3,000 kids, four fields, and fifteen years without a new soccer complex

If you read nothing else

• Neither the Chair nor the Vice-Chair attended; the meeting was brought to order by District 2 Representative Kenneth Coppedge, with four of seven members present.
• Las Cruces Youth Soccer: roughly 3,000 kids, 428 coaches, about 868 games this season and 40 referees, on three City fields (PVD, Burn Lake, High Noon) and one LCPS field (Tashiro) — described as the largest soccer league in New Mexico.
• Ward said that in 15 years there has not been much growth in facilities, that fields were lost to a City–LCPS field swap around 2012, and that the association was removed from the joint use agreement around 2014.
• Greg Shervanick reported some veterans are unhappy with the disc golf right-of-way through Veterans Park. Staff replied that a parking lot constructed with public funds cannot be designated solely for one group alone.
• Trail signage: four locations are missing signage, removed but not by staff — the underpass near Sam's Club, near Spruce and Telshor, and the Outfall Channel going west near Isaacs. A GIS map of all signage will be sent to the board.
• Keep Las Cruces Beautiful received $37,620.76 in grant funding, going to Council October 2nd for approval; FY23 saw 936 graffiti locations abated.
• Coppedge is interested in a committee to further address inequities with youth soccer. It was recorded under Adjournment and will be placed on another agenda.

Who was in the room

Public comment

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

7.1 Keep Las Cruces Beautiful — Amelia Corrales, KLCB Program Coordinator

Corrales said staff applied for grant funding and received $37,620.76, which will go before Council October 2nd for approval for utilization. The categories are end littering, reducing waste, beautifying our community, empowering youth, and increasing program capacity.

FY23 achievements: just under 1,500 volunteers throughout the entire year for a total of 1,390 volunteer hours; multiple presentations completed at LCPS schools and youth programs, teaching kids about recycling, the effects of litter, and illegal dumping; seven total community outreach events attended, with hopes to expand that this year; and 936 locations of graffiti abated throughout the City.

For FY24, $5,361.96 was awarded for reducing waste, which staff want to use for a recycled art show connected to the trash and fashion show.

For end littering they received $10,878.80. Staff want to collaborate with partners such as Keep Doña Ana County Beautiful, South Central Solid Waste (which has a recycling educator), and the NMDOT litter campaign for community clean-ups. They also want to promote open-top trash container events, for people with larger items they cannot pay to take to the dump, and to open a litter pantry with reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags, and recycled notebooks to promote doing a clean-up.

For beautifying communities they received $7,815, which will help abate graffiti locations. They also have a minimum of 15 parks or trails adopted through the Adopt-A-Spot program, and work with the Parks and Recreation out of school time program and LCPS programs to engage youth in local community gardens.

For empowering youth they received $10,520 and will work with youth interns, teaching about beautification and the impacts of illegal dumping and littering, and gathering youth groups to complete clean-up activities for a stipend.

For increased program capacity they received $3,045, which will continue the Keep America Beautiful affiliation. That gives access to templates, social media flyers, networking access, and the Keep America Beautiful Conference. A few pictures were shown with descriptions.

Board Member Montgomery said he was impressed with the amount of work given the budget and shocked at the amount of graffiti being cleaned up. He asked whether the $7,000 for graffiti covers all the program costs or is layered with other income. Robert Nunez said they are also supplemented through the General Fund.

Board Member Coppedge asked about the community gardens. There are currently three in the City; the one being started is off Spruce, and they will grow from there.

Board Member Haas liked the idea of recycled art. That program will be rolled out in the spring.

7.2 Multiuse Trails Update — Franco Granillo, Parks Deputy Director

Granillo said the board wanted an update on educational strategies for letting the public know that the trails are not for motorized vehicles.

A signage inventory is being created for what is currently posted. A sign shows no motorized vehicles and the ordinance. The sign inventory runs from the university to the Outfall Channel area and La Llorona Park. There is a lot of uniform signage that does mention day use trails and no motorized vehicles allowed.

