55% of the city's playgrounds are 20-plus years old, and this year's replacement money did not come

If you read nothing else

• Six of seven seats were filled — every district represented, only the at-large member absent.
• There are 67 playgrounds and growing; 55% are 20-plus years old and five are 26–31 years old.
• Council granted $1.5 million for FY2025 playground replacement using Telshor funds. The same request in 2025 was not granted.
• A standard playground costs about $300,000 installed. Bingham said replacing five a year to catch up would take 13 consecutive years.
• No public participation and no action items. Approval of the December 11 minutes was postponed because the link to read them was broken.
• The City Clerk told the board that three unexcused absences in a row can be referred to Council for removal, and that the city took 7,301 public-records requests last year.

Who was in the room

8.1 City Clerk presentation — the board's scope of duties

City Clerk Christine Rivera described what the municipal code says about boards and committees. There are different types. A standard board — which PRAB is — has each member appointed by a City Councilor. On a nonstandard board the membership is made of different types of seats, appointed by the Mayor with Council consent. Ad hoc committees are created to deal with a specific issue and dissolve when it is complete; there are none right now. There is one operational board in the city, the Utilities Board, because it has its own funding source and deals with the operations of the city.

All boards and committees advise and make recommendations. Park plans and fees. The code requires this board to meet quarterly. Board members have to attend 75% of all meetings, and three unexcused absences in a row can result in a member being referred to Council for removal; excused absences are different. All boards and committees are run by Robert's Rules of Order, the Open Meetings Act, and the Code of Ethics.

On conduct: be respectful, never mislead or obstruct, lead with integrity and competence, abstain from making offensive comments, and refrain from addressing Council for or against board decisions. She encouraged members to keep in touch with their Councilors. Board member terms are four years, and a member can serve up to eight.

On the Open Meetings Act: it promotes transparency in a public body. Someone can come and record the meeting on their phone. Agendas need specific agenda items rather than general ones, must include date, time and location, and should be posted 72 hours prior. Items cannot be added to a posted agenda, though some can be removed. City Council passes an Open Meetings Resolution every year, so agendas are posted throughout the city in conspicuous places. Minutes are required in draft form 10 days after the meeting and must carry date, time, location, members present, members absent, and a brief summary of any actions taken. Rolling quorums are to be avoided and happen frequently by e-mail — she advised blind-copying so replies go to one person and no one sees the other responses.

On rules of procedure: Robert's Rules of Order, as passed by City Council. Tabling an item is date specific. Postponing, she said, kills the item entirely, and she advised voting an item down instead of postponing it. A point of order is used when the topic gets off track. For tabling, the board can say table for six months.

On the Inspection of Public Records Act: she is the city's records custodian. There were 7,301 requests last year. Everybody has the right to inspect records. She warned members to be careful what they put in e-mails. The city does not release date of birth, social security numbers, account numbers, credit card numbers, or employee addresses.

8.2 Status of playgrounds — the age problem

Katherine Harrison-Rogers said a playground replacement program was proposed a couple of years ago and Council liked the idea. Playgrounds are good for 15–20 years, and manufacturers recommend even less; some in the city are older than 20 years. Parts are only manufactured for a finite amount of time, about 15 years, which is a problem for the city. The consequences are diminished use and safety concerns with broken parts.

There are currently 67 playgrounds, and growing. Five are 26–31 years of age. Big grant awards funded a number of playgrounds installed from 2004–2006, which are getting old, and many of those have been replaced this year. Some date to 2008–2009 and the remainder from 2015 on. Fifty-five percent of the playgrounds are 20-plus years old.

Funding is a problem too. Sun damage degrades plastics over time; coatings on wood or metal peel, crack and deteriorate; rust is a problem; and the rubberized surfacing can have issues. The city has some construction staff who do minor repairs, but hires out the installation of playgrounds.

The money, and which parks are next

In 2024 Parks and Recreation requested $1.5 million for fiscal year 2025, and City Council granted it using the Telshor funds. In 2025 the same request was made but not granted. There was a GRT increase, and staff are hoping some of that will be granted to Parks and Recreation. A playground replacement is considered almost maintenance/repair, and therefore is not a new level of service that would allow the use of PIF — park impact fees.

