Half the city's playgrounds are past their lifespan — and Council has not agreed to fund the fix

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• 64 playgrounds citywide; 32 are 20 years or older against a typical life expectancy of 18-22 years. The plan is five replacements per year instead of one large-scale bond. City Council has yet to agree to fund and continue that replacement.
• Young Park's playground was placed in 2004 — over 20 years old. Young Park and Apodaca are in design, combined with other work already happening in those two parks.
• Every sports-field light pole at the complex is being replaced: Apodaca softball (lights added later, park built early 1970s), Maag 1975, Jim Harty 1979, Paz Baseball 1979, Ron Galla 1991. Demolition March 13-28; completion August 11-15 plus a couple of days for check and review.
• Council accepted a $249,668.05 grant from New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources for Women's Pioneer Park on April 7. The first contractor quote came in above the current funding amount, so staff are reaching out to other vendors.
• The Las Cruces Dog Park Coalition told the board there has been a lack of communication or miscommunication, and that plants at the Rinconada dog park are toxic to dogs. Granillo said the rules drew just over 200 survey replies, 80-85% in favor.

Who was in the room

Public comment

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

8.1 Sports Field Lighting Replacement — Franco Granillo

Granillo said the complex has poles placed between 1975 and 1991, so the light poles have met their lifespan.

Apodaca softball was built as an add-on, but staff are finding language that it was built in the early 1970s with lights added at a later time. Maag was 1975 and the poles were installed at the same time. Jim Harty 1979. Paz Baseball 1979. Ron Galla 1991. All of these will have the poles replaced.

Ron Galla had the poles built correctly, with space at the bottom to release any moisture.

All the fields are open for daytime use as Public Works got all the poles removed. Tournaments can take place on the weekends. Fields will close during pole replacements.

Public Works is the project lead, Facilities is maintenance lead, and Parks & Recreation is the user group.

A timeline was shown: demolition of the poles March 13-28, and completion August 11-15, with a couple of days further for check and review.

Board Member Beard asked about time down. Granillo said the youth are using Ron Galla as the poles are fine there; the older age kids and adults are losing about a game a day.

8.2 Spring/Summer Programming — Robert Nunez, Youth Services

Nunez described the Teen Connection Program: recreational activities, educational and employment assistance, activities events, and nutritional meals on a daily basis.

Coordination partners are Meerscheidt and NMSU, Doña Ana Community College, Las Cruces Public Schools, and the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. On the nutritional side they partner with Family and Youth Plus, which provides at-risk meals during the school year and summer food meals in summer. Other partners include the museums, the library, various city departments, other nonprofits, and the Bureau of Land Management.

Staff meet with Councilors and the outreach coordinator of Las Cruces Public Schools to help promote the program to youth in the schools.

Currently about 112 youth are registered in the program, averaging 35-50 kids per day. The program has access to vans to pick up at high schools, middle schools and charter schools throughout the city.

They partner with Friends of Organ Mountain and have mountain bikes for outings. New Mexico Workforce Solutions helps 15- and 16-year-olds prepare to get a job: Dress for Success, how to fill out an application, where to look for a job.

They have the aquatic centers to utilize, and Las Cruces Public Schools does some STEM with the program. Staff want to identify more outdoor activities, and identify some theatre, arts and music for all youth in the community; they work with the Rio Grande Theatre.

Staffing is a full-time supervisor, two coordinators, and five contract staff every day, with hopes to expand some of the program. There are monthly guest speakers.

Hours are 3:00 to 7:30 Monday through Friday during the school year, and 10:00 to 6:00 in the evening during summer, with special Saturdays for events and activities.

Board Member Bradley asked if Teen Connection is free. Nunez said it is free — transportation is free, and most activities, field trips and outings are all free for the youth. He listed four middle schools, Arrowhead, Las Cruces High School, Mayfield, Centennial, and some charter schools.

Board Member Beard asked what nonprofits are being used. Nunez named FYI for the food program, Friends of the Organ Mountains, Cruces Creatives, and Borderline Family, and framed the question as how the city can provide resources so nonprofits and other organizations can use city programs for their events, and vice versa.

On a question concerning teaching kids to swim: there are lessons open to the general public, and the city is doing a pilot program with Alameda, working with the PE requirements to do some work at the pool.

