A fee schedule passes by acclamation with its language still to be written

If you read nothing else

• The fee policy was approved by acclamation "with language added regarding bathroom use and field rental process" — the language was to be added afterward and e-mailed out for review.
• A motion to table the fee policy to May 18 was moved and seconded, then "the motion to table died." No vote on it is recorded.
• Young Park's south restroom is kept locked except for huge events, because renters of the southwest corner complain when people outside their party use it.
• Posted park hours went from 5:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. to seasonal hours to simply sunrise to sunset, which lets Codes and Police send people away after hours.
• East Mesa Sports Complex is 94% complete; $2 million in SSGRT funds was approved for Phase I and $5 million from the 2022 Bond is earmarked for it. The pickleball courts are basically finished but cannot open because they sit in a construction area.
• Franco Granillo: replacing a vandalized slide costs $14,000, "which has to be taken from something else to do it."
• The CAPRA accreditation application was submitted about two weeks ago; a three-person review team may want to talk to board members, with a possible site visit in mid-June.

Who was in the room

7.1 Action item — 2023-2024 Fees and Charges / Facility Use Policy (Robert Nunez)

This policy did not go before City Council immediately after being presented to this board at the end of last year. It has now been updated and will hopefully be on the Council agenda sometime next month. There was no change to the introduction. This is the board's recommended policy to determine user fees, different types of cost recovery, and various internal and City policies regarding scholarships, fee waivers, payment plans, programming, and permitting.

Cost recovery categories: Minimum Cost Recovery, normally 0–20% of direct program cost, such as out-of-school programs, therapeutic programs, special events, and aquatics; Partial Cost Recovery, which includes youth classes and athletics; and Full Cost Recovery, which includes any adult programming.

The policy includes definitions of direct cost, a list of Parks and Rec's facilities, and programming and hours of operation. There are guidelines for sponsorship of groups and department guidelines for distribution of City stipends to local recreational youth leagues or organizations. That funding is to help lower the cost of participation for youth members. Currently $10,000 is budgeted for this and only one club has recently applied for aid; the established clubs have become self-sustaining recently, as they have not applied for aid in some time.

The policy includes a refund policy, returned check policy, payment plan guidelines, and the youth scholarship program. The scholarship program runs from July 1 through June 30 and uses funds received from unsolicited private donations. A household can receive up to $240; individuals can receive up to $120. Sponsored youth are required to pay 50% of the program fees. Scholarships cannot be used to pay for fitness classes, rentals, equipment fees, special events, pass cards, or daily entry to the pool facility. Families who desire scholarships must fill out an application and provide proof of income and residence. Parks and Rec follows State guidelines for income analysis.

The policy also includes a transfer policy, age categories, seniors, recreation facility age limits, family definitions, organization aquatic fee, restorative pool, weight room program, free swim dates, school district year-end parties, and facility use rental guidelines for all the recreation centers.

One new item: "rentals cannot be used to conduct private business for personal gain unless approved by Parks and Recreation Director." There are contracts to conduct City programming and permitting procedures, including a new permit rule that a request to use water-holding structures like but not limited to Las Cruces Dam and Tee time will need prior approval by the Public Works Department before a park facility application can be approved; those two locations are under the authority of Public Works and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Also updated was the request for use of parks: requests for use of the following parks, but not limited to, Apodaca Park, Desert Trails Park, Johnson Park, Klein Park, Women's Pioneer Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and Young Park will require a deposit/fee of $250, nonrefundable and applied to the overall rental fee.

The policy lays out nondiscrimination compliance and insurance: the City requires anyone renting the park and using jumping balloons to carry additional liability insurance with the City listed as additional insured.

Sports field request guidelines: if a group is not established or in good standing, a 50% payment is due up front once a permit has been approved, nonrefundable and applied to the overall rental, with the remaining balance paid within one week after the event. All tournaments require a $250 deposit upon approval of permitting. All organizations, leagues and field users, including point of contact and league office, that do not reside within City limits will have to pay a non-resident fee and will require a $250 deposit upon approval of permit, nonrefundable and applied to the overall rental fee. A Post Office box will not be allowed as proof of local residence. All organizations will be responsible for collection of event camping fees at tournaments.

