy Director Deputy Director Smith started by stating that we have summer employment opportunities available and ready to fill as well as leadership and volunteer opportunities. Participation numbers were shared for adaptive, aquatics, athletics, recreation centers, and youth programs. She highlighted, Love Where You Play Month coming up in February when something is happening every Saturday. Member Lunny inquired if we had knowledge or information about Youth On Course and or Youth On Court which are both nonprofits that will pay for court or course fees to provide youth with opportunities to utilize facilities for free. Interim Deputy Director Smith requested that Member Lunny send her contact information so that we can connect with them. COMMERCIAL-Roger Singleton, Deputy Director Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes January 14, 2026 Commercial Operations presented information to summarize events and attendance at the Convention Center, Amphitheater, The Post, Dobson Ranch Golf Course, the Mesa Cemetery along with all the recent and upcoming Special Events including the MLK Parade and the Mesa Marathon. PARK PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT- Zac Koceja, Deputy Director Planning and Operations presented updates on the completion of renovations at Reed Park and projects in construction including The Courts at Eastmark and Signal Butte Park Phase II as well as projects in design. 9. DIRECTOR’S UPDATES- Andrea Alicoate, Interim Director • January 19, 2026, MLK Parade and Festival • February 14, 2026, Mesa Marathon • February 20th – March 24th Spring Training • We will have a budget update at the March Parks Board Meeting 10. REPORTS OF MEETINGS OR EVENTS ATTENDED • Member Campbell passed by Kleinman Park and saw that Fun N Fitness was there and looked like it was going well. He also visited multiple parks for basketball, volleyball and scooter practice with his kids. • Member Narish attended a cat show at the Convention Center, visited Greenfield Park and attended a book festival downtown. • Member Rush attended Merry Main Street and saw the Temple lights as well as the community event at Sheepherders Park. • Member Rowley went to a couple Fun N Fitness events as well as played Pickleball/Tennis at Kleinman Park which she stated needs a new tennis court net and fence repair to stop the balls from rolling out. • Member Streeter played Pickleball at Brady Park and visited downtown Mesa. 11. NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be held on March 11, 2026 12. ADJOURNMENT APPROVED 8-0, Motion by Member Rush, seconded by Member Rowley. Without objection, the meeting was adjourned at 6:46 PM. Agenda Item: 6 Purpose and Recommendation To request the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board discuss and take action on the staff recommendation to name the park and trailhead located at McKellips and the Loop 202 Freeway (Red Mountain Freeway) to Red Mountain Nature Park. Background/Discussion The Naming of Parks Administrative Procedure (Attachment A) states that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board forwards a recommendation for a park name to City Council for final consideration. The Red Mountain Nature Park is primarily located at McKellips and the Loop 202 Freeway (Red Mountain Freeway). The park parcel boundary is framed on the north side by McKellips Road, the west side by the Loop 202 Freeway, and the east side by private residential development. The southern extents of the park parcel boundary come to a point near the Brown Road and Loop 202 Freeway intersection. The southern portion of the park site is owned by the City of Mesa and the northern portion of the park site is leased by the City from the Bureau of Land Management through a Recreation and Public Purpose lease. During the community engagement meetings for the 2024 Parks Bond election, the community was encouraged to select a name for the park from a list of potential names or to propose an alternative. There was some community participation, but no one name stood out as being selected. While there was some community participation, no single name emerged as a clear preference. Based on the feedback received, city staff and leadership reviewed naming options and determined that Red Mountain Nature Park was the most appropriate choice due to the park’s proximity to Red Mountain Park and consistency with the naming convention used for the existing park and adjacent ballfields. Planned park site improvements include a developed trailhead with a designated parking area and trail and pathway signage. Site improvements also include defining and developing natural surface trails throughout the park parcel. The Red Mountain Nature Park trailhead development project is part of the larger Northeast Trail Project which extends a natural surface trail experience from the Red Mountain Nature Park along a regional stormwater drainage channel, managed by the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, to the north city limits between Power Road and the Las Sendas community. Alternatives The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board may vote not to forward the proposed name to Council and instead request additional input into the park naming process. Fiscal Impact There will be a financial impact of updating park signs with the new name. This expense can be covered by the department’s infrastructure budget. