Parks and Recreation Commission

Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC) Thursday, October 2, 2025 Cornelius Town Hall 5:30 – 7 p.m. www.cornelius.org/pr AGENDA 1) Call to Order Vice-Chair Eustache called the meeting to order at 5:37 p.m. 2) Determination of Quorum A quorum was reached with five (5) commissioners in attendance. • Commissioners Present: Vice-Chair Carla Eustache, Jeff Jones, Robert Reed, Steve True, and Jana Ritter • Commissioners Absent: Chair Trey Fouche, Jon Show, Andrew Heywood, Travis Dancy • Staff Present: Director Troy Fitzsimmons, Assistant Director Adam Abernathy, Recreation Superintendent Michael Wolf, Special Events Manager Shelby Cruse, Athletics Program Manager Rashad Hart, and Executive Assistant Mary Curcione • Partners Present: Thomas Finlay – Charlotte Independence 3) Public Appearances – Citizen Concerns/Comments a) Staff Promotions • Shelby Cruse – Special Events Program Manager Director Fitzsimmons introduced Shelby Cruse as the new Special Events Manager, effective at the end of September. She succeeds Michael Wolf, who recently transitioned to the role of Recreation Superintendent. • Rashad Hart – Athletics Program Manager Director Fitzsimmons introduced Rashad Hart as the new Athletics Program Manager, effective at the end of September. He succeeds Shelby Cruse, who recently transitioned to the role of Special Events Manager. 4) Approval of Minutes a) September 2025 Draft Minutes Vice-Chair Eustache made a motion to approve the minutes from the September 4, 2025, meeting as presented, and the motion passed unanimously. 5) Presentations a) Charlotte Independence – Thomas Finlay Mr. Finlay emphasized the club’s mission and values, while outlining its vision for holistic player development and community engagement. It also detailed participation across recreation, competitive, adult, and TOPSoccer programs, as well as extensive league play and tournaments that attract both local and out-of-town teams. b) Draft FY27 CIP and Budget Goals • Assistant Director Abernathy’s presentation on the drafted FY27 Capital Improvement Plan focused on long-term investments, including greenway development, park and facility upgrades, land acquisition, and replacement of aging equipment to support community growth and infrastructure needs. • Director Fitzsimmons’ presentation on the Proposed FY27 Budget Goals outlined plans to enhance special events, customer service tools, and new programming such as an MLK Day event and 30th Anniversary Carnival, all funded through increased sponsorship revenue. 6) Director’s Report a) September 2025 Director’s Report Director Fitzsimmons presented on strong community participation across recent special events including the Festival of Cultures, Lake Norman Empowerment Festival, and the 25th Annual All American Dog Show, and  provided updates on upcoming fall programs. He also highlighted the completion and dedication of the new pickleball courts at Bailey Road Park. 7) Parks & Recreation Commissioner Recommendations & Reports a) Items to be placed on record b) Commissioner Reports • Vice-Chair Carla Eustache o Attended the night farmers market on October 1 and felt that it was a great variety of vendors. She Enjoyed the food trucks that were there – Handel’s and Carolina Smash Truck – they were good options for that time of evening. o Joined the Programs Fees & Facilities Committee (PFFC) meeting where they reviewed and discussed three partnership agreements: Charlotte Independence, Lake Norman Little League, and Lake Norman Tennis Association. • Chair Trey Fouche – Absent • Commissioner Jeff Jones o Went to the last daytime farmers market on September 24 and felt attendance was lower than in previous weeks. He also noticed that vendors were still setting up after the market had started. Loves the “one man band” and think that adds to the overall experience. o Also enjoyed the night market on October 1 and the food truck offerings. Should the night market continue next year, he would like to see beer/alcoholic beverages and live music as that would set our market apart from daytime/weekend markets. • Commissioner Jon Show – Absent • Commissioner Steve True o Attended the 9/11 Anniversary Ceremony and enjoyed the speeches that were given that day; very moving. o Really enjoyed the Festival of Cultures event on September 13. Would love to see this event take off in the future. • Commissioner Robert Reed o Gave Thomas Finlay of Charlotte Independence kudos for being so willing to give his time to speak with him as a parent. Loves that the Independence is teaching young kids skills, but also to just run and have fun which is important for recreational leagues. • Commissioner Andrew Heywood – Absent • Commissioner Jana Ritter o Gave the PFFC kudos for bringing in Charlotte Independence for a conversation regarding their agreement. o Would like to see all partners come in to give consistent presentations and include data specifically related to growth and percentage of Cornelius residents. o Excited to be starting a tennis program at Bailey Middle School. It will be the first-ever tennis club program offered through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and 45 students were already registered. o In close contact with Jeremy Martin of Modern Strike as well as LNTA in regards to the new programming that will be going on at the Bailey Road Park Court Complex and is looking forward to new programming for the community. • Commissioner Travis Dancy – Absent c) Town Commissioner Report: Commissioner Todd Sansbury – Absent 8) Old Business a) Parks & Recreation Code of Ordinances Update Representatives from the surrounding small towns, the City of Charlotte, and Mecklenburg County met to discuss the ordinances. The County acknowledged the concerns regarding personal conveyance vehicles, and all parties are working to align and synchronize rules to ensure consistent enforcement. b) Parks & Recreation Commission Goals & Committees • The Lakeside Living November article will be focused on the 2024 Park Bonds. • Commissioner Ritter advised that she would be forwarding any media inquiries to the Department to handle. c) 2024 Park Bonds 9) New Business a) Charlotte Independence Agreement for field use and synthetic turf funding at Bailey Road Park  • Vice-Chair Eustache made a motion to approve authorizing the Parks & Recreation Director to finalize the 2026 – 2035 Independence Partnership Agreement based on the general terms presented and recommend the Town Board approve the agreement. Commissioner Reed seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. b) Lake Norman Tennis Association Programming Operations and Facility Use Agreement • Vice-Chair Eustache made a motion to approve authorizing the Parks & Recreation Director to finalize the 2026 LNTA Partnership five (5) year agreement based on the general terms presented. Commissioner True seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. 10) Adjournment Vice-Chair Eustache adjourned the meeting at 7:18 p.m. Upcoming PRC Meetings – Thursdays, November 6 and December 4, 2025 Next Town Board Meetings – Mondays, October 6 and 20, 2025