On the board's own authority over leagues and organizations that use City fields or facilities: the purpose is to provide guidance to local recreational youth and adult leagues or organizations that use City fields and/or facilities, and to provide an independent, non-biased committee with authority to review league and organization procedures, act as an appellate body for players, coaches, parents, spectators and suspensions, review financial records, and recommend or require changes to league organizational operations. This is per Resolution 12-072. There have been coaches and parents come in, as all leagues are required to have standard operating procedures regarding behavior and actions of fans, league officers, parents, teams and everyone in attendance, and there have been suspensions coming all the way up to the board. Complaints start at the level of the section they are under, then the Director, and if unresolved are brought before the board to be heard. The board has the final say in these situations. Board Member Coppedge asked about renting soccer fields; that information is further down in the policy.

Requirements are listed for fishing, swimming, carnivals and amusements, roller skating/rollerblading/skateboarding, golfing, mobile concessions/vending, special use permits, inflatable/portable play equipment, vehicles driving in City parks, the wellness program, and the community gardening program — including that all participants must be registered annually, current gardeners can register for one plot from January 3rd through January 31st, new gardeners can register for available plots from February 1st through the 28th, and beginning March 1st registered gardeners can request a second plot if available. There was high demand for plots last year, so Parks and Rec wants to try to provide enough.

Parks and Rec has added the Memorial Tree and Bench Program: a new tree at $500 each; a park bench with a plaque for $2,200 up to $2,500, or without a plaque starting at $1,800, dedicated to the person or group of their choice; and a Walk of Honor brick paver at $35. The list includes park hours and rules for park use, pet owners' responsibilities and the locations of the dog parks, rules for merchandising, advertising and signs with exceptions, and City fee policies as established by City Council.

Recreation fee changes presented: a fitness punch card with 30 visits should be increased to $60; the gymnastics program is being discontinued due to lack of instructors and will hopefully be reinstated later if an instructor can be found; open pickleball sessions are $2 per session; pickleball net rental for on-site use only is $10 per net; the Water Cycle Class is $5 per class; the Water Fitness punch card is increased to $60; the Aquatic Weight Room is also increased to $60 for 30 visits.

The After School Program fee schedule was $400 per semester; during the pandemic those fees were removed, and now that the pandemic is officially listed as over, the fees will be $100 per semester. Summer Recreation Program fees will be requested at $40, and Spring Camp and Fall Camp at $20 per session. Pre- and post-program fees will be eliminated. The Life Center Angel Care building has been sold to a private business and so is no longer part of the Therapeutic Recreational Program. Youth sports leagues and cheer with jersey is $50, without jersey $40; coach rental card is $5 per player. With the pilot programming process the department will be able to improve their research and innovation for new programming.

The fees will be set at the time of implementation with City Council's approval. Special events fees remain the same.

Swimming program fees have been adjusted: first aid $55, CPR $75, recertification $50, lifeguard skills recertification $90, home swimming pool/spa water safety $30, open water safety $30, home swimming water safety/open water $50. Daily fees remain the same for the swimming pools. There will no longer be punch cards at Frenger, East Mesa, and Laabs. Rentals have been scratched.

Natatorium meet and practice fees for nonprofit, commercial and non-residential have been thoroughly researched: nonprofit $11, commercial $50 per 25-yard lane for practice, non-residential $17. A 50-meter lane is $13 nonprofit, $50 commercial, $26 non-residential. Swim meets: nonprofit $175 per hour without scoreboard, $700 commercial, $220 non-residential. Starting system per meet: nonprofit $25, commercial $100, non-residential $30. Dolphin timers, each per meet: nonprofit $15, commercial $60, non-residential $20. Operation fee for timing system $30 per operator across the board. Swim meet spectator fee $3 across the board. Touch pads: nonprofit $15, commercial $60, non-residential $20. Swim meet timing system $500 across the board. School swim teams per lane $11 across the board.

