A light pole falls at Harty, and the board names a course "The Big Enchilada"

If you read nothing else

• A light pole at Harty Ballfields fell during a softball tournament, landing behind the umpire calling the game. No one was hurt. The facility is closed pending test results.
• The poles are over 30 years old and appear not to have been inspected in that time unless a light needed maintenance. Replacement is about $24,000 each with lighting; there are 18 poles at Harty.
• The board voted unanimously to recommend "The Big Enchilada" to City Council as the name of the new nine-hole disc golf course at the Las Cruces Dam recreation area. The name survey drew about 15 responses.
• The 2022 GO Bond gave Parks roughly $7 million: $2 million for park rehab and repairs, $5 million for East Mesa Sports Complex Phase 1.
• A tree ordinance is to be presented on the 28th — the last piece needed for Tree City USA designation, which requires a community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita.
• Annual tree planting is being cut from 300 to 250 because the city is running out of public space to plant in.
• The board cancelled its December meeting after asking whether doing so would hamper anything urgent.

Who was in the room

Public comment

Kept at length on purpose. Every point raised is listed, in the order the minutes record it.

6.1 Proposed names for disc golf course

The item was taken off the table by unanimous roll call vote.

Cathy Mathews showed the same presentation and gave the board a printed copy of the listed names for consideration.

The course is located in the Las Cruces Dam recreation area. It is a nine-hole course plus a practice hole, designed by a world disc golf champion.

Staff surveyed youth participants, members of the Disc Golf Club and the public. There were about 15 responses: Quail Ridge, Quail Hollow, Rabbit Run, Desert Run, Badlands, Roadrunner Trail, City of Three Crosses, City of Crosses, Three Crosses, Organ Mountain, Big Enchilada, The Vet, Padre Larue.

The Big Enchilada was preferred by the board. Quail Hollow and Desert Run were also suggested.

The board discussed recommending more than one name to City Council, but past experience suggests one recommended name. The board makes a recommendation; Council solidifies the decision.

7.1 Harty Ballfield lights

Franco Granillo said a lighting pole fell during one of the softball tournaments, a couple of weeks after the Whole Enchilada. No one was injured or hurt.

The pole sat atop a concrete pedestal. It had been tested and passed for density and hardness prior to the GO Bond passing in 2018. It had delaminated from the inside and the weld started cracking at the bottom.

A woman sitting near the pole heard it crack and begin to fall over. The pole fell behind the umpire calling the game.

The poles are under the care of Facilities. They are over 30 years old. Poles in this climate should be treated every five to six years with an epoxy coating on the inside.

A surveying firm and a pole density and sound testing firm are going to check all the poles at Harty. The facility is closed while awaiting test results to confirm which poles are still useful and which are not passing safety inspection. Results were hoped for the following week.

Parks will then go to Council to get funding. The poles are about $24,000 each with lighting. The new lighting on the pole that fell was also ruined; staff hopes to remove the lighting and purchase replacement poles. There are 18 poles at Harty, one down. Facilities has offered to pay for that pole and lighting to be replaced.

The board asked whether the poles had been inspected over the last 30 years; the record says it seems not at all, unless the light needed maintenance.

The board asked whether Parks and Recreation is going to put policies in place to protect the lights moving forward. Facilities are discussing their responsibilities regarding light poles, flag poles and lighting. Parks was asked whether sprinklers were hitting the poles; nothing is, but the area gets a lot of wind and rain.

Going forward, every five years the poles are to be checked inside and out for hardness and density and repainted with epoxy if needed. Fields are closed from December 1st to mid-February, a good time to check things.

The board asked whether other maintenance scheduling has been questioned that Parks has no control over. The discussion noted ballfields open and close while parks are always open and watered at night, and people adjust sprinklers in the park after hours. Staff spoke to the need for routine schedules for restrooms, lights and pathways, and to put in a system to have follow-up from work orders. Older areas are mainly grounds — checking for uneven surfaces, dead trees, broken irrigation — and some are already on the Capital Improvement Project list.

7.2 Tree ordinance

Granillo said that in October 2017 a tree care policy was presented to Council in a work session, aiming at Tree City USA. Everything is in place except a tree ordinance. There is a layout of the ordinance that will be presented on the 28th.

He said the program has improved a lot over the last four to five years, the tree steward program is functioning at its highest level, and prominent tree care people in the community have worked with Parks.

A tree ordinance would provide protection of public trees, ensure the right trees are planted in the right places, establish guidelines for tree care and planting, and obtain Tree City USA designation.

Tree City USA requires a tree board or department responsible for public trees, an Arbor Day observance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and the tree care ordinance.

