City of Johns Creek Recreation & Parks Advisory Committee Meeting — January 21, 2026

The City of Johns Creek Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee (RPAC) met on January 21, 2026, at 11360 Lakefield Drive, Johns Creek, GA. The agenda listed a 6:30 PM start; the record timestamp provided was 2026-01-21 11:30:00+00:00. No public comments were offered. The committee received department and rental updates, heard a presentation from the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, approved the November 12, 2025 meeting minutes, and discussed board appointments, attendance policy, and senior center access.

Reports & Presentations

• Chair Update: Chair Phillips indicated additional updates would come on the next agenda and that some committee changes would be relayed after City Council review.
• Department Update (Rec & Parks): Staff highlighted Park Place Senior Center activity for November and December: November had 42 social and 61 fitness programs (103 total programs, 1,292 total participants); December had 45 social and 57 fitness programs (102 total programs, 1,082 total participants). Events included the Literary Fair (450 attendees; Gov. Nathan Deal was well received), Holly Jolly Block Party (about 1,000 attendees; 750 free cups of hot cocoa donated by CVB; Wilson Creek Elementary performed), Breakfast with Santa (40 children; at capacity), and Adaptive Lunch with Santa (19 participants; at capacity). Upcoming events: Lunar New Year on February 21 at Heisman Field, Battle of the Bands on March 7 at the Amp at Newtown, and Daffodil Days on March 28 at Heisman Field.
• Staff Spotlight: Recreation Manager Cara Prell and Capital Projects Manager Matthew Pate were introduced. Pate reported ongoing capital work: Brumbelow Fire Station #63/Police Substation received its certificate of occupancy and is expected to open with a ribbon cutting in March; Autrey Mill Nature Preserve animal enclosures are expected to finish before summer; approximately three-quarters of a mile of asphalt trail was improved; pickleball and tennis courts were added at Newtown; wayfinding signage is being standardized at remaining parks; and the Newtown maintenance yard is being upgraded. Pate also noted a new field superintendent, Kevin Hall, started during the week of the meeting.
• Q4 and Annual Rental Reports: Q4 2025 rentals by park were reported as: Cauley Creek $23,020.00; Morton Road $941.25; Newtown $7,503.75; Ocee $3,188.75; Shakerag $10,908.75. Q4 sport rental totals were: soccer $15,243.75; cricket $12,487.50; baseball $1,367.50; lacrosse $0; football $787.50. Annual facility rental counts were: 5K trail 13; fields 763; sport courts 751; cricket nets 44; pavilions 386; clubhouse 71. Staff said Morton Road is low because only its pavilion is available for rent, and sport courts include tennis, pickleball, and basketball. For 2025, rentals were within expectations; year-over-year differences were attributed partly to the provider model at Cauley Creek. Fees were last updated in 2023 and are benchmarked to neighboring communities.
• Park Partner Presentation — Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra (JCSO): Executive Director Phil Kim and Board President Peter Hildebrandt presented. JCSO is a fully professional orchestra founded in 2007 alongside the city by Wayne Bauman, with musicians averaging over 16 years of professional experience and a new music director, Henry Chang. Programming includes masterworks, pops, and community/education work. Examples included Meet the Orchestra, which brought more than 700 fifth graders from seven elementary schools to Mount Pisgah; a Minecraft-based music and technology program with Fulton County Futures Lab; K-pop EDU in high schools; Pops Without Borders at Newtown Park; and a music-as-healing concert program with Full Radius Dance funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Students under 21 attend free. Upcoming concerts include a March program with singer Joan Ellison and a May finale with David Coutron and Julie Coutron. The January healing/reflection concert was postponed due to weather. JCSO said it plans smaller ensemble run-out shows and is working to raise its community profile.

Discussion Items

• Rental rates and pricing philosophy: During the rental report discussion, staff explained the city does not aim to make money on park rentals and seeks to keep fees aligned with neighboring markets. Committee members discussed whether demand-based pricing should ever be used. One member expressed support for keeping rates affordable for Johns Creek residents, emphasizing utilization over revenue and saying residents are already taxed enough; another suggested demand pricing could be applied selectively, for example after a reservation deadline. Staff noted the city's parks do not have enough field space to meet all demand.
• Board appointments and vacancies: Staff reported that applications for February-expiring board terms were due by December 31 and were forwarded to City Council. Four current members sought reappointment. There are vacancies on the board, including two additional resignations since December. Appointments are expected to be made at the first City Council meeting in March.
• Attendance policy: Several committee members expressed concern about the strict attendance policy set in code, which calls for removal after three missed meetings, especially when meeting date changes cause conflicts. Staff said they would relay these concerns to City Council.
• Senior center access: A committee member noted the city has about 82,000 residents but only one senior center, located on the extreme southwestern side, making access difficult for northern residents. Staff agreed to explore options, including possible reciprocal or fee-free use of a neighboring city's senior center, and to report back at the February meeting.
• Follow-up accountability: Committee members noted that items in prior minutes sometimes lack follow-up. Staff agreed to improve tracking and bring outstanding items forward in future packets.

Key Outcomes

• The committee unanimously approved the November 12, 2025 meeting minutes after a correction on page one.
• The committee received the Q4 and annual rental reports; no changes to rental fees were adopted.
• Staff committed to follow up on senior center access, attendance policy concerns, and outstanding agenda items in February.
• The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra presentation was received; staff and JCSO discussed future collaboration awareness efforts and inclusive concert access.