There is also a breakdown of staff fees for required personnel such as lifeguards. Aquatic special events will be $5 per participant. Punch cards and private lessons are not offered. Swim lessons, not including books, for lifeguarding and water safety instructor, minimum age 16, are $200. The new system will have a debit card for daily use, as the punch cards did not work as well as hoped; debit cards can be used for everything, where punch cards were specific to each facility. The City will need to hire more lifeguards to be able to keep the facilities open for the hours desired.

Facility rental fees: fitness room rent $20 per hour; party area/party room $100 per three hours; East Mesa Multipurpose Room team rental $10 per hour; the gymnastics rental package has been scratched; Meerscheidt Recreation Facility entire building indoors $100 per hour; Frank O'Brien Papen Community Center dining room $30 per hour and auditorium $40 per hour; the Meerscheidt Recreation Center team practice rental card allowing use of the Multipurpose Room and either gymnasium is six sessions for $50 or eight sessions for $70. Fundraising rentals will need to be coordinated and approved with additional electric panels through the City's Facilities Section and a separate fee will be assessed. Merchandise has been raised to $15, $20, and $25. Pickleballs are $1 each. The Ziggy plush is $10.

Park permit fees for organized groups to use facilities: trails $2 per participant; parking lot fee $100 per half lot for four hours, or the entire lot for $200; sports leagues per field/court game fees have been adjusted, with priority and lower rent given to local leagues. Pedestrian barricades, temporary fence, or goal transportation for soccer goals are $250 per setup for residents and $500 for non-residents. Practice field hourly fees are being adjusted for residents and non-residents and will be for a maximum of two hours per day and two days per week. Pickleball and handball court fees and tournament fees have been adjusted for residents and non-residents. Facility change fees for setup and tear-down are $1,000 each time if Parks and Rec is requested to take care of that. Sports groups, camping fees, RV trailers and tents have a resident and non-resident fee. BMX fees, horseshoes, and skate park rentals have been adjusted for residents and non-residents. There is an added vendor fee of $60 quarterly and $150 for a concession space and parking spot in the Downtown area. Mobile concession and vending fees are $150 per quarter.

Staff stated these price increases are not based on a percentage but rather on staff salaries and research and comparison with other cities' facilities, to keep prices competitive and still recover costs. As a municipality, Las Cruces is required to set some type of fee on most programs; through policy and with the help of City Council, youth programs are subsidized and supported to keep prices down while cost recovery is achieved through adult programming.

On restrooms: the process for renting facilities is posted on the Parks and Rec website and can be included in this policy. Restrooms are open while the parks are open and Parks and Rec crews keep them up. The Young Park south restroom is kept locked except for huge events, because renters who rent the southwest corner of the park complain when people not in their own party use that restroom, so it is easier to just keep that restroom locked. Restrooms are repaired as soon as possible when they break, because the port-a-potty vendor is under contract and using that service would go over contract just to replace a broken restroom temporarily. Staff can look into adding restroom use into the policy.

On park hours: posted park hours used to be 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., but there were many issues happening after dark, so hours were changed to 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the summer and 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the winter. Now park hours are simply sunrise to sunset and the department is working on updating the signage and website. This allows Codes and Police to send away people who may be causing problems outside of posted hours.

Board Member Coppedge moved to table this item until the meeting of May 18, 2023, seconded by Board Member Raish. The record then states that this policy is already in the queue for City Council in May, that staff could easily add the language requested and send out the updated document by e-mail for review so that it can still go to City Council in May, and that "the motion to table died." No vote on the motion to table is recorded, and the record does not say who spoke against it.

8.1 Organ Mountains Pickleball Club — Jeff Anderson

Jeff Anderson is the new President of the Organ Mountains Pickleball Club. The club has been around for about three years, has roughly 250 members and about 500 people on the e-mail list. They use City facilities all the time and are very pleased to work with Parks and Rec.

The club is a nonprofit group and offers free youth lessons broken into age groups of 3rd and 4th grade, 5th and 6th grade, and 7th and 8th grade, plus free beginning adult lessons. The club works with the Parkinson's Support Group of Southern New Mexico, and the patients get great benefits from the exercise.