The ordinance would discuss and establish standards for tree care (recorded as "833 standards") and Best Management Practices, and standards for tree planting in the proper place. Downtown trees are suffering because they are in too small a planter box. The community forester would have to approve tree selection and landscape plans prior to installation. Other elements: proper pruning, no fingers on the tree, a maintained list of desirable tree species, and not letting tree roots get driven over with heavy equipment.

Downtown trees that are heaving the sidewalk or causing uneven surfaces with the pavers are already being looked at. Pavers have been replaced with sand, gravel and gravel mulch so trees have a better place to grow. Downtown trees will be replaced with something bigger, or two of something else.

On running out of planting space: there is only so much green space to plant on, because more trees will shade out the turf and green space is then lost. There are a couple of years left to plant on right-of-way. Peak Performance numbers will be adjusted to be sure planting is done properly rather than to reach a certain number. Staff is looking at hiring a forester and using volunteers to plant on private property through a grant.

Asked whether the ordinance will extend to developers and citizens, staff said the ordinance will first be internal with staff and then contractors as well, covering tree care policy, irrigation standards and turf standards, with a menu created with Community Development to present to contractors on what thrives in which soil and part of town. Staff said the ordinance will have teeth and will also be handled with design review.

The board asked to see a copy of the ordinance and the presentation.

On private property, replacement of trees would have to be discussed with the property owner. On public property they can be replaced two to one and do not need to be in the exact same spot.

Public Works takes out trees planted in parkways that are too narrow — 18 inches or so — which was a common practice. Public Works will sometimes replace trees near where the others were, even in a narrow parkway, and does consult with Parks and Rec on the types of trees. The resident is not offered a choice.

On Desert Drive, 17 trees were just cut down for a sidewalk and utility line project. Utilities do not replace trees. Asked whether the ordinance would override that, staff said that when it comes to Utilities, Parks and Rec are limited in what can be done on top of Utilities — not even crusher fines — and that the only way they remove a healthy tree is if it is impacting sidewalks, causing trip hazards, or interfering with utilities. A discussion with Utilities will be followed up.

A suggestion was recorded to include in the tree ordinance that if a tree is cut down in a parkway, one could be planted in a more suitable place on private property.

7.3 GO Bond 2022 update

Granillo said the GO Bond passed and Parks received roughly $7 million for the next phase.

$2 million will go to several different park areas for rehab or repairs. The number one park is La Llorona Park: trail repairs, a restroom install (proper, not a latrine), more bench installs, and shade over the benches as funding allows.

If there are enough funds, staff would also provide amenities and shade at Salopek Park; replace exercise equipment at Telbrook Park, which is obsolete and for which replacement parts cannot be found; and put amenities into La Fonda Park — benches, shade benches, doggy pickup bags.

At Hess Terrace, staff has had a hard time planting trees; the neighborhood does not want trees or benches, as they are trying to avoid homeless people or others congregating in that area.

The second portion, $5 million, would be for East Mesa Sports Complex Phase 1 to be completed: the soccer fields, pickleball courts, a 10-acre park, and two baseball fields. Phase 2 will install lighting.

7.4–7.7 Holiday tree lighting, website, board email, awards luncheon

Phil Catanach handed out posters for the tree lighting on Saturday, December 3rd: a choir, DJ, snow machine and Santa Claus, with a new tree made specifically for outdoors. After the tree lighting there will be a movie at the Rio Grande Theater, A Christmas Story, for $5. Lights go up Monday on the poles and the trees downtown.

Catanach said the Parks and Rec Advisory Board web page was updated. This is a temporary web page, because the City as a whole is getting a new page from a different company, and there is also a page that goes to all boards across the City on the City's website. It was mentioned that some board members' information was inaccurate — their terms — because they have been on the board longer than was stated.

Catanach said the City is switching from .org to .gov, and the board's email accounts are coming; the work order is in.

Hazel Nevarez sent the board an email invitation to the End of Year Employee Awards Luncheon, December 8th, 11:30 to 1:30, at the Frank O'Brien Papen Community Center, 304 Bell Avenue.

Staff member comments — youth services

Robert Nunez said afterschool programs have been hosting day camps, and are getting ready for holiday breaks — Thanksgiving week Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday hosting youth at three City facilities, with a good turnout. Staff is also trying to get some school locations on those dates to host day camps for additional youth.

Staff is hiring additional teen staff. There are 107 registered within the teen programs, averaging 45 to 50 teens per day.

Weed and Seed at Safe Haven recently had a successful fall fest, and with the assistance of Las Esperanzas recently held a fundraiser and will be providing coats and shoes to youth in the regency program, the teen program, and the afterschool program at the school sites.

