Parks and Recreation Commission

Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC) Cornelius Town Hall Thursday, March 5, 2026 2nd Floor – Room 204 5:30 – 7 p.m. www.cornelius.org/pr MINUTES 1) Call to Order • Chair Eustache called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. 2) Determination of Quorum A quorum was reached with all nine (9) commissioners in attendance. • Commissioners Present: Chair Carla Eustache, Lory Morrow, Massiel Tavarez, Jon Show, Steve True, Robert Reed, Chris Kolkhorst, Vice-Chair Jana Ritter, and Travis Dancy • Staff Present: Director Troy Fitzsimmons, Assistant Director Adam Abernathy, and Executive Assistant Mary Curcione 3) Public Appearances – Citizen Concerns/Comments 4) Approval of Minutes a) February 2026 Draft Minutes • Commissioner Kolkhorst made a motion to approve the minutes from the February 5, 2026, meeting as presented. Commissioner Show seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. 5) Presentations 6) Director’s Report a) February 2026 Director’s Report • Director Fitzsimmons presented the February 2026 Director’s Report, providing updates on winter sports participation, Camp Cornelius registration progress, recent and upcoming special events and programs, and the ribbon-cutting for the Bailey Road Park multipurpose field turf replacement. He also encouraged community participation in the Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan survey and interactive mapping process. 7) Parks & Recreation Commissioner Recommendations & Reports a) Items to be placed on record b) Commissioner Reports • Chair Carla Eustache o Shared that she recently registered her kids for summer camp and found the process very easy. Appreciated the payment plan option. o Noted community feedback regarding e-bike communication and noise. o Observed trash cans along Antiquity Greenway were very full. Assistant Director Abernathy noted this may be related to recent employee transitions with the County. • Commissioner Lory Morrow o Commented positively on increased camp registration numbers, particularly the growth in STEM camps. o Mentioned hearing community concerns regarding e-bikes and teen activity, particularly near the Birkdale area. • Commissioner Massiel Tavarez o Also shared that she registered her son for summer camp. Not only was the process smooth, the payment plan and scholarship options were very appreciated. Noted her son was excited to attend. o Expressed a need for teen programming within the Town, especially given the new e-bike ordinances.  • Commissioner Jon Show o Thanked staff for hiring his son as a Camp Cornelius counselor. o Reported attending several Old Town Cornelius (OTC) meetings with Commissioner True and how those have been interesting to follow. o Referenced the sign at Smithville Garden as an example of transportation and bond funding at work. o Noted ongoing concerns and discussions regarding activity at Birkdale and the possibility of teen programming opportunities. • Commissioner Steve True o Reported participating in a Zoom call through Amelia regarding the use of AI in Parks & Recreation. Advised he would share the recording with staff. o Shared that while awareness of AI tools is high, implementation across agencies remains relatively low. • Commissioner Robert Reed o Noted that Little League season is starting again. o Mentioned his household has been actively using tennis and pickleball facilities. • Commissioner Chris Kolkhorst o Complimented the Bailey Road Park turf fields, noting they look and feel great. o Shared positive feedback about the Caldwell Station Greenway and its construction quality. Noted graffiti observed along the greenway (county-maintained section). • Vice-Chair Jana Ritter o Reported hearing positive community feedback regarding the Bailey Road Park turf fields. o Asked about inviting Jeremy from Modern Strike Tennis to attend a future meeting. Staff indicated early summer may be appropriate. o Noted that after playing tennis at Robbins Park, benches and other items appeared scattered, which could potentially damage the courts. • Commissioner Travis Dancy o No report c) Town Commissioner Report – Commissioner Todd Sansbury & Colin Furcht • Commissioner Sansbury o Welcomed Commissioners Morrow, Tavarez, and Kolkhorst to the board. o Advised that the Town has purchased additional acreage to be designated parkland. o Stated that the Town is projected to receive roughly $5-6 million annually in new revenue from the transportation sales tax increase. o Confirmed that the Town Noise Ordinance is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and includes dogs and birds. • Commissioner Furcht o Advised that the 1% sales tax increase will go into effect on July 1, 2026. o Invited Commissioners to the Annual Budget Retreat at the end of March. o Stated that 2026 would be a tough year with regards to budget approvals. 8) Old Business a) 2024 Park Bonds • Director Fitzsimmons reiterated that the 2024 Park Bonds $430,000 soft costs were approved by the Town Board to be used for planning, design, permitting, and land acquisition. b) Parks & Recreation Code of Ordinance Update • Assistant Director Abernathy presented proposed updates to Chapter 93 of the Town’s Parks & Recreation Ordinance, outlining revisions to definitions, prohibited activities, pet regulations, reserved park areas, commercial activity guidelines, and penalties to better reflect current park operations and emerging issues. • The Commission discussed the proposed changes but took no action, noting the need for further discussion regarding payment for damages and potential increases to fines before making a recommendation to the Town Board. c) Parks & Recreation Commission Goals & Committees • Chair Eustache reviewed the individual committees, their goals, and the Chair for each committee. 9) New Business a) PARTF Application Recommendation for Land Acquisition  • Staff presented a proposed Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant application seeking up to $500,000 in matching funds to assist with the acquisition of a 37.4-acre property identified as LP2 in the Town’s Comprehensive Parks & Greenway Master Plan. • Commissioner Show moved to approve the recommendation, Commissioner Morrow seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. b) April PRC Meeting – Rescheduled for April 16, 2026 • Chair Eustache confirmed via the DoodlePoll that the April PRC meeting would be re-scheduled for April 16 due to the Easter holiday/spring break. c) Letter of Support to Rep. Moore for JV Washam Athletic Field Renovations • Assistant Director Abernathy presented a request for the Commission to provide a letter of support for the Town’s federal funding request to assist with the JV Washam Elementary School athletic field improvements project. • Commissioner Morrow moved to approve the recommendation, Commissioner Dancy seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. 10) Adjournment • Chair Eustache adjourned the meeting at 7:09 p.m. Upcoming PRC Meetings – Thursdays, April 16 and May 7, 2026 Next Town Board Meetings – Mondays, March 2 and 16, 2026