The Triviz new area, from the water tower down through the new traffic circles, seems to be missing some signage. There are four areas of missing signage — removed, but not by staff: the underpass near Sam's Club, near Spruce and Telshor, and the Outfall Channel going west near Isaacs.

Staff are within ADA compliance with bollards and the spacing at 36 inches.

Granillo has reached out to the PIO office and there are avenues to promote educational material for the trails. Some can be done through social media and done quickly. There are also pamphlets and flyers in the utility bill. Various ways to get the message out would be digital media, YouTube, the Google platform, newspapers, radio and television, and movie theater advertisements. The PIO office has an Emmy award winning trail video that could be leaned more toward the informational and educational. He also noted a program in another community that uses retired police and codes officers to patrol daily to give education.

Board Member Haas asked about the flyers in the utility bills and how many people per household see this, expressing concern that there would be a poor return for the money spent.

The minutes record that a map with GIS pinpoints of all signage will be sent to the board.

8. Staff Member Comments

Phil Catanach said staff are finishing up the summer season. Flag football, cheer, and outdoor volleyball finish in the next couple of weeks. Youth basketball is beginning with 54 teams signed up, over 600 kids. The gym floor was refinished last week. Movies in the park finishes this Saturday. Music in the Park finished in August, but there are more funds, so a free community concert is set for October 15th with Tobias Rene, a New Mexico music artist, and a norteño band from El Paso/Juárez/Chihuahua. Staff are getting ready for Pumpkin Palooza on October 14th, and on October 29th there is a candy drop, dropping candy from cranes. Splash pads finish at the end of September and close for the season. At the Downtown Plaza fountain the water will be off but the lights will continue. Planning is underway for the Christmas tree lighting. Natatorium hours will switch to be open continuously from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Staff had great success hiring lifeguards this year and are doing some hiring for the recreation side and the athletic areas.

Franco Granillo said staff are going to help vegetation go into dormancy within the next six weeks. Bigger events are coming up — Renaissance Fair, Whole Enchilada, softball — and staff are also assisting other Parks departments. Pachanga is at Young Park. Staff are working on development and designs for median improvements, park improvements, refurbishment and rehab, to be sure older areas continue to keep looking new, and are also working on the clean sweep program for the medians.

Robert Nunez said Team Up to Clean Up, a community-wide evening, is coming October 7th. Out of school time programs have a masquerade/harvest feast October 26th at A. Fielder Memorial Safe Haven. LCPS fall break begins Monday, with 150 youth signed up for the fall break program at four different locations, kindergarten to high school, 7:30–5:30. The out of school time and youth development and diversion programs went to an outreach program from LCPS and met with all counselors and social workers to offer what the City does in youth services, and are going to school open houses with all programs. The youth development and diversion program went to Council with approval for over $337,000 for this fiscal year; the program started in 2008 with just over $16,000. Nunez introduced Sofia Hughes, their case manager, who has a master's in social work, has worked with them for three years, and is starting a parents support group.

Steven Bingham said some board members have met with him, that he has a good team, and that he is appreciative of the work being done. He spoke briefly about the utility insert and costs, that it is one-time, and that staff will try low-cost options first.

9. Board Member Comments

Board Member Montgomery suggested not using the utility bill inserts, noting the City is trying to get customers paying bills online and to move away from the bills. He said he is a strong supporter of social media, and that he is impressed with the staff and programs.

Board Member Haas thanked the staff.

Board Member Raish thanked the staff.

Board Member Coppedge asked about the signage completion of the disc golf course and whether there would be an opening ceremony. Catherine Mathews said construction of tees and holes will be finalized by mid-October, including signage; that it is officially not open yet; and that no grand opening event is planned. Staff have discussed getting discs printed with the Parks and Rec mascot Ziggy.

Coppedge also asked about drinking fountains and bathrooms. Franco Granillo said staff are going to continue to work on the problems pertaining to facilities, and that at Provencio/Van Dame they are still in the process of building and installing a restroom facility, which is funded.

Recorded votes

Left open at the gavel