There was a very successful tournament at Apodaca Park this year. The club raised $3,000 for Soles4Souls to provide shoes for local children and $3,000 for La Casa to help victims of domestic violence. Tournaments at Apodaca Park on Fridays and Saturdays are very well attended.

The club sponsored the Aaron Gifford Annual Pickleball Tournament at Lions Park three weeks ago and it was very successful. Ms. Hunter runs that tournament and reported that it earned $30,000 for City of Hope, to help get veterans off the street, and for Mission 22, a veterans' mental health organization.

There are beautiful new courts being built on the East Mesa and the club is eagerly awaiting their opening. The club has a website and Anderson invited everyone to visit Organ Mountains Pickleball there.

Anderson is not listed in the document's attendance block.

8.2 Farmers Market update — Chair McClure

Board Member McClure attended the Farmers Market last month to chat with attendees. She was very impressed with the sign for her booth. Many people asked questions in Spanish, and she suggests the subcommittee should discuss how to market services in Spanish.

Board Member Engle also attended and received many comments about trails, wayfinding, and bicycle path infrastructure.

Board Member Haas was impressed with the amount of literature provided for her to pass out, and requested more literature on the Senior and Youth Programs to give out. She received many compliments on the programming available in Las Cruces.

Board Member Raish agreed there were many people interested in Senior Programs. People are also excited about the new aquatic center.

Board Member Engle also received questions about the new dog park opening.

Board Member McClure suggested having other days at the Farmers Market for outreach in the future.

The record does not report on the survey itself, which this outreach was meant to feed, and no work session before this meeting is recorded as having taken place.

8.3 Hike program update — Phil Catanach

Phil Catanach met with Patrick Nolan of Friends of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks to discuss setting up a hiking program and what Parks and Rec can and cannot do to help. They decided to set this up for August of this year, as they do not do hiking in the hottest part of the summer. Docent hikes are available in May and June that are open to the public.

Catanach said Parks and Rec does not have staff with the safety knowledge to be able to do a high-level program, and so he is looking into ways to partner or contract with Nolan's group. Friends of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks are all volunteer, so they will not have the personnel available to help create a high-level hiking program.

Catanach is also setting up a list of low-level hikes that will be made available to the public starting in May. These are geared toward beginners, as the staff who will be in attendance to provide CPR and first aid services are also beginner hikers. These will be free of charge and there will not be transport provided for participants.

Catanach will reevaluate a possible hiking program in August, and will keep Marvin and Linda updated with community-wide hiking activities and docent hikes via e-mail.

Other cities in New Mexico such as Farmington are hiring outdoor recreation programmers, and there is a New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Conference in the fall. All the hikes currently planned around Las Cruces are easy and short; specific distances and a list of supplies to bring will come out with the weekly list of hikes.

8.4 GO Bond updates — Robert Nunez

The 2018 Bond multiuse paths at the sports fields and courts have been completed.

The East Mesa Sports Complex is 94% complete. City Council recently approved $2 million of SSGRT funds for Parks and Rec / Public Works to complete Phase I, which includes erosion control, landscaping, and playground and shade structures. The meeting to discuss priorities for the $2 million will be next week.

The pickleball courts are basically finished but cannot be opened because they are in a construction area. Parks and Public Works will be doing an initial walk-through there. The sod was delayed in shipping, but field completion dates have been identified.

The 2022 Bond was recently approved with $5 million earmarked for the East Mesa Sports Complex. Public Works will do the lighting in all the fields, and some funds will be left for Parks and Rec to perhaps begin work on a skate park, trails, and further lighting.

Parks and Rec also received $2 million for park improvements and plans to immediately work on La Llorona Park restrooms and other improvements and trail maintenance. Three other parks are also on the list for these funds and Parks and Rec will see how much they can do with it. There are three years allowed to spend all these funds.

8.5 City parks and sports fields update — Franco Granillo

League practices are at a minimum, but soccer practice can be done in baseball outfields as well. Funding has been identified to remove the poles at Harty so the field can be used for daytime play; the side fields are still lit for night play.

Springfest was last week and went very well. Staff worked very hard on litter control, restroom cleaning, keeping people out of the pond, and occasionally assisting vendors. It was well attended and everyone seemed happy with it.

