Parks & Rec Advisory Board · April 16, 2026
Young Park pulled from the agenda; elections deferred for want of a board
The board amended its own agenda to strike the Young Park item before taking it up, then deferred board elections to May because too few members were present. Three of seven seats were filled; Districts 1 and 3 are vacant.
If you read nothing else
- Item 7.2, Young Park, was removed from the agenda — the board amended the agenda to exclude it before adopting it, and the record gives no reason.
- Board elections were deferred to May's meeting because too few members were present. Three seats are termed out; two of seven seats sit vacant.
- The city's online trail map is dated January 14, 2021 and is missing GO Bond trails already built, plus a new NMDOT multiuse trail along University.
- USTA's regional chair said parents will not let their children attend tennis programming at Lions Park, citing someone "shooting up" next to the bathrooms.
- Staff put the tree inventory at roughly 15,000–18,000 trees and said 80,000 must be planted over the next 30 years to meet canopy standards.
Who was in the room
3 of 7 seats represented. District 1 and District 3 are vacant.
Present
- G. Michael Amezquita — District 6
- Alana Bradley — District 4
- Stephanie Genelle Hofacket — District 5
Absent
- Jeremy Williams — At large
- Charles Beard — District 2
- District 1 — vacant
- District 3 — vacant
Staff
- Julee Muro de Gerome — Senior Office Manager, Parks & Recreation
- Franco Granillo — Deputy Director, Parks & Recreation
- Jake Gutierrez — Aquatics Administrator, Parks & Recreation
- Ryan Steinmetz — Youth Services Administrator, Parks & Recreation
Others
- Arturo Fierro — USTA Southern New Mexico, Director at Large / Regional Chair
- George Pearson — public
- Gregory Shervanick — public
- Bernardo Carbajal — public
- Mike Barado — Build X
Public comment
Kept at length on purpose. Every point raised is listed, in the order the minutes record it.
7.1 Board Member Elections — deferred
Alana Bradley stated there are three board seats termed out right now.
Stephanie Hofacket said they should defer until there are more members present. The board deferred elections to May's meeting, and separately voted to have Bradley chair the next meeting.
Three of seven seats were filled at this meeting: Districts 1 and 3 are vacant, and the At-large and District 2 members were absent.
7.2 Young Park — removed from the agenda
The agenda was approved as amended "without item 7.2." Under Action Items, the item appears in the record as "7.2 Young Park." followed by a single line: "REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA."
No reason for the removal is recorded, no one is recorded as having asked for it, and no new date is set. Young Park is nonetheless discussed three separate times in this meeting — by Gregory Shervanick in public comment, by George Pearson in connection with the Family Bike Fiesta route, and by staff as the venue for Movies in the Park and Music in the Park.
8.1 Presentation — Community Recreation and Special Events
Ryan Steinmetz said the community recreation team is based at the Frank O'Brien Papen Center, and that special events has recently been added to their area. Staffing is an administrator, a supervisor, four recreation coordinators, four rec aides, and two student rec aides. They sit under the Youth Services umbrella, and name changes are coming. The area also houses the Keep Las Cruces Beautiful team, the senior programs dining room and programming, and the Teen Connection program.
He gave their "why" as wanting patrons to experience quality recreational programs, fun events, efficient services, and lasting memories.
The therapeutics program serves individuals with developmental and physical disabilities: arts and crafts, karaoke, bingo, stationary dance, monthly dances, kickball, boot scoot boogie, cornhole, sensory bins, Lego sessions, and a sensory room. There are billiards and ping-pong tables. Senior activities include line dancing, dancercise, qigong, and dance lessons, with a hiking series in spring and fall. A mobile recreation unit goes to schools, parks, and plaza events, including shaving cream baseball.
Events: Movies in the Park will return to Young Park because crowds are better there. Music in the Park will be held at Young Park except on Mother's Day, and Mayor's Jazz will be downtown. Staff are working hard on the July 3rd Electric Light Parade, with a July 4th concert at Sisbarro Park, and a tree lighting event in late November or early December. They would like to do Pumpkin Palooza again at Mesilla Park, but budget is a concern. They hope to do more with Mommy and Me, the biking groups in town, and some after-hours offerings.
Gregory Shervanick asked whether there had been a large increase in senior groups. Steinmetz said they do not run the programs for seniors, except the hiking trails. Michael Amezquita asked if there was a standalone or dedicated website; the answer was that their web presence is all part of Parks and Recreation, connected to the city. Most programs are free, and rental income comes from meeting rooms, the game room, and the auditorium.
9. Staff comments — Meerscheidt, athletics, trees
Jake Gutierrez said there has been some reorganization within the department. Meerscheidt is under construction and staff hope to be finished the first week of May, with a grand reopening June 14th. He said they now have the best restrooms. They are expanding programming and rentals, working to understand how to leverage their partnerships and their ability to market, and looking for opportunities for the community to partner with. Athletics and Meerscheidt stayed open to the public over the construction period, running leagues on weekends and weekdays in the gyms. They are looking to expand indoor pickleball.
Arturo Fierro said he wants to talk further about partnering, as his organization can provide equipment, and also to discuss the afterschool programs. Ryan Steinmetz said afterschool programs serve elementary school students at eight different sites, with one area serving teens and hopefully a second.