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Report Date: January 14, 2026 From: Zac Koceja, PRCF Deputy Director - Planning and Development Subject: Naming of Parks Administrative Procedure Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 1 Page 1 of 3 ATTACHMENT A Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 1 Page 2 of 3 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 1 Page 3 of 3 Red Mountain Nature Park Private Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 2 Page 1 of 1 Inclusion Sharayah Gorke, Recreation Programmer - Inclusion Services Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 3 Page 1 of 6 What is Inclusion? Inclusion with the City of Mesa Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities (PRCF) means that individuals with disabilities are welcome to participate in the same recreation programs and activities as their non-disabled peers. Reasonable modifications are provided to enable an individual’s successful participation in a program. Some minimum eligibility requirements must be met in order to participate. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 3 Page 2 of 6 Inclusion Programmer Key Responsibilities: 🧩 Training 🤝 Community 📋 Admin 🌟 Programs 🔍 Research Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 3 Page 3 of 6 Inclusion Numbers Category Summer (Jun-Jul) Fall/Winter Behavior/Sensory Needs 165 123 Inclusion Staff/Trained Support for Lower Ratio 90 89 ASL Interpreters 19 20 Adaptive Equipment 9 21 Audio/Assistive Listening 0 3 Total Requests 200+ ~175 (avg. 35/mo) Requests Remain High Year-Round - Behavior/Sensory continues to be the top need - Growth in adaptive equipment requests - Consistent ASL interpreter demand Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 3 Page 4 of 6 What Programs are Inclusive? We strive to be inclusive in ALL activities and programs. Every effort will be made to place participants in their desired activities regardless of physical or developmental disabilities or special needs. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 3 Page 5 of 6 Thank You Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 3 Page 6 of 6 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board JANUARY 2026 DIVISION UPDATES Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 1 of 33 Recreation Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 2 of 33 Adaptive Mistletoe Magic | 210 Participants Sensory Santa | 2 Nights for 1 Hour Reduced noise, lighting & people Special Olympics Involvement Adaptive Soccer | 75 Participants Bulldogs State Golf | 33 Participants Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 3 of 33 Aquatics Award Winning Team (+ A New Programmer – Piper) Jessica Curtis Water Advocacy Award from DPCA (Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona) 3 STAR Status from Star Guard Elite Hosted Citrus Classic in December (College Teams) 80 athletes | 10 coaches | $6,300 revenue Kino & Skyline Maintenance Closures | Mesa Replastering Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 4 of 33 Athletics New Athletics Supervisor | Tina Royer December Revenues Field Rentals | ≈ $80,000 MTPC | ≈ $24,000 Adult Sports | $79,542.56 Adult Sports Winter Registration 227 teams/people | 29 offerings Youth Sports Co-ed and girls flag football very successful, more collaboration with rec centers Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 5 of 33 Front Desk Spring Registration | Opened Jan. 12 Calls | 115 Emails | 131 Registrations | 471 Revenue | $45,327 2026 MRS Discounts Awarded | 116 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 6 of 33 Recreation Centers Winter Break Camps | 137 Participants Eagles Winter Carnival | 175 Visitors Teen Skate @ Merry Main St. | 77 Teens Red Mountain Center December Fitness Classes | 4,691 Participants Private Rentals | 19 Rockwall Construction Starting Soon! Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 7 of 33 Youth Programs Volunteers | 165 for 1,025 Hours $34,327.05 in Staff Savings MORE Deck the Paws | 72 Attendees (including dogs) First programmed event at dog park Sweater contest, dog treat decorating FNF Vibe Event | 270 Participants Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 8 of 33 Love Where You Play Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 9 of 33 COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Mesa Convention Center The Post Mesa Amphitheatre Special Events Office Mesa Cemetery Dobson Ranch Golf Course Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 10 of 33 Convention Center | Amphitheatre | The Post The POST (Nov-Jan) Banquets 10 Consumer Shows 0 Meetings 14 Private Parties 12 Weddings 2 Community Events 27 Other 9 Total Events 74 CC/AMP REVENUES July-Dec 2022 $ 4,192,355 2023 $ 2,525,125 2024 $ 3,070,668 2025 $ 2,137,239* AMPHITHEATRE CONCERTS December 13 Turnpike Troubadours UPCOMING CONCERTS January 31 INZO February 14 Levity April 10 SatchVai Band *as of 12/23/25 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 11 of 33 Convention Center | Amphitheatre | The Post • Oct-Dec – Hosted 45 events and 83,112 guests • Convention Center highlights • Projects: Replacement of 200 classroom tables; Upgraded outdoor lighting; Rigging calculations • Events: United Food Bank distributions, Gun Show, Reptile Expo, A Christmas to Dismember, VEX Robotics Diamond in the Desert Signature Event • The Post highlights • Merry Main Street; Breakfast with Santa and Visits with Santa; Several department holiday parties Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 12 of 33 SPECIAL EVENTS Winter Events 11/13/25: MAC One Street Over Closing Celebration – Reed Park 11/13-11/16/25 - La Mesa RV Show at Riverview Park 11/14/25: ASU Moonlight Movie Night (Spirit) – Plaza Park 11/15/25: Eastmark Neighborhood Boutique – Eastmark Great Park 11/15/25: Together Pink Network Walk – Riverview Park 11/19/25: United Food Bank Food Distribution – Mesa Convention Center 11/21/25: Eastmark Live Jazz Event – Eastmark Great Park 11/22/25: Light the Night – Sloan Park/Riverview Park 11/27/25: Mesa Turkey Trot – Red Mountain Park 11/28/25: Merry Main Street Kick-off – Downtown Mesa 12/6/25 - Gateway Library Opening – Eastmark Great Park Upcoming Winter/Spring Events 1/17/26: Copper State Beer Festival – Riverview Park 1/19/26: MLK Day Parade and Festival in Downtown Mesa 