8.2 Spring/Summer Programming — Ryan Steinmetz, Recreation

Aquatics for teens: three Teen Splash Nights over the summer, plus a Teen Movie Night. Natatorium daily lap lane swim 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Fitness swim at the Regional Aquatic Center, plus all of the open swims. Fitness center and classes daily.

Community recreation: Magic: The Gathering for teens and young adults Thursdays 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.; paint nights open to teens but not really the target audience; the mobile recreation unit deployed to many community events; Music and Movies in the Park and Pumpkin Palooza open to teens and families.

Athletics: Youth Basketball for middle school youth, spring and fall league; Youth Indoor Volleyball, mainly middle school youth; open gym 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. during school closures and summer; Corn Hole open play Tuesdays and Thursdays; racquetball courts, must be 14 with parent reservation; billiards, table tennis and cardio room during regular operating hours.

In the works: E-sports, which still needs some infrastructure; a three-on-three basketball tournament in September targeting teens 8th through 11th grade; potential aquatics Teen Splashes held during the school year.

Wellness is looking at a partnership with HR on employee wellness, and doing a Wellness with summer interns — the city has approximately 100 interns.

Staff had a meeting with Safe Routes to School about potential areas of bicycling programming; Safe Routes to School is moving to a new location near the Frank O'Brien Papen center, opening up more partnership.

Steinmetz said he has challenged all the administrators for additional teen programming ideas and focus group ideas.

Parks & Recreation and other city departments participated in the Know Your Government program, which brings in students from different high schools to tackle a challenge. The question posed was: recreation services and activities are provided by the city to residents of all ages in Las Cruces, yet many youth say that they don't have any activities to do in the community — how would you work with our leadership team to improve communication about community programs, ensure the programs provided are interesting and relevant to local youth, and address the challenge of access and getting youth to and from our events?

Feedback on communications: use Instagram and other social media, TikTok; messaging is not getting to where teens are; utilize Las Cruces Public Schools social media and school announcements; better utilize Ziggy in social media.

Feedback on transportation and access: buses are free, but there is a perception among teens and families that buses are not safe to use. Timing matters — teens want later programming. East Mesa Rec Center offerings and expansion were raised.

Feedback on interesting and relevant programs: more teen night offerings, drive-in movies, 5Ks and Color Runs for teens, a new rec center, bowling, partnering with outside entities, hosting events, and a dance club.

Board Member Bradley asked about the athletics, which are city led. Vice-Chair Haas asked about the aquatic center fees; the record states babies are nothing and everyone else is the same fee.

9. Staff comments — dog park rules

Franco Granillo said the dog park rules went through two reviews of legal. The process started around the time the old president of the Dog Park Coalition had been in place, and that president did receive a copy.

He said there are three different dog parks and all three have different ideas on how to run things and best use them, and that the city wants to be sure all the rules are uniform for each park.

The rules also went through two different community constituent employees who got them out to the public. In the last process the public was able to reply through social media posts, and flyers with a QR code were at all the dog parks. A survey also went out to the neighborhood of each dog park within a couple of miles' radius.

There were just over 200 replies, of which 80-85% were in favor and 15% not in favor.

Granillo said this is not a Council issue or a board issue — these are rules and guidelines, not ordinances — and that the rules will be flexible. He said he is more than willing to sit down with the two women and go over their lists also.

9. Staff comments — recreation, events and youth services

Ryan Steinmetz said athletics are gearing up for summer leagues and are ready to move to online registration for pickleball, hoping to start May 1. The wellness team is preparing for Bike to Work Day on May 16, plus a survey to all wellness participants within the city about what to add and what to improve, and some things about community events.

Events: a Mother's Day and jazz concert at the Plaza; Movies in the Park will utilize Amador LIVE Space; Music in the Park will be Sundays at the Young Park stage; the Fourth of July theme is Las Cruces Unidos.

Robert Nunez said they are wrapping up after-school programs and getting ready for summer recreation. Keep Las Cruces Beautiful received a New Mexico Department of Transportation grant and held a tire dump day the previous weekend that collected 4.5 tons of tires, with three more weekends to do this again. There is a free dump day at the transfer station off Motel the entire week through the weekend, and the Great American Clean Up the next weekend, April 26, is also a free dump.

That weekend is the Earth Day celebration, partnering with the Farmers Market. Staff are also partnering with Las Cruces Utilities for a Water Fest on April 30, bringing all 4th and 5th graders to Young Park for water conservation activities, events, and information.