The Mira! Las Cruces event is coming up on April 29, 2023 and staff is working hard on it. The plaza is already decorated, similar to Christmas, and staff will continue adding to it as the event comes closer.

The Great American Cleanup is this weekend and staff is assisting KLCB to get it done, providing roll-offs in various places and helping out.

Orlando Flores, the Community Forester, started in mid-March with tree plantings. He placed 38 in Frenger Park and is looking at other places to plant before the planting season ends, as summertime is too hot for planting. He will attend the Earth Day event and provide outreach and swag for proper tree care. There will also be an Arbor Day event with planting of two trees in each Council District.

Maintenance in all areas is very busy, with warmer temperatures causing plants to grow quickly and require more cutting. Irrigation costs and times will increase as the season gets warmer.

Public Works has filled the holes in the road out at the shooting range. A long-term fix is being planned and will be submitted to the Bureau of Land Management for a case file update and approval. The City is looking to acquire the road and entryway to facilitate upkeep, as right now no one is actually responsible for it. The clubs at Butterfield Shooting Range are aware of this and understand that it will take a while.

8.6 Parks and Recreation projects update — Catherine Mathews

Butterfield Shooting Range ADA improvements are complete. Gomez Park lighting is complete as of earlier this month. The neighbors had requested the lighting, and two public meetings were held in 2019 regarding safety concerns in the neighborhood and park after dark. Mathews said she is generally reluctant to add lighting to parks due to the posted hours of operation; however, in many locations around town communities have requested lights.

The second public input meeting for the Skate Park Renovation Project was held April 6, 2023 and was well attended, with lively discussion and many opinions expressed to the consultants. Three different options were presented and participants were very excited. The consultants will take all the data from the meetings and create a single plan to be presented at the May meeting with visuals. The March record described this as "two design options"; this record says three were presented.

The New Skate Park Project has received proposals. The Purchasing Department is currently doing reference checks, anticipated to be completed in May, and the Selection Advisory Committee will rate the proposals and make the selection.

Two projects went before Council on Monday: the Disk Golf Course and the Safe Haven Playground. Both were approved, the budget adjustments were approved, and the CIP adjustment was approved for both. Both projects are now on the CIP and Parks and Rec is allowed to work on them. "The name issue did not come up at that meeting" — the record does not say what the name issue is. The Purchase Order Requisition has been released, it will go through its process of contracting, and construction can begin. Safe Haven Playground will undergo a design process, because there is a plan and requests for what should occur, and now there is a budget and a final project can be created out of it.

The Gallagher Park Improvements Project had a $150,000 budget approved by Council and Parks and Rec has started using that budget. Based on input from the neighbors, Parks and Rec is purchasing bicycle racks, Adirondack chairs, a replacement slide and safety swing, and safety surfacing. There were supply chain issues with everything and it has been difficult to get all the equipment. Mathews already has a quote from the manufacturer for the playground equipment and just needs a quote from the certified playground installer for installation. She expects the equipment to take eight to 12 weeks to arrive.

The trail system project between University and Boutz/Missouri is ongoing. Mathews needs to get an RFP for design before proceeding. Katherine Harrison-Rogers is now the new planner in NMSU's Architects Office; she is very proactive, is aware of that project, and can help smooth the process to speed it up.

On the skate park public input meeting format: the consultant presented the three options and then allowed members of the public to talk about it. There was a microphone and individuals spoke. At the end the consultant allowed people to come up to the screen and point and talk about the most popular options. Most attendees seemed to be satisfied.

9. Staff member comments

Claudia Chavez of Youth Services mentioned the Great American Cleanup; roll-offs will be at Apodaca Park, Young Park, Tony Gomez Park, and on the corner of Thurmond and Sonoma, with a lot of community engagement. District cleanups are scheduled: May 20th District 6, June 10th District 5, July 15th District 4, August 19th District 3, September 16th District 2, October 14th the big Toss No Mas event, and November 18th District 1. There has been great input and Amelia has been doing a great job with the 311 calls from the community.