For Keep Las Cruces Beautiful, James Woods will be retiring at the end of the year and Nunez hopes to have the job advertised the following week. The program recently received FY23 funds of a little over $29,000, with a schedule for spending it. KLCB runs the WYCC program and a mural rehab with two employees rehabbing and cleaning three murals, hopefully hiring three additional people; they have until March 31st to complete that project, which is attainable.

The youth development and diversion program recently hired a supervisor, Ms. Acosta, and a continuing coordinator. Staff is connecting with Anthony and Hatch, New Mexico to have satellite locations for county participants — at the Anthony Community Center and the Hatch Public Schools library. Formal and informal referrals continue, working closely with school resource officers in the middle and high schools.

Staff member comments — projects under construction

Cathy Mathews reported on projects currently under construction: a smart controller project at Soldado Field with a booster pump for the irrigation system.

Burn Lake shade structures are underway — concrete laid out and fencing installed. The shade structures are on order but take a long time to arrive, so probably January.

The trail and park wayfinding project is in the planning process to develop a wayfinding plan for parks and trails throughout the City. A day of action to seek public input drew over 90 participants.

At the Butterfield shooting range, ADA improvements are underway at the known distance range and the long distance range.

At Gomez Park, the lighting contractor is in place and has ordered the lights, with 120 days to complete. Gomez Park has a trail running end to end; neighbors have expressed concern about lighting over the years, and this will be done with bollard-type lighting. A state legislative grant was received for lighting at both Veterans Park and Gomez.

Lighting is not part of the wayfinding project; wayfinding is for the larger trails and parks — monumental signs, directional signage, information signage and rules signage.

In the Metro Verde subdivisions, a park with some skate elements is nearing construction completion and Parks is accepting it soon. Twin Parks are two parks divided by a residential road, about two acres, and will have cornhole, putt-putt golf and other activities. Each park in Metro Verde will have unique characteristics. Hopefully done by June.

Asked about parking in the Metro Verde area parks, Mathews said most of the parks in those subdivisions are neighborhood parks, essentially meant to be walked to by neighbors in the vicinity, and that Parks chose not to spend resources on pavement, preferring to spend on park amenities.

Staff member comments — parks and recreation operations

Franco Granillo said staff are closing up summertime schedules and moving into winter: winterizing systems and equipment, checking irrigation, moving to tree pruning, tree planting, and maintenance on shrubs and bushes.

There have been 8 to 10 events over the last two months, and staff is gearing up for the Christmas tree lighting and the Chile Drop.

On tree planting, Granillo said the focus is on the 300 per year; this year it will be cut down to 250 as the city is running out of public space.

Phil Catanach said the Regional Aquatic Center closes November 20th through December 4th to get ready for annual inspection. Frenger pool had its final inspection (hopefully) of its lifespan. The new 50-meter community pool will probably be ready in mid-February.

Youth basketball is in its final weeks with over 500 kids playing. Staff taught swim lessons in return for gym space at Las Cruces High School — a pilot program for when the new 50-meter pool opens and youth swim lessons are provided.

Staff is getting ready for an indoor volleyball tournament for adults December 11-12, and registration for indoor youth soccer beginning in January.

Unidad Park had a ribbon cutting October 25th, and the splash pad was turned over to Parks. It will be part of the splash pad schedule with Metro Verde and the downtown fountain, and will open in March 2023.

Halloween events just finished: Pumpkin Palooza, the Great Pumpkin Candy Drop with over 3,000 attendees, Jack-O-Lantern Blast which sold out, and a Phantom of the Auditorium play which also sold out. A new class, Brush and Bola, has sold out every session so far.

The employee wellness program is getting ready for a co-ed indoor volleyball tournament in mid-December with six teams, hoping for 10. There are about 300 employees at Parks and Rec.

Swim classes are just starting to be discussed with the public elementary schools — still in the discussion phase. A suggestion was recorded to offer swim lessons to charter school kids, home schooled kids, everyone.

Board member comments

Vice-Chair Engle wanted to discuss the possibility of the Parks and Rec board helping the department more in looking for things like grants. He said the board should be able to help out with finding resources, and asked what the challenges and hurdles are, what is being looked for specifically for Las Cruces, and what the board is available to ask for. Staff said they will touch base with grants staff.

A work session for onboarding of new members was discussed. Now that there is almost a full board they will do that, probably in January. Staff could put a packet together based off the ordinance for board members.

The board recalled that a couple of years ago there was a request for community meetings for districts to discover what constituents want for parks and recreation. This was not done: City Councilors needed to hold that type of meeting, and the board could not be representatives for districts. The board would like a survey out to know what it should be fighting for, and agreed to discuss it further in January and have a survey out by February.

Recorded votes

Left open at the gavel