For the Youth Development and Diversion Program, a team is heading to Albuquerque the next week to present regarding the program at a conference. That week staff were at Zia Middle School doing assemblies on Why You Matter, which included parents who lost children due to suicide.

9. Staff comments — Pioneer Park and the Women's Pioneer Park grant (David Sedillo, Public Works)

Steve Bingham introduced David Sedillo, the Public Works Director, who gave information on Pioneer Park. The majority of the work is completed. Staff are waiting on the decorative panels, which hopefully will arrive the next day, to be installed the following week so as to avoid disruption of events in the park over the weekend.

On the other project, at Women's Pioneer Park: at Council on April 7 a grant was accepted in the amount of $249,668.05 from the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department. It is being coupled with other funding sources, and the project is to help address the master plan that has been in place for the park.

The scope is redoing sidewalks, irrigation, exterior lighting around the park, pergola improvements, and possibly some playground equipment.

The city contacted a contractor to get a quote based on the procurement process. The quote came in above the current funding amount, so staff are reaching out to other vendors for quotes.

9. Staff comments — the citywide playground inventory (Steve Bingham)

Bingham said there are 64 playgrounds, of which 32 are 20 years or older. The typical life expectancy of a playground is 18-22 years.

It was recommended to do a large-scale bond and replace 32 playgrounds in a short period of time; instead the approach is five playgrounds per year, ongoing, so the next generation of leaders does not run into this huge mass impact to a budget at one time.

Three of the five playgrounds are being installed: East Mesa, Pioneer, Vlachakis. Apodaca and Young Park are being designed — because of the work required in those two parks, they are being combined with the other work being done there.

There were some concerns on social media about a playground at Country Club on Spitz, which has met its life expectancy and is one of the ones for the coming year to be replaced. Bingham said City Council has yet to agree to fund and continue that replacement.

On the Pioneer playground feedback and design, Bingham said he believes the colors are subdued.

Bingham said that next month elections will be held for the board for chair and vice-chair.

10. Board member comments

Board Member Alana Bradley asked if any of the playground structures could be reused or repurposed. Bingham said renovations do not include removing good playgrounds, and that a playground at Young Park was placed in 2004, so it is over 20 years old.

Board Member Charles Beard said he believes communications are the most difficult and most important thing to get kids and people involved. He asked about the pickleball and tennis court issues.

Bingham said the member of the public who brought that up thought that instead of 44 people into Meerscheidt it should be 50. Bingham said he talked to him afterwards and passed the suggestion on to the programmer within the city, and indicated those decisions are driven by the programmer, not the director, as the programmer has daily access and is fully invested.

Staff said pickleball can use tennis courts but tennis cannot use pickleball courts, so since there are still more participants using tennis, things will remain as is for now. Beard said he took a view the other night and pickleball had many more than tennis.

Bingham said tennis is a gentleman's and ladies' game, quiet, while pickleball is very noisy. He said he offered the pickleball association and players not with the association the two courts at Frenger as temporary pickleball courts to be used at all times, and there was no interest in using Frenger. He said he met with both the pickleball club/association and the tennis people and all agreed that the current breakdown of courts meets both groups' needs, and that he has noticed capacity is picking up at pickleball courts.

Beard said there was a tour of various parks and the East Mesa Sports complex, and he feels there needs to be a sign on the main road saying "Here is the sports center this way." City staff agreed.

Beard also mentioned the gun club, that people are shooting up all kinds of things, and said there needs to be security. Bingham said that if there is a concern, have them come meet with staff.

Board Member Miley Grandjean said she thinks all the programs are awesome, and asked about the youth employment program and whether there are organizations that absorb some of these kids. Staff said the summer internship program funded by the New Mexico Education Department has previously worked with the county to get kids employed across the county, and that Parks and Rec has a student rec aid program and a lifeguard program hiring teens.

Grandjean mentioned family members being certified as babysitters with CRP and nutritional classes, and teen referees.

Chris Faivre said the city is also partnering with Las Cruces Public Schools and some charter schools and working on an MOU to be able to have internships with high school students throughout the year, and that they would like to rotate the teens through the different departments so they can see the different types of things.

Vice-Chair Laura Haas thanked everyone for bearing with her, and for all the information provided.

Recorded votes

Left open at the gavel