Two playgrounds remain in design under that $1.5 million: Young Park and Apodaca. The parks targeted in 2025 were Apodaca Park, Gus Vlachakis, Young Park, Pioneer Women's Park, and East Mesa Rec Center Park. Valley View was replaced using a different funding source. Upcoming parks for the next year are Country Club Estates, College Manor, Sunset Terrace, Jason Jiron, and Sunset Hills, on rotation in District 6. La Llorona is being done right now.

Franco Granillo and his group help guide which playgrounds should be next on the list. Parks and Recreation explores all the options — whether playgrounds are used or not used, and what other options exist. The city does have a say in what goes into parks. Las Cruces has almost double the amount of playgrounds per capita; the city does studies based on census data. Finding replacement play value is good also. A suggestion was made for more benches and an adult playground.

Other funding opportunities include state funds, DFA, capital outlay, and GRT. The National Park Service's Land and Water Conservation Fund has several opportunities for park renovations, rehabilitation and improvements, but requires a one-to-one match. State funding matches can be less than one-to-one, but not always.

Steven Bingham said staff did an analysis on doing five a year to get caught up, and this would take 13 consecutive years. He said Harrison-Rogers and her team purchased some equipment that was still with the manufacturer but was being sold at a discount due to clearance for new upgraded equipment. With playgrounds they like to see a mix of ages rather than equipment directed at specific age groups only; ages 5–11 serve the broadest level. Parks and Recreation tries to use elements that serve the neighborhood as a whole and all age groups and interests. A standard playground is about $300,000, and that is for install, surfacing and the equipment.

Board member comments

Board Member Alana Bradley discussed East Mesa Park and the shade, and said it is a fun place.

Board Member Miley Grandjean also thinks more seating would be good. She said it is concerning that there is no funding from City Council this year.

Board Member Stephanie Genelle Hofacket appreciated the presentations.

Vice-Chair Laura Haas thanked staff for all the analysis, work and compilations. She would like everyone to remember they are members of the public, and said now is the time to get the needs known.

10. Staff member comments

Franco Granillo said the rights-of-way and median staff have finished removing the holiday lights at the downtown mall, city hall and the plaza, and construction maintenance has removed the holiday decorations. They are also working on some repairs and on leaf litter all around the city, and getting ready for spring. They are planting roughly 90 trees in the next two weeks throughout the community. Josh is in charge of sport fields now. Canopies were ordered and are being replaced in some locations. He also mentioned the wind phone for Veterans Park.

Josh Clevenger said there were big shakeups in the recreation division and parks division, which has prompted people moving and getting to know the new team and new job duties. They are working on a lot of the restrooms. Aquatics has two swim meets, one for high school and one for NMSU. Indoor soccer and other athletics start up in February.

Robert Nunez said they are also working with new staff. They had their winter camp with the afterschool program at six different locations throughout the city. The spring semester has started with nine locations, of which six are already at capacity. Keep Las Cruces Beautiful lost their supervisor to a promotion but is still programming. The graffiti abatement team of two — hopefully to get to four — is attacking graffiti at nine to 15 spots per day. The Youth Development and Diversion Program is in the community. Community recreation has new staff and a new facility, and e-sports has been installed. Special events will include the 4th of July, Music in the Park and Movies in the Park. He noted the New Year Chile Drop is Visit Las Cruces and the Downtown Partnership, not city Parks and Recreation. Aracely Tellez asked about the park rangers; they are mobilizing and figuring out which areas need patrols, and also working on the level of authority.

Katherine Harrison-Rogers said Apodaca Park got the construction drawings today. There are several contractors they are seeking bids from, and they hope to start construction in just the next couple of months. This will include an aquatic playground, natural play features, a walking path and improvements to parking, and — if funding is found — a second phase that would include improvements near the pickleball courts including lighting, a plaza area, a pavilion and a small playground for toddlers. There will be some work on some trails over the next couple of months, RTD, which is from University north and south.

Steve Bingham said park rangers are to start patrolling in February. Police have identified key parks that have a lot of crime, about eight to 10 of those, which will be focused on first. An all-abilities park has been discussed for a couple of years, although it is quite pricey; the city would like to be able to do it. The East Mesa playground had more money spent than typical in order to broaden the age groups. He said the city should look at building three or four destination playgrounds that have the "wow" factor, with a broader age group and more inclusivity. The typical family visits four to six parks a year.

11. Next meeting date

February 19, 2026.

Recorded votes

Left open at the gavel