Franco Granillo said the seasons started kicking off earlier due to warm weather. He discussed trees with mistletoe, which are still treatable, and cottonwoods around that staff are keeping an eye on. Staff still need to inventory trees on trails, medians, and some odds of property — probably 15,000 to 18,000 trees — but need to plant 80,000 in the next 30 years to have a canopy that meets standards. Trees to plant would be mesquite, chinkapin oaks, Texas redbuds, and Chinese pistachios.
Greg Shervanick said the Great American Clean Up is this weekend, April 18th.
10. Board member comments
Michael Amezquita said he is on a learning curve but plans soon to be beneficial to the board. He said his Councilor has requested he advocate for ADA for all the different parks. He said he understood there were plans to build some tennis courts at the East Mesa Complex, but that all the courts built are pickleball courts, so he plans to advocate for tennis courts to be built there as well.
Stephanie Genelle Hofacket thanked Alana Bradley for chairing the meeting and thanked Ryan Steinmetz for his presentation, and said she is excited about Meerscheidt's grand opening.
Alana Bradley said a website that has not been updated since 2021 is not optimal. She said she appreciates all the inclusion events and thanked everyone for being there.
11. Next meeting date — nothing recorded
Agenda item 11, "Next Meeting Date," appears in the record as a heading with no content beneath it. The board had just voted to defer elections to "May's meeting" and to have Bradley chair "the next meeting," but no date is set down.
Recorded votes
4. Approval of the AgendaMotion passed unanimously
Approve the amended Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting agenda without item 7.2 for April 16, 2026.
Moved by Stephanie Hofacket · seconded by G. Michael Amezquita
Item 7.2 was Young Park. The record gives no reason for its removal and sets no date to bring it back.
6. Approval of the MinutesMotion passed unanimously
Approve the March 30, 2026 minutes with corrections.
Moved by Stephanie Hofacket · seconded by G. Michael Amezquita
The only correction recorded: page 1, line 28, "Amerquita" should be "Amezquita."
7.1 Board Member ElectionsMotion passed unanimously
Defer elections until May's meeting.
Moved by Stephanie Hofacket · seconded by G. Michael Amezquita
7.1 Board Member ElectionsMotion passed unanimously
That Alana Bradley chair the next meeting.
Moved by Stephanie Hofacket · seconded by G. Michael Amezquita
12. AdjournmentMotion passed unanimously
Adjourn.
Moved by Stephanie Hofacket · seconded by G. Michael Amezquita
Left open at the gavel
Unassigned
Young Park — item removed from the agenda
Item 7.2 was struck from the agenda by the same motion that adopted it. No reason is recorded, and no date is set for bringing it back.
Steve (Parks & Recreation) — via Alana BradleyNext meeting
Online trails map update
George Pearson said the map is dated January 14, 2021 and is missing built GO Bond trails and the new NMDOT multiuse trail along University, and that an update was promised but nothing has happened. Amezquita proposed an action item to discover who to work with; Bradley said the board's notes will go to "Steve and the team," with an update hoped for at the next meeting.
Unassigned
Two unexplained capital-budget trails
Pearson said he cannot figure out two trails in the capital budget: "Dona Ana Move Trail" and "University Multiuse Trail." No staff answer is recorded.
Unassigned
Future trail connections
Pearson asked what the considerations are for the Armijo Lateral and a HAWK signal at its crossing, the Mesilla Drain Trail connection through the box culvert to Lakeside Drive, and an Armijo Lateral extension from McClure to Palmer. No staff answer is recorded.
Franco Granillo
Pioneer Park Rehabilitation Project — plans for local contractors
Mike Barado of Build X asked when plans will be available to local contractors. Franco Granillo recommended leaving an e-mail address and said staff will respond.
Unassigned
Lions Park tennis court safety and condition
Arturo Fierro reported drug use next to the bathrooms and people walking through courts in play, said parents are withdrawing children from the program, and said the courts are good for about two years. He offered USTA funding of $8,000 per court to resurface and up to $35,000 per court to reconstruct, plus an evaluation and renderings from a group he works with. No staff response is recorded; a board member noted that in her regular job people are not allowed to respond to public comments.
Unassigned
USTA partnership and equipment offer
Fierro asked to talk further about partnering, saying his organization can provide equipment, and about the afterschool programs. No follow-up commitment is recorded.
BoardMay 2026 meeting
Board member elections
Deferred to May's meeting for want of members present. Three seats are termed out.
City Council
Vacant board seats — Districts 1 and 3
Both seats sat vacant through this meeting; with two members also absent, three of seven seats were filled.
G. Michael Amezquita
Tennis courts at the East Mesa Complex
Amezquita said he understood there were plans for tennis courts there but all courts built are pickleball, and said he plans to advocate for tennis courts. No staff response is recorded.
G. Michael Amezquita
ADA advocacy across all parks
Amezquita said his Councilor requested he advocate for ADA for all the different parks. Nothing further is recorded.
Franco Granillo
Tree inventory
Granillo said staff still need to inventory trees on trails, medians, and some odds of property — probably 15,000 to 18,000 — against a need to plant 80,000 in the next 30 years. No completion date is recorded.
Unassigned
Next meeting date
Agenda item 11 is a heading with nothing recorded beneath it; no date was set on the record.