Youth Service Week had an overwhelming response. Parks and Rec is providing a $250 stipend for groups to get out and work on their chosen area, and there is now a wait list for that program. Parks and Rec is working with Doña Ana County to get interns for summer programs, to help them develop skills and get experience to hopefully graduate and become part of the Parks and Rec team. The summer lottery has three school sites this year; it will be a six-week program with 180 spots, released on May 10th. Chavez said she is excited that the youth programs are in high demand.

Phil Catanach presented April 2023 updates: Youth Basketball, Youth Cheer, and Adult Sand Volleyball are all in week four. Youth Cheer is cheering at Youth Basketball games on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Youth Basketball and Adult Sand Volleyball have over 500 participants. Little Sluggers Baseball starts May 15th. Outdoor Youth Soccer in-person registration is Saturday, online began today, and that league starts May 15th as well. There will be a short Adult Basketball League in May with registration May 1st online. Youth Volleyball in-person for the summer will be May 30th.

Parks and Rec will be working on the Mira! Las Cruces event on April 29th. The Plaza de Las Cruces Interactive Fountain and Metro Verde Unidad Splash Pad will be officially open Memorial Day through Labor Day, but since the weather has been nice they were opened early on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only; the fountains are not open during weekdays because school is not out yet. The outdoor pools, Laabs and East Mesa, are getting ready for inspection and opening on Memorial Day Weekend. Contractors at the new Community Natatorium are working on punch list items, applying nonslip surfacing to the deck, and landscaping to try to open on Memorial Day Weekend; if anything happens it could be pushed back, but right now the plan is Memorial Day Weekend. The Regional Aquatic Center has increased attendance in all areas in the past three months.

In recreation programming, Keep Pedaling is ongoing with four rides done so far and the next set for next Wednesday; the next Saturday ride will be May 13th. Other ongoing programs include Magic the Gathering, the Thursday night therapeutic Boot Scootin' Boogie exercise class, bingo, billiards, arts and crafts, karaoke, volleyball, kickball in the park, and a monthly dance. Parks and Rec is preparing for summer events and the Mobile Recreation Unit is filling up with requests. The schedule is set for Movies in the Park with a news release in the next couple of weeks. Music in the Park and the Mayor's Jazz Fest are set: 17 concerts with 33 groups beginning May 28th and continuing through August. The call for floats for the Electric Light Parade will go out next week and the theme will be announced. The Fourth of July Concert and Fireworks will be partnering with NMSU again, with lineups announced in the next couple of weeks. Employee wellness programs are continuing with great participation. There will be many news releases, social media posts, and radio and print advertising in the next few weeks as this is the planning time for the busiest season. Year-round school does not affect year-round weekend and evening activities; the bigger community events happen during school holidays, and Parks and Rec has adjusted programming schedules to accommodate those children.

Franco Granillo commented that Robert Nunez and everyone have been very helpful with unrealistic expectations from the public, thanked them for all the daily assistance they provide, and said he hopes he is as helpful to them as they are to him. Board Member Engle spoke to his Council representative regarding how much maintenance is required to keep up the new equipment being installed. Granillo concurred and mentioned that replacing a vandalized slide will cost $14,000, which has to be taken from something else to do it.

Robert Nunez mentioned that the FY24 budget is going to a work session next week, and Parks and Rec staff will be attending to answer questions regarding the FY24 ask, hoping the request is approved. Board members and the Parks and Rec team were thanked for all their hard work. The CAPRA accreditation application was submitted as of almost two weeks ago and the core team will be available to answer questions. The review team for Las Cruces consists of a person from Washington State, one from Texas, and one from Florida, working on Las Cruces' application over the next ten weeks. If all goes well the review team will be here in mid-June for a site visit, and they may also wish to talk to board members.

10. Board member comments

Board Member Engle thanked Parks and Rec staff for their hard work. His son is enjoying the splash pad downtown occasionally and riding the free RoadRUNNER Transit to parks on the weekends. Engle's son is signed up for Little Sluggers and staff was able to help him get the applications done on RecTrack; he was very thankful for the help. Engle also thanked the board for their hard work.

Board Member Raish thanked staff for all their hard work.

Chair McClure thanked staff for their hard work.

Recorded votes

Left open at the gavel