Leesburg Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting – July 16, 2026

The meeting covered a range of operational and planning topics, including approval of previous minutes, updates on facility maintenance and park projects, and detailed planning for a 2027 pickleball tournament. Commissioners also discussed a financial report, the status of the master plan update, and a forthcoming ribbon-cutting event at Veterans Park.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the June 7, 2026 meeting were approved without objection.

Discussion Items

• Commission Member Comments:
  • Commissioner Alex raised concerns about the lack of transparency in recent public notifications about a private event at a facility and requested clearer communication.
  • Commissioner Alex noted that registration receipts are informative but no follow-up welcome emails are sent before programs (e.g., nature camp). A request was made to add a templated welcome email to improve customer service.
  • Discussion of the July 4th parade and fireworks: The decision to cancel the parade due to weather was acknowledged as difficult but necessary; fireworks were reported as excellent. Commissioner Alex thanked staff for fireworks and noted that many families had prepared floats in vain.
  • Update on fitness center equipment: The majority of weight and selectorized equipment will be replaced after July 1 (winter timeframe), but bench repairs are a separate maintenance item awaiting vendor selection. Commissioner Alex noted that some damaged equipment was missed in a previous inventory.
  • A noise complaint involving a treadmill runner and a patron who prefers silence was discussed; staff are aware and have visited the facility.
  • Parking lot re-painting is scheduled for August and will include directional arrows to improve traffic flow. However, some drivers ignore markings, creating safety risks during camp drop-off.
• Master Plan Update:
  • The draft word document for the master plan update was received on July 15. The document will be distributed to commissioners by the end of the week. It will then go through other commissions for comment before city council presentation, likely in a couple of months. The delay was attributed to a consultant change.
• CIP Project Update:
  • Veterans Park ribbon cutting tentatively set for August 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM, pending contractor confirmation. Parking will be at the elementary school with shuttles to the site; the event includes a ceremonial boat launch with the mayor and chair.
  • Pickleball courts at the new park are projected to open late September to early October 2026. Fence posts are in place, parking lot is laid out.
  • Rock Spring Park: Funding approved for fencing, tree work along Loudoun Street, and passive trail work near the stream; similar style to Ida Lee Park.
• Pickleball Tournament Planning:
  • Commissioner Russ presented a QR code for a tournament web page. The group considered 2027 dates: April 3 (rain date April 10) or May 8 (rain date May 15). The May date was chosen because spring break (March 27) and Mother's Day (May 9) were conflicts. Commissioner noted a wedding on May 15 (rain date) but agreed to proceed.
  • Format: Recommended pool play followed by single elimination; capping at 24 teams with five courts (estimated nine-hour day). Commissioners discussed brief but lively debate on category breakdown: some favored mixed doubles open and masters by age; others preferred skill-level divisions (beginner, intermediate, advanced) to attract more participants. No final decision was reached; further discussion will occur at the next meeting.
  • Staff noted that tournament format must be defined before advertising in the RecTrac system to limit registration by category and set min/max participants.
  • Awards and administration: Commissioners asked about “meeting” rules if more than two commissioners attend as volunteers; staff advised they cannot discuss work but can administer. Promotional items (whistles) were shown with a printing error.
• Director’s Report:
  • Financial report: Revenue down compared to last year, attributed in part to competition from new Ashburn facility and Crunch Fitness; expects cycle back up in 12–18 months.
  • Life jackets vendor email was dismissed as spam.
  • Commissioner Alex reported a missing t-shirt lost during a hot trip to New York.
• Other Business:
  • Commissioner Russ volunteered to design tournament format using USA Pickleball guidelines and offered to recruit local experienced volunteers for tournament management.
  • Commissioner noted upcoming absences: Rich will miss two of the next six meetings; bidding for a replacement will occur in September.

Key Outcomes

• Approval: Minutes of June 7, 2026 approved.
• Making of a date: Pickleball tournament set for May 8, 2027 with rain date May 15, 2027.
• Next steps: Commissioners to research tournament format and categories; further discussion scheduled for the next meeting.
• Timeline: Draft master plan update to be distributed by end of week; veterans park ribbon cutting on August 26 (tentative); pickleball court opening late September/early October; Rock Spring Park improvements in play.
• No formal votes recorded; decisions were made by consensus.