2/13/26: DMA Sunset Market – MacDonald Event Space 2/13/26: Mesa Marathon Expo – Sloan Park 2/14/26: Mesa Marathon 2/28/26: Eastmark Holi Festival – Great Park 3/1/26: North Dakota Picnic – Red Mtn. Park 3/7/26: DMA Baseball Block Party – MacDonald Event Space 3/13/26: ALT Fest – Mesa Arts Center 3/22/25: Mask Alive – Pioneer Park 3/25-3/28/26: Mesa Temple Easter Pageant 3/31-4/4/26: Mesa Temple Easter Pageant 4/11/26: Celebrate Mesa Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 13 of 33 • Winter Wonderland Ice Rink • 18,564 skaters (-2.5% from 2024) • $213,216 in revenue (+9.8% from 2024) • 9,674 Visits with Santa • 415 Attended Breakfast with Santa generating $5,910 in revenue • 3,500 Attended Tree Lighting • 65,200 Visitors to the Mesa Temple Lights Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 14 of 33 Dobson Ranch Golf Course Community Engagement & Outreach • Dozens of new trees added to golf course to enhance appearance along with playability • Several pieces of new maintenance equipment ordered, including three greens mowers • New Golf Cart fleet with GPS were delivered • Lights for Cheyanne Short Course - This will be enjoyed by Youth and Community groups • Maintenance building roof bids came in and repairs to begin soon • New Range Balls delivered and loved by guests • All five garage doors in maintenance building replaced • Repairs to parking lot completed Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 15 of 33 Mesa Cemetery • Main • Fiscal Year to Date 2026 • Revenue: $753,275.59 (11.5% decrease from FYTD 2025) • Graves sold: 141 (15% decrease from FYTD 2025) • Removed 19 Cypress trees that expired • Placed 70 wreaths on graves as part of Holiday wreath program • Applied Round Up around the cemetery grounds for weed control • Cemetery clean up – January 15th Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 16 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 17 of 33 Reed Park Playground Renovation Project Components • ADA upgrades • Play equipment areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12 • Exercise equipment for ages 14 and up • Shade structures • Safety surfacing Construction Costs • CDBG Award $1,317,806 • Operations Funding $182,149 • Total $1,499,955 Construction Schedule • Start: April 2025 • Completed: November 2025 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 18 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 19 of 33 The Courts at Eastmark Project Components • 4 Basketball Courts • 2 Tennis and 8 Pickleball Courts • 2 Sand and 2 Concrete Volleyball Courts • Play equipment areas for ages 2-5 & 5-12 • Ninja Warrior Course • Exercise Equipment • Restrooms • Ramadas • RC Course or Exercise Track Estimated Construction Costs • $10.75 M Construction Schedule • Start – October 2025 • Completion – Winter 2026 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 20 of 33 The Courts at Eastmark Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 21 of 33 Signal Butte Park Phase II Project Components • Parking lot • Restrooms • Ramadas • Trail system • BMX bike trails • Pedestrian bridge over wash to connect Phase I Construction Costs • $7,500,000 Estimated Construction Schedule • Tentative Start: Winter 2025 • Tentative Completion: Winter 2026 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 22 of 33 Signal Butte Park Phase II Pathway Alignment Field Verification Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 23 of 33 Mesa High Aquatic Complex Project Components • Replaster Main Pool & Lazy River • Replace Outdoor Shower Assemblies • Minor Cool Deck Repairs Construction Costs • $1,064,226 Estimated Construction Schedule • Start: November 2025 • Completion: April 2026 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 24 of 33 Park Renovations 2024 Bond Construction will be staggered by site with the bulk of construction of all sites occurring concurrently. Some locations will be completed by Winter 2026 with all six locations being completed by Spring 2027. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 25 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 26 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 27 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 28 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 29 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 30 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 31 of 33 Northeast Mesa Regional Trails • In Design Development – Feasibility Study Complete • Construction: TBD Eastmark Aquatic Complex • In Design Development (Bond 2024) • Construction: Fall 2027 to Spring 2029 Red Mountain Aquatic Complex • In Design Development (Bond 2024) • Construction: Fall 2029 to Spring 2031 Shepherd Aquatic Complex Boiler Install • In Design Development • Construction: Fall 2029 to Spring 2031 Water Conservation @ Los Alamos Park • In Design Development (Bond 2024) • Construction: Fall 2026 to Summer 2027 Projects in Design Aripine Park Playground Improvement • Finalizing Bidding Documents (CDBG Funded) • Construction complete Winter 2026 Whitman Park Playground Renovation • Finalizing Bidding Documents (CDBG Funded) • Construction Completion: Winter 2026 Countryside Dog Park • In Design Development (Bond 2018) • Construction: Winter 2026 Fremont Aquatic Complex Demo • In Design Development • Construction Completion: Fall 2026 Mesa Tennis & Pickleball Center Court Lighting Updates • Construction Completion: Summer 2026 Christopher J. Brady Dog Park Addition • In Design Development • Construction Completion: Winter 2026 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 32 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 4 Page 33 of 33 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 5 Page 1 of 3 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 5 Page 2 of 3 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 14, 2026 Attachment 5 Page 3 of 3